What to do with a lead in the first 24 hours after they click your ad
In the first 24 hours, a new lead should get an instant automatic reply, a personal contact attempt within the first hour if at all possible, a second attempt on a different channel the same day, and a clear next step such as a booking link. Click Orchard delivers the leads from your ads; this plan is for your team, who contact and close them.
Why do the first 24 hours matter so much?
Interest fades quickly after someone fills in a form. Research published in Harvard Business Review found that firms that tried to contact a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify that lead as firms that waited an hour longer, and more than 60 times as likely as firms that waited 24 hours or more (HBR, March 2011). The study is from 2011, but people have only grown more used to fast replies since then.
What should happen in the first five minutes?
An automatic confirmation should go out straight away, by email and, if the person gave permission, by WhatsApp.
- Thank them by name and confirm what they asked for.
- Say exactly when and how you will contact them.
- Give one easy next step, such as a link to book a call.
- Add the lead to your CRM with the ad it came from, so you can track it to a sale.
What should happen in the first hour?
A real person should try to reach the lead within the first hour, by phone or a personal WhatsApp message. Keep it short: introduce yourself, mention what they asked about, and ask one simple question to move forward.
If you cannot answer leads within an hour yourself, say so honestly in the automatic reply ("We reply within 24 hours, Monday to Saturday") and keep that promise every time.
What if they do not answer the first time?
Try a different channel later the same day. If you called, send a WhatsApp message; if you sent a WhatsApp message, send an email. Many leads are simply busy, not uninterested.
WhatsApp has rules worth knowing. On the WhatsApp Business Platform, a 24-hour "customer service window" opens when a person messages or calls your business, and inside that window you can reply freely. Outside it, businesses can only send pre-approved template messages, and only to people who have opted in (WhatsApp Business Platform documentation). Asking the lead to message you first, for example with a click-to-chat link, keeps that window open.
What should happen before the 24 hours are up?
- Send one helpful message with no pressure: a short answer to the question they are most likely to have, or a relevant example of your work.
- Repeat the next step, such as the booking link.
- Mark the lead's status in your CRM: contacted, booked, not interested, or no reply.
Leads with no reply after 24 hours should move to a slower sequence over the next one to two weeks, not be forgotten.
How can a small business do all this without hiring?
Automate the parts that do not need a person. A CRM can send the instant replies, set reminders for personal follow up and track every lead to a sale. You then spend your time only on the conversations that matter.
Click Orchard does not contact leads for you, but The Orchard package offers an optional add-on: instant lead alerts by WhatsApp or email, so your team hears about each new lead straight away. If your ads already bring leads but few sales, read why ads get likes but no sales next.
Sources
- James B. Oldroyd, Kristina McElheran and David Elkington, The Short Life of Online Sales Leads, Harvard Business Review, March 2011. Checked 21 October 2026.
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing and customer service windows. Checked 21 October 2026.