19 families into intake in 12 weeks of Meta ads
Sunset Autism Adventures is a Colorado ABA provider led by Jake. We audited and rebuilt its Meta account around the one number a clinic owner can bank on: not leads, but families who actually start intake and benefits verification. Over twelve weeks, $6,697 in ad spend produced 110 parent inquiries worked by the clinic’s intake team and 19 families who started intake, at $352 per family started. Intake-tracked results, 3 June to 26 August 2026.
A clinic that needed families, not just form fills
Like most growing ABA practices, Sunset’s capacity depends on a steady flow of parents ready to begin services. The brief was to audit and restructure the Meta account and rebuild it around inquiries the intake team could turn into new clients.
Why we report intake, not leads
Meta reported 138 leads. We judged the account on the 110 inquiries the clinic’s intake coordinator actually worked, and on the 19 families who went on to start intake and benefits verification. Reporting the platform’s number would have looked better. Reporting the intake number is what lets an owner make a budget decision.
Six moves over twelve weeks
Audited and restructured the account
A full audit in June 2026, then a clean ad-set-budget structure with separate prospecting, testing, lookalike and retargeting campaigns.
Ran two lead paths side by side
A Meta instant form for quick, low-friction inquiries, and a landing page funnel for parents who want to read more before reaching out.
Produced video creative for parents
Reels scripts and video ads written for Colorado families looking for ABA, launched in July.
Expanded reach with warm audiences
A 1% Colorado lookalike built from engaged visitors, plus a retargeting layer for people who had already seen the clinic.
Closed the loop with intake
Every few weeks the clinic’s intake coordinator reported each lead by source as converted, not interested or no answer. Decisions were made from those reports.
Moved budget to the cheapest path to intake
Instant form leads proved the cheaper route to a new family, and the instant form campaign became the largest line in the account.
From a scroll on Instagram to a family in intake
Once intake reached a parent, 42% of them started intake. That conversion rate is strong, and it points straight at the biggest remaining lever: 60 inquiries were never answered at all. Fixing speed to contact is worth more to this clinic than any further ad optimization.
| Funnel stage | Count | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Impressions across Colorado audiences | 218,203 | — |
| Link clicks | 3,235 | 1.48% CTR |
| Inquiries logged by intake | 110 | $61 per inquiry |
| Reached by intake | 45 | 41% reached |
| Started intake | 19 | 42% of those reached |
Impressions and clicks from Meta Ads Manager. Inquiries, reached and started counts from the clinic’s own intake reports. Reached excludes 60 no-answer leads and 5 still pending at the first report.
The instant form delivered families at less than half the cost
| Lead path | Ad spend | Inquiries | Started intake | Start rate | Cost per family |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta instant form | $3,483 | 83 | 14 | 17% | $249 |
| Landing page funnel | $3,168 | 27 | 5 | 19% | $634 |
Both paths converted inquiries into intake at similar rates. The difference was the price of each inquiry, which is why budget moved toward the instant form.
Every lead tracked to an outcome
| Intake report | Inquiries | Started intake | Not interested | No answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch weeks, June | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 pending |
| July report | 58 | 9 | 16 | 31 |
| July 24 to August 13 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 18 |
| August 13 to August 26 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| Total | 110 | 19 | 24 | 65 |
Every lead tracked to an outcome by the clinic’s intake team. Spend covers every campaign, including an August 29 creative test that ran after the final intake report, so cost per family is a conservative figure.
The ads Colorado parents actually saw
Two formats carried the account: short talking-head reels answering the questions parents ask before starting ABA, and camp-themed static ads leading with in-home care and insurance coverage.
BCBA explainer
Hook: wait 6 to 12 months for ABA. A clinician on camera answering the wait-time question parents fear most.
Parent education and questions
Hooks built from what families usually get told, and the questions they are afraid to ask, delivered by real faces rather than stock footage.
Camp-inspired support
In-home, one-to-one positioning in a warm camp theme, built to feel like childhood rather than clinical care.
Already covered
Insurance-first angle, see if you are covered, addressing the single biggest hesitation before a parent ever fills in a form.
Add the ad screenshots here with an Elementor Gallery or Image Box widget so visitors can see the creative itself.
“You get a 10 out of 10.”
We are happy with your services. Again, I believe in radical transparency. You get a 10 out of 10. When it comes to conversions and stuff like that, I’m very blunt. If you were not doing well, I would tell you straight up.
We do like you and we think you’re good. And I will continue recommending you.
What this engagement proves
- Measure families started, not leads reported. Meta counted 138; intake worked 110 and started 19. Only the last number tells you what a campaign is worth.
- Test two lead paths before scaling one. The instant form delivered families at $249 against $634 from the landing page funnel, at similar start rates.
- Speed to contact is usually the biggest lever left. 60 of 110 inquiries were never reached; closing that gap would move results more than any creative change.
- Close the loop with the intake team. Every few weeks, each lead was marked converted, not interested or no answer, and budget followed those reports.
- Real faces beat stock. Talking-head reels from clinicians and parents carried the account alongside insurance-first static ads.
Want families like these for your clinic?
We run Meta ads built around intake, not vanity leads. Book a free growth audit and we will review your account live, then show you what your real cost per family started looks like.
