GLOSSARY OF TERMS
- AI (Artificial Intelligence)
- Autodialer
- Automated message
- Autoresponder Email
- Bad leads
- Branded Lead
- Call center compliance
- Call Center Lead
- CASL
- Certified Lead
- Co-Registration
- Co-registration Lead
- Co-Registration Path
- Co-Registration Provider
- Co-Registration Tracking
- Cold call
- Consent-based Marketing
- Cost Per Lead (CPL) Advertising
- CPL Web traffic
- CRM
- DNC (Do-Not-Call)
- Double Opt-in
- Effective CPL (ecpl)
- Effective CPM (eCPM)
- Email Service Provider (ESP)
- Exclusive Lead
- FCC
- FCC one-to-one consent rule
- FTC
- Host and Post
- Hosted Lead Generation
- Internet Lead
- Internet Lead Certification
- Internet Lead Delivery
- Internet Lead Exchange
- Lead Acquisition
- Lead Aggregator
- Lead buyer
- Lead Conversion
- Lead Distribution
- Lead flow
- Lead qualification
- Lead seller
- Lead verification
- Leads
- Marketing Leads
- Marketing or Sales Lists
- Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)
- New TCPA rules
- Online Lead Generation
- Opt-in
- Opt-out
- Permission-based marketing
- Ping Pick Post
- Ping Post Software
- Ping Tree
- Ping-post
- Pre-ping
- Pricing: CPA (Cost-Per-Action)
- Pricing: CPC (Cost-Per-Click)
- Pricing: CPL (Cost-Per-Lead)
- Pricing: CPM (Cost-Per-Thousand)
- Publisher
- Qualified leads
- Rejected Lead
- Returned Lead
- Robocall
- Robocaller
- Sales Leads
- Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)
- Scrub Cap
- Scrub Rate
- Shared Lead
- SMS compliance
- SMS Consent
- Speed to Lead
- Suppression List
- Take Rate
- TCPA
- TCPA compliance
- TCPA consent management
- TCPA expressed consent
- TCPA known litigator tool
- TCPA Litigator
- TCPA marketing
- TCPA settlement
- TCPA violation
- TCPA violation fine
- Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR)
- TPMO in Medicare
- Warm call
Leads
Definition of Leads in Marketing
The definition of “leads” in marketing refers to individuals or businesses that express interest in a company’s products or services. A lead is not yet a customer, but they have taken an action that suggests a potential intent to buy or engage further.
This interest can manifest in various ways, including filling out a contact form on a landing page, subscribing to a company newsletter, requesting a quote, or downloading gated content. In digital marketing, these prospects are often referred to as web leads or internet leads.
How Leads Are Generated in Marketing
Lead generation is the process of attracting potential customers and encouraging them to share their contact information. In online marketing, this typically occurs through a web form where users indicate their interest in being contacted about specific products or services.
Common strategies for lead generation include paid media campaigns, such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and native advertising, as well as content creation and landing page optimization. For instance, when a business invests in search traffic aiming to convince visitors to fill out a form, it is actively generating leads.
Why Leads Matter in Marketing
The definition of leads in marketing emphasizes their significance as the first step in the customer acquisition journey. Marketing teams aim to identify the right audience, drive targeted traffic, and convert that traffic into leads.
In summary, a lead is any prospect who demonstrates measurable interest in a brand and provides a means for marketers or sales teams to follow up. This makes leads an essential component of any marketing strategy.