Facebook Ads Generate 86 Leads at $5.26 CPL

What if your biggest business obstacle—poor credit or short operating history—was no longer a barrier to funding? In a world where traditional banks routinely say ‘no’ to small business owners and entrepreneurs, one alternative financing provider set out to rewrite the rules. Their secret weapon? A laser-focused Facebook Ads campaign designed and executed by CDM Suite that shattered industry benchmarks for cost per lead and quality—proving you don’t need a big bank’s blessing to grow your business.

Executive Summary: From Frustration to Floodgates

In just four months, a leading alternative finance company partnered with CDM Suite to launch a Facebook Ads campaign targeting SMEs and startup founders. The result? 86 qualified leads at an average cost per lead (CPL) of $5.26—with costs dropping by 29% as optimization progressed. Want to know how they did it, and how you can too? Read on.

Who Was the Client? Why Their Story Matters

The client is a commercial loan brokerage renowned for helping entrepreneurs and small businesses access funding when banks say no. Their mission: Empower the underbanked—the visionaries, side hustlers, and new business owners who don’t tick all the traditional boxes.

• Industry: Alternative Financing / Small Business Lending
• Target Market: SME owners, startup CEOs, entrepreneurs in the United States
• Value Proposition: Fast, flexible funding—even for those with FICO scores as low as 500 or less than a year in business

Why does this matter? According to industry data from the SBA, over 50% of small business loan applications are declined by traditional banks. The client’s innovative approach fills a critical gap, making their ability to reach and convert this audience a potential game-changer for economic growth.

The Challenge: Breaking Through the Noise

Small Businesses, Big Barriers

The client faced a classic conundrum: How to reach and convert entrepreneurs and SME owners who are both underserved and skeptical of alternative financing solutions. Their business depended on building trust, generating qualified leads, and converting them into loyal, repeat clients for long-term growth.

Pain Points

• Audience Fragmentation: The SME and entrepreneur market is vast but notoriously hard to target with precision.
• Lead Quality vs. Quantity: Sales teams were overwhelmed by unqualified leads from previous campaigns.
• Brand Trust: Many prospects were wary of alternative lenders due to industry stigma.

Setting the Scene: With a modest ad budget of $500/month and a high bar for lead quality, the stakes were high. Success would mean not just more leads, but the right leads—those ready to become loyal customers and advocates.

The Solution: Behind the Scenes of a Winning Facebook Ads Campaign

Data-Driven Strategy, Creative Execution

CDM Suite’s digital marketing team designed a four-month campaign that blended rigorous audience research, aggressive A/B testing, and continuous optimization. Here’s how it unfolded:

1. Audience Research & Segmentation

• Targeted Interests: Focused on business owners, entrepreneurs, and startup CEOs.
• Custom Audiences: Built remarketing and lookalike audiences from the client’s existing customer base, website visitors, and engaged users.

2. Creative Testing

• Static Images vs. Video: Early A/B tests revealed static image ads dramatically outperformed video, leading to a swift pivot in creative strategy.
• Messaging: Ads highlighted key differentiators—funding available with low FICO scores, minimal operating history, and low minimum revenue requirements.
• Calls-to-Action: Clear, compelling prompts like “Contact us today to unlock financing for your business” and strategic use of hashtags (#AlternativeLending, #BusinessFinancing).

3. Continuous Optimization

• Bid & Budget Management: Monitored campaigns daily, reallocating budget to top-performing ad sets and creatives.
• CPL Tracking: Tracked cost per lead in real-time, scaling spend on ads that delivered the best quality at the lowest cost.
• Remarketing: Used pixel data to retarget website visitors and nurture warm leads through the funnel.

4. Deliverables

• 4-Month Campaign Timeline
• Multi-Creative Ad Sets (Static and Video)
• Custom Reporting Dashboard
• Weekly Performance Reviews

Results: The Proof Is in the Performance

By the Numbers

• Total Leads Generated: 86
• Average CPL: $5.26
• Leads in First Two Months: 66 at $5.64 CPL
• Leads in Final Month: 20 at just $4.00 CPL (CPL down 29% from earlier months)
• Monthly Ad Spend: $500
• Location: United States

Key Metrics at a Glance

• 29% reduction in CPL within the campaign period
• 86 high-quality leads—all SME owners or entrepreneurs
• Static image ads outperformed video, driving a majority of conversions

“The campaign achieved an amazing set of leads with great CPL, far exceeding the client’s expectations.”

What Drove Success? Lessons for Your Own Marketing

Here are the top actionable takeaways you can apply to your next Facebook Ads campaign:

1. Test Creatives Relentlessly
   Don’t assume video will always win. In this case, static images outperformed video ads—let the data decide.
2. Know Your Audience, Then Refine
   Precise targeting and lookalike audiences can deliver quality leads at scale. Use your CRM data and pixel insights to build smarter segments.
3. Prioritize CPL and Lead Quality
   Monitor cost per lead and quality, not just volume. Fewer, better leads are worth more than a flood of unqualified prospects.
4. Embrace Continuous Optimization
   Check performance daily, reallocate budget, and tweak creative and targeting quickly. Small changes can yield big results.
5. Use Remarketing and Lookalikes
   Warm up your audience before you try to convert them. Retargeting and lookalike audiences often deliver the lowest CPLs and highest conversion rates.

Ready to Unlock Growth for Your Business?

If you’re inspired by this success story and want to see what’s possible for your own marketing, don’t leave your business growth to chance. Visit CDM Suite’s Free 3-Minute Marketing Assessment and get a custom growth plan tailored to your unique needs. Discover exactly what’s missing in your strategy—and how to unlock more leads, lower costs, and greater ROI. Check out more insights on our blog.