Lead generation
How to cut cost per lead below SAR 4
If your business runs on sign-ups or inquiries (institutes, clinics, real estate, services), cost per lead decides your profit. In one of our campaigns for a Saudi training institute, search ads cost SAR 90 per lead; after rebuilding the campaigns it fell below SAR 4 — with more than 19,000 leads in one month. Here are the steps we applied.
1. Pick the platform by audience, not by habit
Search ads are great for people searching right now, but expensive when keyword demand is high. Young audiences looking for courses and services spend their time on Snapchat and Instagram, and reaching them there is far cheaper.
2. Use in-platform lead forms
A form that opens inside the app with the user's details pre-filled cuts sign-up to two taps. Every extra page between the ad and the form raises the cost.
- Ask only for name and mobile, plus one question that filters serious leads (such as city or course).
- Say in the ad what happens next: “We'll call you within an hour.”
3. Test and pause weekly
Run 3 to 5 ads with different messages and visuals, pause the weakest every week and move its budget to the best. Continuous optimisation — not the first ad — is what brings cost down.
4. Plan the budget across the month
Demand isn't flat through the month. We lower spend on weaker days and raise it during peak demand (start of the month, near course start dates), keeping cost low without losing leads.
5. Measure lead quality, not just volume
- Share of leads reached by phone within the first hour.
- Share of leads that actually enrolled or bought.
- Real cost per customer = spend ÷ customers who bought — that's the number that matters.
FAQ
Is Snapchat always better than Google for leads?
No. Google wins when the customer searches for your service with high intent; Snapchat and Meta are cheaper for reaching a wide audience and creating demand. Many businesses need both in different proportions.
What budget should I start with?
Enough to collect 50 to 100 leads in the first two weeks so the algorithm can learn, then scale the winning ads. Try the free assessment to see the expected cost for your industry.
Want this applied to your business?
Leave your details for a free consultation, or see the service