OrbitalAds
Marketing is a complex and multi-faceted field encompassing a wide range of activities and strategies to promote and sell products or services. While lead generation is certainly a very important aspect of marketing, it is not always the primary focus of a marketing campaign. Others would argue that without lead generation, there is no marketing. What do you think? In this blog, we shall discuss the facts that say why Lead generation is the core marketing activity and those that say marketing is a must more than Lead generation. Let's dive in!
What really is Lead Generation?
A "lead" is a prospective customer in your target market interested in the good or service you provide. To convert that curiosity into a sale, lead generation involves creating consumer interest in a good or service. This can be done through inbound and outbound marketing strategies like email marketing, paid advertising and more.
Why is Marketing ONLY about Lead Generation?
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It’s the first step in sales
85% of expert marketers agree that lead generation marketing is the most significant element in their marketing arsenal. To them, lead generation is the first step in the sales process, and without it, a business would have no way of acquiring new customers.
Additionally, without leads, a business would have no way of knowing who its target audience is and would have no way of reaching them as there would be no one to market to.
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Lead generation provides valuable insights into customer behaviour, preferences, and pain points.
The lead generation results would create a feedback loop that allows for continuous improvement and growth in marketing.
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Lead generation is a measurable activity that supports marketing.
With lead generation, a business can track the success of its marketing campaigns. The business can use key performance indicators like the number of leads, engagement rate, conversion rate, customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, and more. These metrics help to make data-driven decisions about how to allocate resources and optimize its marketing efforts.
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It can reach and engage potential customers with other methods
Lead generation activities can be used to reach and engage with potential customers in a highly targeted and efficient manner. These include paid search and marketing automation by professionals like OrbitalAds. With these, lead generation is said to be the backbone of any successful marketing campaign; without it, no other marketing activity can succeed.
Why Marketing is MORE than just Lead Generation?
1. Lead generation is NOT the only aspect of marketing.
Marketing activities like brand building, market research, product development, and customer engagement must happen to convert visitors to clients.
Brand building, for example, is about creating a strong and recognizable brand identity that can help differentiate a company and build customer trust and loyalty. On the other hand, market research is about understanding consumer needs and preferences and using that information to inform product development and marketing strategies.
2. A strong emphasis on lead generation can lead high customer churn rate and hurt the brand's reputation.
An aggressive sales approach turns customers off, and this can cause lost sales due to a lack of customer engagement and nurturing. A heavy focus on lead generation can also remove the overall customer experience and this can ultimately harm the brand's reputation.
Marketing involves using various channels and tactics to reach and engage with customers.
For example, a company might use social media advertising to reach a large audience and generate leads while also using public relations to build relationships with key influencers and media outlets.
While lead generation is important for identifying and cultivating potential customers, it is only one aspect of a broader marketing strategy that includes brand building, market research, paid search, marketing automation and customer engagement.
Our Verdict
Lead generation is an important aspect of marketing, but it should not be the sole focus. A balance must be struck between lead generation and other important marketing activities such as brand building, market research, product development, and customer engagement.
At OrbitalAds, we know how to use lead generation services with your marketing efforts to produce the best, most effective results. From SEO keyword management to paid search, we can create a customized plan to help you exponentially grow your business!
