X Opens Lead Generation to All Advertisers: Will They Deliver Qualified Leads?

PALM BEACH, FL – X, formerly Twitter, has opened its Lead Generation Ads to advertisers globally, including small businesses and those managing their own campaigns. The format allows prospective customers to submit inquiries without leaving the platform.

In an email received November 3, X announced the global launch under the subject line, “Tap. Lead. Done. X Lead Generation Ads are here.” Businesses can use the native forms to collect demo requests, email subscriptions, quote inquiries, webinar registrations and other responses.

How X’s Lead Generation Ads Work

A user taps an advertisement, opens a form and submits their information within X. Advertisers create, customize and preview forms through a Leads Center in Ads Manager, where they can also download submissions or connect them to a customer relationship management system. X names HubSpot, Salesforce and Zapier as available integrations.

I’m glad CRM integration is included. I would not use a lead generation service without an immediate email or another notification when an inquiry is created. Regularly checking an advertising dashboard is not a practical substitute. A connected system at least makes it possible to configure alerts and respond while the person’s interest is fresh or user analytics can be best analyzed.

A Broader Rollout of a Returning Format

The email follows the refreshed format’s initial introduction in August. Social Media Today reported November 3 that availability had expanded globally. X’s general-availability announcement explicitly includes small and medium-sized businesses and self-service advertisers.

Longtime Twitter advertisers may recognize the concept. Twitter previously offered lead generation cards before retiring the product. The latest rollout restores native lead capture to its advertising offering and makes it available to a broader group of businesses.

Easier Submissions Do Not Establish Buying Intent

Advertising platforms are increasingly offer ways to capture leads without sending users to the advertiser’s website. Facebook has lead ads, Google Ads has lead forms, and now X is expanding its offering. I have mixed feelings about this approach. As a business owner, I want prospective customers to visit the company’s website, learn about its services and understand who they are contacting before submitting an inquiry.

Keeping that interaction within the platform gives the provider greater control over the experience and visibility into which ads generate submissions. That helps demonstrate advertising activity, but a completed form alone does not establish the value of the inquiry.

X describes the product as a way to capture high-intent leads. I would be cautious about that characterization. Someone responding to an advertisement may have a general interest in the offer without understanding the business, its pricing or whether its services are a good fit.

A website visit does not guarantee buying intent, either. It does, however, give someone an opportunity to learn more before making contact. For advertisers, the question is whether easier submissions produce informed prospects who are prepared to do business.

Be Prepared to Nurture These Leads

My recommendation is to have a follow-up process in place before paying for these leads. Bring inquiries into your CRM or contact database and offer an appropriate way to subscribe to a newsletter or receive relevant updates. Give yourself more than one opportunity to earn their business.

Someone who submits a form while browsing social media may be ‘generally interested‘ without actively looking for your services or being ready to buy, but timing matters. However, a consumer actively searching for a solution to a current need is generally a more qualified prospect.

Respond promptly, then be prepared to maintain the relationship. With their permission, follow up through useful information, occasional check-ins or a newsletter that builds familiarity with your business. These inquiries have a better chance of producing value when your process allows interest to develop over time.

John Colascione

John Colascione is Chief Executive Officer of SEARCHEN NETWORKS®, a digital marketing and technology company founded in 2001. An entrepreneur, author, and digital publisher with more than 25 years of experience, he specializes in search engine marketing, Website Monetization, domain names, and online business development. He is the author of Mastering Your Website and publishes commentary on technology, digital marketing, and the evolving Internet economy. Read more at JohnColascione.com.