Summary
In this write-up, we look at the difference between lead generation and general marketing and also uncover how they are important for your business. If you are new to the marketing world, it is easy for you to be overwhelmed by all the technical jargon you hear. While you know essential aspects, such as creating awareness about your products, showcasing its USPs, and converting interests into sales, you must also have a firm grasp of the basic marketing strategy to survive in this competitive world. There is a lot to starting a business and turning it into a brand with sharp marketing strategies. In this post, we will look at two of the most relevant strategies in advertising campaigns for all businesses – general marketing and lead generation and try to understand the differences and relationship between the two. Let’s try by defining the two –
What is Lead Generation?
Lead generation is a marketing strategy for identifying and targeting potential customers for your product or service. In this, you narrow down a list of prospects who show interest in your products or need them. In this strategy, you offer a small incentive, such as a free eBook or a webinar, to the prospects for their contact details.
What is General Marketing?
General marketing is the process of promoting your products and services. It is a broad term covering all marketing aspects, from advertising campaigns, search engine optimization to public relations. From content creation to social media marketing & influencer marketing, there are dozens of strategies businesses work on to increase visibility and awareness.
What is The Difference Between Lead Generation and General Marketing?
Lead generation is about generating a list of prospects interested in your products. On the other hand, general marketing involves promoting your products and creating awareness to get people interested. For example, if the lead generation strategy is about building a skyscraper, general marketing is about selling your idea to potential investors! Let us look at some of the fundamental differences between the two –
- General marketing targets a broad audience, whereas lead generation targets people interested in your products.
- Lead generation is the process of gathering the low-hanging fruits, while general marketing is the process of building a brand.
- Lead generation offers quick growth and ensures cash flow, while general marketing takes time to show results.
- Lead generation helps in the early stages of the sales funnel, while general marketing strategy applies to all stages in a customer’s buying journey.
- General marketing is a comprehensive strategy where your goals are broad, whereas, with lead generation, you have a narrower objective.
Benefits of General Marketing
General marketing is a long-term strategy for generating awareness about the brand and its products. While selling products is a goal, it isn’t the only one as you focus on improving brand visibility, recall, and generating trust among the target audience. In this marketing strategy, you are sowing seeds to harvest over a long course of time.Though you may not see immediate results, it will serve you well in the future.
Benefits of Lead Generation
Lead generation is like a precision arrow and offers quicker results. Here, you are engaging people who have already shown interest in your product and want to capitalize on that interest. You can generate leads in several ways, including content marketing, webinars, and offering free and beneficial resources to your audience.
Does Lead Generation Offer More Incentives?
If you have short-term growth in mind, lead generation offers a significant advantage over general marketing. While both benefit a business, lead generation focuses on immediate gains and conversions —your conversion rate increases since you target people interested in your products or services. Lead generation is more cost-effective than general marketing, where you need more resources to sustain your advertising campaigns.
Final Thoughts
Lead generation and a general marketing strategy complement each other. While lead generation may promise faster results and quicker conversions, you can’t ignore the importance of growing your brand for the long term. As a business with an eye on the future, you shouldn’t choose one over the other but look to leverage the best of both. If you are looking for an advertising campaign that puts you ahead of the competition, you need an expert team to manage your campaign. At Cyrusson Inc., we help clients manage the challenging digital landscape with our trend-setting digital marketing solutions. We offer a large bouquet of services tailored to meet the diverse needs of our clients. From improving brand visibility to generating leads, we help you with our expertise at every stage of your campaign. Call us today at 415-228-9969 to book a free consultation and let us discuss the possibilities