Why Your Facebook Ads Get Likes but No Enquiries (And How to Fix It)

Many small businesses feel frustrated: your Facebook ads look active, you get likes, comments, shares but nobody actually contacts you.

The problem isn’t Facebook. It’s your campaign setup. Most businesses optimise for attention, not action. Now this might not be the problem all the time as there is a difference between Branding and Lead Generating but in this case it might cost you.

The Real Problem: Optimising for Engagement Instead of Conversions

Facebook makes it easy to feel successful. You see metrics like:

• Likes

• Comments

• Shares

• Video views

…but these vanity metrics do not equal leads.

If you run:

• Boosted posts

• Engagement campaigns

• Traffic campaigns

…you’re literally telling Facebook: “Find people who interact.”

You’re paying for engagement, not for actual enquiries. Meta will do exactly what you ask.

Common Setup Mistakes That Kill Conversions

• Boosting posts instead of running conversion campaigns – Likes are cheap; intent is not.

• No Meta Pixel or bad pixel setup – If you don’t track actions properly, Facebook can’t optimise.

• Undefined conversion event – Form fills, phone calls, and bookings must be tracked.

• Ads talk about you, not the customer problem – People respond to solutions, not services.

• No friction-based CTA – “Learn more” is cheap; “Check availability today” converts.

Step-by-Step Solution to Turn Engagement Into Leads

1. Change Your Campaign Objective

• Run Lead Generation or Conversions campaigns, not engagement.

• Set the conversion event (form submission, booking, phone click).

2. Install and Verify the Meta Pixel

• Track real actions on your site.

• Check conversion events weekly.

3. Make Your Ad About Customer Pain, Not Your Business

• Bad example: “Professional Makeup Artist in Sydney”

• Good example: “Wedding in 30 Days? Still Don’t Have a Makeup Artist?”

4. Add a Friction-Based Call-to-Action (CTA)

• Examples:

  • “Get Availability & Pricing”

  • “Check if Your Date Is Free”

  • “Book Free Strategy Call”

5. Test and Refine

• Start small, $10–15/day.

• Review search terms, demographics, and placements weekly.

• Kill low-performing ads fast.

Now this topic can be quiet unique to each business so if you are not sure you are doing this right, feel free to CONTACT ME and I will help you FREE OF CHARGE, just mention in a subject that you are coming from my website :)

Sam, founder of ClickAnthill, helps Sydney small businesses generate measurable leads through ethical PPC campaigns. Sam has managed over 30 campaigns across industries like physiotherapy, real estate, and hospitality, achieving up to 120% ROAS for clients.