Meta has added a new setting at campaign level in lead campaigns. When the performance goal is set to maximise the number of qualified leads, a Signal source section now appears, where you choose where Meta gets its information about which leads are qualified. The algorithm learns from that source and looks for more people similar to those leads.
There are 2 options.
CRM. The qualification status is sent back from your CRM after the enquiry has been processed. Meta estimates this can lower the cost per quality lead by 24%, but it requires a CRM integration.
Meta source. Meta uses data from its own platforms to prioritise qualified leads, for example WhatsApp conversations, where leads arrive and are qualified inside Meta’s ecosystem. Up to 50 WhatsApp numbers can be connected per Facebook Page.
The reasoning behind this is clear. Knowing that someone filled in a form isn’t enough for the platform anymore, so it needs a quality signal from further down the funnel.
There is one important caveat. If your CRM sends statuses back inconsistently, or leads are marked inaccurately, the algorithm will learn from bad data. In that case it’s better to leave this setting off completely than to switch it on halfway.
The feature is rolling out gradually, so it may not be in your account yet.