What is Lead Generation?
Lead generation encompasses all marketing activities aimed at identifying prospects and capturing their contact information. A lead is a potential customer who has shown interest in a product or service. Typical lead generation methods are: landing pages with forms, content downloads (e-books, whitepapers), webinars, quizzes, free trials, or consultation calls. Leads are differentiated by quality: Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) show initial interest, Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) are ready for sales. Lead nurturing guides leads through the funnel to purchase decision.
Key Points
- Lead magnet: Valuable content in exchange for contact data
- MQL vs. SQL: Different qualification stages
- Landing page optimized for conversions, not navigation
- Progressive profiling: Collect more data over time
- Lead scoring: Rate leads by purchase readiness
- GDPR: Obtain consent for marketing communication
Practical Example
“Our e-book "SEO Guide" generates 150 qualified B2B leads monthly at a cost of €8 per lead.”