Do you know the difference between lead generation and general marketing? If not, you’re not alone. Many businesses don’t understand the subtle distinctions between these two types of marketing – and as a result, they’re not getting the most out of their marketing campaigns. 

Lead generation is a specific marketing activity aimed at generating interest in a particular product or service from potential customers. It involves targeting prospective clients through various channels, such as online advertising, email campaigns, or social media. By contrast, general marketing is more broad-based and aims to create awareness of a company or product among the general public. 

Now that we’ve defined lead generation and general marketing let’s take a closer look at the differences between these concepts.

Lead Generation vs General Marketing: The Key Differences

 1. Goal of the Activity

Lead generation is a specialized form of marketing targeted at specific businesses or customers. It involves identifying potential customers who may be interested in a product or service and convincing them to buy it. 

General marketing is not targeted and aims to reach a wider audience, hoping that some of them will be interested in what you’re selling. Instead, it is about creating a positive image for your company or advertising products and building long-term customer relationships.

 2. Type of Content

Lead generation focuses on creating content that is relevant to what they’re looking for and providing a way for them to get in touch with you. 

General marketing, on the other hand, is more about creating an overall positive image for your company. You want people to think of you as a trusted authority in your industry. You do this by creating informative and exciting content, being active on social media, and building relationships with influencers and other thought leaders in your field.

3. Engagement

• With lead generation, you can showcase all the benefits of using your product and differentiate yourself from your competitors.
• General marketing is about building trust with your audience and establishing your brand as a thought leader in your industry. The more you can position yourself as an expert in your field, the more likely your customers will engage with your content and ultimately convert into paying customers.

4. Impact

Businesses can use lead generation for nurturing leads and positioning brands. It makes use of gated resources that require contact information.

General marketing helps educate your target audience and provide them with the resources they need to make decisions. This typically involves creating free resources, such as eBooks, white papers, or webinars that answer your prospects’ questions.

So, which is better? Lead generation or general Marketing?

The answer, of course, is that it depends on your goals. Both lead generation and general marketing are essential parts of a successful marketing strategy. But if you’re only focused on one or the other, you could miss valuable opportunities to grow your business.

But, ultimately, the best approach is to use both methods. This is because they complement each other and can help you achieve your goals more effectively.
If you’re looking for a robust inside sales platform to help your employees make strategic decisions, FunnL is perfect. With FunnL, you’ll be able to connect with the right audience and get quality leads. We also provide our customers with high-quality sales qualification meetings, supporting their sales staff in making progress on deals.