Demand generation vs lead generation
Lead generation collects contact details from people who are already interested. Demand generation works earlier: it builds interest among people who aren’t looking yet, through education and brand building, so that more of them come to you when they are ready to buy.
Common demand generation tactics
- Educational content: articles, guides, videos and podcasts
- Webinars and events
- Thought leadership from company experts on LinkedIn and in the media
- Free tools, templates and research reports
- Paid social and video ads aimed at your ideal customers
- Account-based marketing for high-value targets
Measuring demand generation
Look beyond the number of leads, at branded searches, direct traffic, pipeline created, deal size and how many customers say they found you through content, events or recommendations. Many effects of demand generation appear over months.
Demand generation example
A company selling cybersecurity training to small firms publishes a free guide to spotting phishing emails, runs a monthly webinar and shares short expert videos on LinkedIn. Many people who watch never ask for a quote at once. Six months later, when one of those firms suffers a scam attempt, the company’s name is the first they think of, and they search for it directly.
A basic demand generation plan
- Choose the problem you want people to care about and who has it.
- Create useful, free content that helps them understand it.
- Share it where they spend time: search, LinkedIn, newsletters and communities.
- Capture interest with an optional sign-up, not a forced form.
- Pass interested accounts to sales with context.
- Measure branded search, direct visits, pipeline and sales, not only form fills.
Demand generation mistakes
- Gating every piece of content behind a form, which limits reach.
- Measuring only last-click leads, and so cutting activity that builds interest.
- Marketing and sales not agreeing on what a good lead is.
- Expecting results in a few weeks.
Demand generation FAQs
How is it different from lead generation?
Demand generation creates interest. Lead generation collects contact details from people who already have it. See leads and lead nurturing.
Is it the same as inbound marketing?
They overlap. See inbound marketing and top-of-funnel marketing.