Question from Reddit user:
Hi! I’m running FB ads to generate leads via simple form fill on FB. Anytime someone fills out the form I want to automatically send them an email.
My challenge is I’m using squarespace email marketing but they don’t have an integration and it seems zapier doesn’t either.
So, what’s the best email marketing platform where I can do this? I know mailchimp integrates but I’m a small biz just getting started. Looking for best bang for buck.
Thanks!
Answer from Nabil:
The short answer is:
You should switch to a dedicated small business email platform that offers native or direct integration with Facebook Lead Ads for real-time lead sync, which is the most bang-for-your-buck and easiest solution.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) or MailerLite are great, cost-effective alternatives to Mailchimp that offer this capability and have generous free or low-cost starting plans.
Alternatively, if you are committed to Squarespace Email Marketing for now, you would need to implement a complex, custom server-side solution using the Facebook Leads API, Google Tag Manager server-side, and a tool like Stape or a custom Google Cloud Platform setup, which is more involved but a powerful long-term solution.
The long answer is:
Your challenge is a common one when trying to connect platforms without a native connector or relying solely on a paid third-party integrator like Zapier, especially when you are trying to maximize value as a small business.
Your current best option is to switch to a service that offers this integration directly.
Excellent cost-effective alternatives to Mailchimp for small businesses with direct Facebook Lead Ads integration include Brevo, MailerLite, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, and Zoho Campaigns, all of which offer strong automation features to send that welcome email instantly.
Brevo, for example, is very affordable as your list grows because its pricing is based on the number of emails sent rather than the number of contacts stored, and it has a great free tier.
MailerLite is also highly rated for its ease of use and affordability for small lists.
These direct integrations will automatically transfer the lead data from your Facebook form to your email list in real-time and trigger your welcome email sequence, solving your immediate problem most efficiently and cost-effectively.
Since you need real-time and automatic emails, a robust native integration in a new email platform is the path of least resistance.
However, if you are absolutely set on keeping your current Squarespace Email Marketing platform, you are correct that it presents a significant challenge without the standard integrations.
The most technical, but ultimately powerful, solution involves using server-side tracking technology.
You would need to leverage the Facebook Conversions API, specifically the Leads API, to send the lead data from Facebook to a server-side tagging solution.
This setup would involve creating a server-side Google Tag Manager container, hosting it on a platform like Google Cloud Platform or with a service like Stape, and setting up a tag to receive the data from the Facebook Lead Ads webhook.
Once the data is in your GTM server container, you would need another mechanism – likely a custom tag or webhook – to forward that new lead’s information into the Squarespace Email Marketing API.
Squarespace does have a general API, but you would need developer-level knowledge or a professional’s help to build a custom connection to your server-side GTM setup.
This route is more of a future-proofing and advanced tracking solution, as server-side tracking is best practice for maximizing data accuracy and is a great way to log events like Lead or Purchase directly from your server.
For a small business just starting out, the smart move is to switch to one of the cheaper, well-integrated email marketing platforms mentioned above, which will give you the instant automation and best bang for your buck right now.
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