A lead is a person or a company that shows interest in a product or service and leaves their contact details in the process. In online marketing a lead is therefore a potential customer a company can keep talking to, by email, by phone or in a consultation.
Leads usually come from a specific action on a website: filling in a contact form, signing up to a newsletter or downloading something.
How are leads generated in online marketing?
In digital marketing, leads are generated deliberately across several channels. The aim is to turn website visitors into interested contacts, step by step.
Typical routes to generating leads:
- contact forms on a website
- newsletter sign-ups
- downloads of guides or checklists
- booked appointments or consultations
- enquiries through landing pages
Depending on quality, people often distinguish between simple enquiries and qualified leads that already show a clear intention to buy.
Why leads matter
Leads are a central metric in marketing and sales. They show how many potential customers a company wins through its website or its campaigns.
In SEO and content marketing in particular they are the point of the exercise. The goal is not more visitors, but visitors who are interested in what you offer and can later become real customers.