Most local campaigns produce their first inquiries within a few days, because the ad platform will deliver to anyone who matches the targeting. The first qualified customers usually show up in the first two to four weeks.
The month that matters is the second one. The first month is largely the platform learning who responds and who books. By the second month, at the same budget, cost per lead typically drops noticeably because the account is no longer guessing.
What controls the timeline more than anything else is your follow up. A campaign that generates forty leads and a campaign that generates forty conversations can be the same forty people. The difference is how fast someone answers.
Seasonality matters too. A roofing campaign launched in the middle of winter moves more slowly than one launched after a spring storm. The page on how much should I spend on ads each month covers how to plan around that.
Related reading: How much should I spend on ads each month, What is a good cost per lead and Should I use Facebook or Google ads.
What speeds up the timeline
- A follow up that reaches every lead within about a minute
- A landing page that matches the promise made in the ad
- A budget large enough for the platform to gather data quickly
- An offer with a clear next step instead of a general introduction
- Starting before your busy season rather than during it