60 Lead generation statistics and marketing trends for 2024

Lead generation is a necessity for your business that you can’t ignore. The right channel to chase the target audience is the real hustle of companies.

Many companies consider lead generation one of the most significant growth challenges.  

Now, the question is, how do you predict what strategy to pick for lead generation?   

Well, marketing trends can help you with this! 

You must examine recent statistics and trends to head forward with the right lead generation strategy.

To help you boost your customer base, we have put up 60 lead generation statistics that you must look to improve.

These lead generation statistics will be eye-opening insights that will enhance your potential to get more leads.

Editor’s pick: Top lead generation statistics

1. The US digital lead generation market will reach approximately $3.2billion by 2023.  
2. 66% of marketers generate quality leads by spending 6 hours per week doing social media marketing.
3. Lead generation is considered the most challenging task by 61% of marketers. 
4. Only 20% of sales-qualified leads are correctly followed up.
5. Personalization during lead nurturing enhances the potential of conversion by 63%.
6. Email marketing is the primary choice of 89% of marketers for lead generation.

Eye-opening lead generation statistics you must know

Lead generation is challenging yet a necessity. So, knowing all the ins and outs of lead generation strategies is crucial.

The stats below are drawn from various trusted reports and survey results from leading industry organizations.

These lead generation stats will help you find the best way to generate leads for your business.

So, let’s get started.

General lead generation statistics

1. 53% of marketers spend approximately 50% of their budget generating leads.

Lead generation is an unskippable step. Most marketers mainly focus on lead generation practices, as 53% spend half of their marketing budget on lead generation efforts.

Also, only 34% of marketers spend less than 50% on lead generation.

2. Most mid or large-size businesses generate around 5000 or lesser qualified leads monthly.

As we know, most marketers struggle with lead generation, and the above stats reveal that most large businesses generate only 5000 leads per month. Also, the average number of leads generated in a month is 1877.

3. 80% of marketers believe marketing automation is crucial in generating massive leads.

Lead generation is becoming more successful with the support of an automation tool. As per reports, marketers are driving 451% more leads with automation.

Automation software can help you in many ways, such as in data entry, managing your leads, optimizing your customer journey, lead nurturing, etc.

4. Marketers focus on the quality of leads over quantity.

5. At most, 18% of marketers consider outbound lead generation suitable for generating quality leads. 

Outbound lead generation includes efforts such as cold calling, email outreach, etc. The above stats show that only one-fifth of marketers feel outbound lead generation practices can provide high-quality leads. Instead, marketers are more focused on inbound lead nurturing.

6. Email marketing is the leading strategy to generate leads.

According to APSIS statistical data, marketers consider email marketing the best lead generation strategy. to generate leads. Almost 78% of businesses use email marketing primarily for their lead generation. Besides this, social media is also booming to drive high-quality leads, especially for B2B businesses.

7. 91% of marketers state that lead generation is their most crucial business goal. 

Marketers must pull their socks up with a handsome budget to outperform their competitors in lead generation. Reliable marketing channels and the best content strategy are required to meet their lead generation goal.

8. 68% of B2B businesses struggle to generate leads. 

Despite numerous lead generation opportunities such as social media channels, paid ads, lead generation tools, consultancies, etc., B2B lead generation is a tough nut to crack. The test and trials are the real struggles that help to discover the most promising lead generation strategy.

Digital marketing lead generation statistics

Lead generation in digital marketing has boosted lead generation efforts by providing numerous ways to communicate with your target audience. Below are some interesting statistics that might be helpful to improve your customer relationship and boost your sales.

9. 60% of marketers think inbound marketing is the best way to generate high-quality leads.

Search engine optimization, content marketing, etc., are some of the best inbound marketing strategies for lead generation as per 60% of marketers. Inbound marketing is also a cost-effective strategy compared to outbound marketing.  

You can learn all the major differences through our blog on inbound vs outbound lead generation.

10. Content marketing is 3x more effective in lead generation than outbound marketing.

Also, the cost of investment is 62% less for content marketing than the outbound lead generation strategy. Offering high-quality content for free will also help establish good brand value in your customer’s eyes.

11. The most popular content format includes case studies (42%), blogs (86%), and buyers’ success stories (36%).

12. PPC is good for getting new leads as it attracts high-quality traffic.

According to a source, website visitors landing through PPC have 50% more likely to purchase than visitors from organic search. These ads target the audience with phrases that match the visitor’s search intent. 

13. The majority of affiliate marketers use blogs to enhance web traffic.

As per a source,65% of publishers believe that good content can increase website traffic. If you can provide high-value content that is helpful to your customers, it surely boosts your chances of getting massive web traffic.

14. Small businesses that have blogs gain 126% more lead growth compared to those that don’t.

15. Companies generate 67% more leads with a successful blog compared to those who don’t have one.

Nowadays, blogging has become the most popular choice for marketers and many content creators as it is cost-effective. Also, blogs are potent to generate 3x more leads than ads.

16. SEO leads hold a 14.6% close rate.

As per a source, SEO leads are more likely to close than outbound source leads, with a 1.7 close rate. So, we can say that SEO leads are 8x more feasible to close than outbound leads. 

17. 25.02% of top-ranking pages don’t have a meta description.

The survey on 192656 pages found that only 74.98% of top-ranking sites contain meta descriptions. Also, top-ranking pages exist that don’t have any meta description.

18. About 50% of all mobile searches find nearby services.

The data explains that local businesses should optimize their sites to gain the maximum target audience for their business to accomplish their aim.

19. 78% of people who search for “something nearby” on their phones is more likely to visit the offline store within a day.

Let’s check out some of the most valuable stats on social media effectiveness on lead generation.

Social media lead gen statistics 

Social media is one of the most powerful channels to generate leads for your B2B and B2C businesses. As per Statista 2021 report, the top reasons for utilizing social networks are expanding fan loyalty, web traffic boost, and lead generation opportunities.

20. Social media engagement increased worldwide due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Statista reports that 85.7% of marketers became more active on social media platforms with the pandemic’s beginning.

21. 21% of marketers believe that social media significantly impacts meeting their lead generation goals.

Social media platforms have created a significant space for themselves when we talk about lead generation. Almost every business relies on these social media to get more high-quality leads.

22. 94% of B2B and B2C marketers consider Facebook the most popular social media platform.

23. 66% of marketers generate quality leads by spending 6 hours per week doing social media marketing.

This way, you can focus on other outbound and inbound marketing channels to get qualified leads without any time restraints. Learn all inbound vs. outbound marketing channels for lead generation through our blog. 

24. For B2B lead generation, LinkedIn is the most beneficial social media channel.

If you have a B2B company, then LinkedIn has to be your first choice for high-quality leads. As per a study, 80% of B2B businesses are generated through LinkedIn. It offers various features that support lead generation, such as its Lead Forms. 

25. Around 95% of B2B marketers used the LinkedIn platform in 2020, making it the most reliable B2B social media platform.

26. 95% of marketers think that they know the right channel to generate quality leads for their business.

These marketers believe they know all the potential channels to drive more sales leads. Identifying the most appropriate channel is a hurdle that can only be surpassed through consistent experiments and efforts.

27. 82% of social media leads are generated through Twitter.

Though LinkedIn offers excellent support in lead generation for B2B companies, Twitter is the leading social media platform for lead generation, according to Quicksprout reports. 

28. Marketers say Instagram is the second-highest social medial platform in ROI.

Email lead generation statistics 

Email is one of the favorite lead generation channels of marketers. In fact, according to a survey, 81% of small to mid-size businesses still consider emails as their chiefly customer acquisition channel, and 80% use them for customer retention as it helps nurture leads.

Let’s check out some of the most interesting districts on email lead generation.

29. 42% of companies believe email is their foremost support in lead generation.

30. 53% of B2B marketers state that email is the most productive channel for early-stage lead generation.

31. Email gives a higher ROI than any other lead generation tool.

Email can drive a whopping ROI; a $1 spend can potentially generate revenue of around 42 dollars in return. So, email marketing gives around 4400% ROI, which is higher than the ROI of any of the lead generation tools.

32. Emails that are sent at 1 PM drive the soundest results.

Many studies are into analyzing and finding the ideal time to send emails to generate leads. As per a source, if you send emails at 1 PM, you will get the maximum response rate.  

The type of audiences, demographics and many other factors are crucial for email marketing lead generation.  

Therefore, you must find the best day and time to send your emails.

33. 56% of marketers believe compelling content can boost B2B email campaign results at each stage in the buying process. 

34. 79% of marketers consider email as the most reliable demand generation tool.

Demand generation helps to drive high-quality leads by focusing on customer attraction activities and building powerful brand awareness. You can use email marketing to accomplish various business goals such as nurturing leads, brand awareness, driving states, etc.  

The main reason for the leaning of marketers toward email marketing is due to its cost-effectiveness and higher ROI.

35. 49% of marketers think providing downloadable content in lead generation emails is an effective strategy.

The data confirmed that 49% of marketers believe downloadable content offerings are powerful enough to encourage readers to perform the necessary action via email or website. 

Remember, you must offer your customers something valuable in exchange for their email addresses.

36. Personalization is the best tactic to improve your email performance.

37. 70% of recipients delete their email instantly if it is not mobile responsive.

38. Companies conducting A/B testing of email receive a 37% higher email response than those who don’t.

Setting up a highly responsive email campaign isn’t a cakewalk. Ensure your email offers valuable content, is easy to read, and is mobile-friendly to bring the maximum output of your email marketing lead generation efforts.

Target different segments with A/B testing

A/B test your email subject lines and attract the right audience.

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B2B lead generation statistics 

Like every other business, lead generation is one of the important stages for B2B businesses. 61% of marketers believe generating high-quality leads is their most prominent challenge. 

If you have a B2B business, the following statistics will be very useful for getting more leads for your business.

39. 52% more traffic is received by B2B blogs on educational content than promotional B2B company blogs.

Creating B2B blogs that educate is fruitful as they drive more organic traffic, ultimately generating quality leads for your business.

40. 80% of B2B marketers rely on content marketing for lead generation.  

Content marketing is helping B2B marketers to generate high-quality leads as the B2B sales pipeline is a bit longer, so a valuable content resource helps to engage your prospects.

41. 14% of B2B marketers consider referrals a useful lead generation strategy.

Marketers take the help of referral channels and review sites as social proof to create a good impact on their target audience. For SaaS companies, sites like Capterra and G2 are beneficial in generating high-quality leads for their software products.

42. 79% of B2B marketers consider emails the most relevant lead generation channel.

Email campaigns are another valuable way to generate B2B leads and content marketing. You can send emails with valuable content to your prospects during the lead nurturing process.

43. 73% of B2B marketers feel webinars are one of the best lead generation strategies.

Out of all other lead generation tactics, webinars are very promising for B2B companies to get more qualified leads. Once an attendee signs up for the webinar, you get their contact details to nurture them to check their sales readiness.

44. 70% of B2B marketers believe video marketing helps capture and convert leads.

Creating content in video format is a great strategy adopted by most B2B marketers to attract and influence prospects to generate leads. 

It is easier to share more information through a video than in a written format. Also, watching videos a short video seems more interesting than reading a long-form article.

45. 68% of B2B brands create strategic landing pages for lead generation.

Product-specific landing pages perform better and generate high-quality leads for your businesses. You can check out our blog on landing pages that generate massive leads to learn more.

46. Companies with 10-15 landing pages see a 55% increase in leads.

47. Social media is the second most effective lead generation, believed by 60% of B2B marketers.

48. LinkedIn is a robust platform for B2B businesses yet underutilized.

49. 59% of B2B marketers believe SEO greatly impacts their lead generation goals. 

SEO for lead generation is a robust strategy used by B2B companies to generate more organic leads. It supports driving relevant traffic that enhances the chances of getting quality business leads.

50. Only 56% of B2B marketers verify their generated leads before assigning them to the sales reps.

Working on unqualified leads will be a waste of money and time, so businesses must verify their leads before allowing them to the sales reps. CRM and automation software can help in lead qualification.

51. The top 2 technologies used by B2B organizations for content management and distribution are email marketing software (85%) and analytics tools (86%).

52. 73% of B2B leads are not ready to make a purchase when they interact for the first time with your brand.

53. B2B sales lead average cost ranges from 31 to 60 dollars.

The Marketing Insider Group reports stated that the average cost of B2B sales leads varies from industry to industry. 

For the technology domain, the lowest price is $31 per sales lead; on the contrary, for healthcare, a sales lead costs $60.

54. Only 38% of B2B brands have educational blogs.

Lead conversion statistics

The sales and marketing team tries to get the conversion done at any cost. Our next segment will cover some of the interesting statistics on lead conversions. 

Let’s check them out.

55. Those leads that are followed up within 5 minutes are 9x likely to be converted by businesses.

As per a source, once a lead is generated, it is effective to follow up within 5 minutes as this will boost the chances of its conversion nine times.

To make it practically possible, you need CRM and automation software like Salesmate for your sales and marketing team to respond faster to every lead generated.

56. 84% of marketers take the help of online submission forms for lead generation.

Online Web Forms may include contact us forms, newsletter sign-ups, demo request forms, webinar sign-ups, or forms attached with gated content.

57. 50% of businesses use phone calls as a lead conversion tool.

Getting an inbound call is great for your business to convert them for sales. The real problem with inbound calls is that 62% of marketers struggle to track the calls, which results in the loss of potential leads.

Salesmate CRM offers the feature of sales calling and tracking software that can save you from losing leads.

58. 33% of businesses use live chat as a lead conversion tool.

It has been found that around 53% of marketers face problems tracking their live chat prospects. To overcome this, you must try the Salesmate live chat feature.

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59. 63% of leads enquiring about the business won’t convert for at least three months.

Lead conversion doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time and effort to convert leads. As per Marketing Donut research, 63% of people who make approaches you will not be interested in getting converted in the next three months.

60. Out of all your leads, 79% will never convert into sales.

The above stats may be a little disappointing to you, but according to the research by Marketing Sherpa, only 21% of the leads generated are sales-ready and get converted. 

In short, lead generation is a crucial part of your business that needs to be implemented for better growth. To get started, you can go through our lead generation ideas for a good start.

Bottomline

Hoping all the above lead generation statistics will help you and your sales team to upgrade their lead generation strategies for the best results. 

By now, you know that lead generation is not limited to two or three ways, however there are many potential ways marketers use to succeed with their lead generation efforts.

Remember, along with a good marketing strategy, your team needs robust automation software to scale your business. 

Try Salesmate today!