Hey, it’s Donovan here. If you’re a martial arts school owner trying to figure out the best way to run Facebook ads, you’re probably wondering the same thing a lot of my students ask me: “Should I use Messenger ads, instant forms, or just send people straight to my website?”
I get this question all the time in the comments, so I made a quick video breaking it down (you can watch it here). But I know not everyone has time to sit through a video, so I wanted to write it out properly so you can read it whenever you need it.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the differences, what I’ve seen work (and what doesn’t), and exactly why I now recommend instant-form lead ads for almost every martial arts school I work with.
First, let’s get clear on what we’re actually trying to do
As a martial arts school owner, your goal isn’t to get a million views or a ton of likes. You want real people who are ready to sign up for classes and pay full price.
That means we need leads we can actually contact: name, phone number, email. Once we have those, we can call, text, or message them and get them booked in for a trial or intro class.
Facebook Ads Manager gives us lots of campaign objectives, but only a few are worth our time.
Related Video
The objectives that don’t work well for us
Awareness ads
These are great if you just want as many people as possible to see your ad. Facebook will show it to the cheapest audience they can find. The problem? Those cheap views usually aren’t the people who will actually join your school. You’ll spend money but get almost no real leads.
Traffic ads
These send people straight to your website. Again, Facebook’s job is to get as many clicks as possible for the lowest cost. But here’s the issue in our industry: most people who land on your page won’t book right away. They might have a question about price, location, or class times. If they leave without booking, you lose them forever because we rarely retarget in martial arts (the audience sizes are usually too small). So you’re paying for clicks that go nowhere.
Engagement ads
I still see a lot of schools running these. They ask people to like, comment, or share. Likes and comments feel good, but they don’t pay the bills. Engagement ads used to work years ago when people would comment “I want a spot!” and you’d message them. Today, that tactic is outdated and gets almost no real sign-ups.
The one that actually works: Lead Ads (Instant Forms)
When you choose the “Leads” objective, you get a few options:
- Messenger
- Instant Forms
- Website conversions
- Calls
I’ve tested all of them, and here’s what I’ve found.
Messenger ads
These used to work really well a few years ago. You set up a button that says “Send Message,” someone clicks it, and they land in your Messenger inbox. Super easy for them, right? The problem is the quality is usually terrible now.
People click with one tap, then maybe say “Hi” or nothing at all. Out of every 15–20 messages, maybe one is actually serious about joining. The rest are time-wasters or accidental clicks. It’s frustrating and wastes your time.
Website leads
This is basically traffic ads but with a lead form on your site. The issue is the same as regular traffic ads: people have questions, don’t book, and you never get their details. You only capture the super-hot leads who were ready to book anyway. Everyone in the middle (the ones you could have converted with a quick answer) just disappears.
Instant Forms (the sweet spot)
This is what we use now, and it’s what I recommend to every school I work with.
With instant forms, Facebook pre-fills the person’s name, email, and phone number (if they’re logged in). They just have to tap to submit. It’s still easy for them, but it’s a slightly bigger commitment than Messenger, so the quality is much higher.
We get real contact details, and we can immediately call or text them. Even better, we connect our CRM so the lead gets followed up automatically. If they don’t reply, they get more messages until they do. This means we spend our time on the serious people and ignore the ones who just clicked for fun.
The one that actually works: Lead Ads (Instant Forms)
- Higher-quality leads than Messenger
- We capture everyone who shows interest (not just the super-hot ones who book on your website)
- We can answer questions right away and turn “maybe” into “yes”
- The cost per lead is usually similar to Messenger, but the conversion rate into paying members is way higher
In my experience, schools that switch from Messenger or website ads to instant forms see a big jump in bookings. One school went from 1–2 bookings per week to 10+ after making the change.
A few quick tips to make instant forms work even better
- Keep the form short: name, phone, email. Don’t ask for too much.
- Use a strong headline like “Get Your Free Trial Spot” or “Reserve Your Child’s Place Today.”
- Add a custom question like “What’s your main goal?” so you can qualify them faster.
- Set up instant follow-up in your CRM (we use one that texts and emails automatically).
- Call the leads within 5–10 minutes if possible. Speed makes a huge difference.
Final thoughts
If you’re happy with the results you’re getting from Messenger or website ads, keep doing what works. But if you’re getting too many time-wasters or not enough bookings, try switching to instant-form lead ads. In almost every case, it’s the best option for martial arts schools.
I’ve been helping martial arts owners like you add £3k–£10k in monthly recurring revenue for years, and this is one of the simplest changes that makes the biggest difference.
If you want to see exactly how we set these up and get the full system I use with my clients, just drop a comment below or send me a message. I’m always happy to help.
Are you ready to start getting higher-quality leads that actually turn into paying members? Let me know in the comments what you’re currently using, and I’ll give you my honest thoughts.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one!
Donovan
