How To Do Facebook Ads For Local Businesses: Ben Heath

Apr 17, 2025

If you're a local business owner looking to master Facebook ads, you're in the right spot. Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting Ben Heath on my podcast, Local Marketing Secrets. If you don't know Ben, he's a powerhouse in Facebook and Google advertising, boasting over 300,000 YouTube subscribers and running an agency with over 50 employees that's managed more than $150 million in ad spend. With over $600 million generated in client revenue, it's clear Ben knows his stuff.

Here’s a breakdown of the key insights from our conversation to help you dominate Facebook ads for your local business.

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Why Facebook Ads Are Essential

According to Ben, Facebook ads (now officially Meta ads, encompassing Facebook and Instagram) are essential for local businesses because they're one of the few platforms where you can reliably reach your audience consistently and at scale. Unlike Google, where intent-driven search ads dominate, Facebook ads are interruption-based. This means your ad needs to effectively stop people mid-scroll and motivate them to act.

Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads

Ben emphasized that Google and Facebook ads are complementary. Google is intent-focused, typically attracting higher costs due to the immediate buying intent. Meanwhile, Facebook’s strength lies in interruption advertising, ideal for generating awareness and demand. For local businesses, leveraging both platforms can comprehensively cover your digital advertising needs.

Optimize for Leads, Not Awareness

Ben strongly recommends local businesses optimize their Facebook ads for leads. Meta’s algorithms are incredibly sophisticated, using your objective (leads, in this case) to find the right audience. Meta knows exactly who, when, and how often to display your ads to maximize your conversion rates.

Test, Test, and Test Again

One of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Ben was his approach to testing. He compared mastering Facebook ads to learning tennis—you don’t expect to win tournaments immediately. Similarly, you shouldn’t expect immediate results from your first ad campaign. Instead, testing various ad types, images, videos, headlines, and offers allows you to continuously improve your campaigns.

Ben shared a great insight: if creating 100 ads helps you find the one ad that triples your return, that testing process is worth every effort.

Image vs. Video Ads

Though video ads generally perform better (around 60% of the time, according to Ben’s extensive data), they require a higher production value. If you can produce quality video content, definitely go for video ads—they’re great for building trust and demonstrating expertise. If not, image ads are still highly effective, easier to manage, and can yield great results.

Crafting an Irresistible Offer

According to Ben, the offer is the most critical element in your Facebook ads—especially for local businesses. He recommends clearly communicating:

Value Proposition: What exactly customers will get.
Guarantee: To improve trust and perceived likelihood of achieving desired results.
Urgency and Scarcity: To encourage immediate action.

He used great examples like guarantees ("delivered in 30 minutes or it's free") and clearly defined availability ("only 3 spots left this month") to illustrate how to make an offer truly compelling.

Website vs. Instant Forms

Ben advises testing both Facebook's Instant Forms (native forms within Facebook) and directing traffic to your website. Instant Forms usually yield lower costs per lead but can result in lower-quality leads due to reduced friction. Conversely, directing leads to your website typically filters for higher-quality leads, provided your website is designed well and optimized for conversions.

Influencer Marketing: The Hidden Gem

Ben pointed out influencer marketing as an underrated strategy. You don't need Kardashian-level influencers; local, recognizable figures can significantly boost your ad's performance. Having influencers create video ads you can run as paid advertisements can dramatically improve engagement and conversions.

Budget Recommendations

As a starting point, Ben recommends at least a $10/day budget. It's modest enough for businesses new to Facebook advertising but sufficient for gathering valuable insights and initial traction. Once you're comfortable and see results, scaling becomes straightforward.

Key Metrics to Monitor

Ben emphasized simplicity when monitoring metrics:

Primary Metric: Cost per lead (CPL)
Secondary Metrics: Link click-through rate, conversion rate from click to lead, video hook rate, and cautiously, CPM (Cost per Thousand Impressions).

Rapid Fire Takeaways

Boosted Posts: Effective for good offers, but better to set ads up properly through Meta Ads Manager.
Awareness Ads: Mainly for large brands or specific omnipresent strategies.
Video vs. Image: Video generally wins, but image ads are simpler and more accessible.

Wrapping Up

Mastering Facebook ads for local businesses is all about strategic testing, crafting strong offers, and leveraging the power of Meta's advanced targeting algorithms. By following these guidelines from Ben Heath, you'll be well on your way to seeing impressive results in your digital marketing efforts.

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