Let’s be honest: running ads is the easy part. If you’ve got decent targeting, a good offer, and solid creative, you’ll get leads. But here’s the thing—generating leads is only half the battle. The real game begins the second those leads come in. And this is where we see most concrete coating companies drop the ball.

Almost every time a business tells us, “The ads didn’t work,” we dig into what happened and find the same issue: poor follow-up. It’s not that the leads were bad. It’s not that Facebook ads are a scam. It’s that they didn’t follow up fast enough—or at all.

This blog will break down why follow-up is non-negotiable, how it impacts ROI, and how you can make sure you’re not leaving money on the table.

The Truth About Leads: They Go Cold Fast

People looking for epoxy or concrete coating services are usually shopping around. That means they’re not just contacting you—they’re also reaching out to your competitors. If you don’t get back to them quickly, someone else will. And when that happens, you can say goodbye to that potential job.

According to studies, you’re 21 times more likely to convert a lead into a customer if you follow up within 5 minutes versus waiting just 30 minutes. After a few hours? Forget about it. You’re as good as ghosted.

This is why fast follow-up isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s critical.

Where Most Companies Go Wrong

Here’s what usually happens:

1. Lead Comes In: Company gets a notification but thinks, “I’ll reach out later today.”

2. Time Passes: Hours go by, maybe even a day or two.

3. The Lead Moves On: When the company finally follows up, the prospect has already booked with a competitor—or worse, forgotten who they are.

We see this over and over again. Business owners invest in ads, get the leads, and then never reach out quickly enough to close the deal. They blame the ad platform, thinking the leads were junk, when the real issue was they didn’t follow up fast or consistently enough.

Why This Will Destroy Your ROI

Not following up kills any chance of seeing a return on your ad spend (ROAS). It’s like throwing money into a fire and wondering why your investment isn’t paying off. And here’s the kicker: the leads you generate through ads are often ready to buy. They’re not just browsing—they’re looking for a solution right now.

The faster you respond, the more likely you are to book the job and see an ROI. It’s that simple. But if you’re slow to respond—or if you don’t follow up at all—you’re wasting the opportunity.

What Does Good Follow-Up Look Like?

If you want to maximize your lead generation efforts, here are some follow-up best practices:

1. Respond Within 5-10 Minutes: Set yourself up for success by treating every lead with urgency.

2. Use Multiple Channels: Text, email, phone—hit them with all of it. Some people respond better to texts, others prefer a call.

3. Automate Where You Can: Tools like CRMs and auto-responders can send an instant message the moment a lead comes in. This buys you time until you can follow up personally.

4. Follow Up Multiple Times: One follow-up is rarely enough. If a lead doesn’t respond, try again the next day, and the next. Persistence pays off.

5. Track Your Leads: Keep a record of every lead and where they are in the follow-up process. If you let leads slip through the cracks, your ROI slips with them.

Want to See ROI? Fix Your Follow-Up System

Look, running Facebook and Instagram ads works—we’ve seen it time and time again. But if you don’t have a follow-up process in place, you’re setting yourself up to fail. And frankly, this is where most concrete coating companies miss the mark.

You’ve got to be fast, consistent, and persistent. A solid lead follow-up system is the difference between thinking your ads “didn’t work” and actually booking out your schedule for weeks.

Need Help Getting It Right?

If you’re struggling to manage leads and make the most of your ad spend, we can help. At ConcretePro Digital, we not only set up lead gen campaigns—we also help companies build effective follow-up systems that convert those leads into paying customers.

Don’t let good leads go to waste. Let’s chat about how we can dial in your lead follow-up process and finally get you the ROI you’ve been chasing.

Book a free strategy session today and let’s make sure every lead counts.