If I were to ask 10 different B2B marketers what \u201cdemand generation\u201d means, I\u2019d get 10 different answers.<\/p>\n\n
Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about demand generation in B2B marketing, but most would agree that it\u2019s an essential part of your marketing strategy.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n In this guide, I\u2019ll clear up the confusion. I\u2019ll give you an updated definition of demand generation, along with the components of a successful demand generation strategy. And finally, you\u2019ll learn why demand generation is not the same as lead generation<\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n What is demand generation?<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n Demand generation<\/a> captures the umbrella of marketing programs that get customers excited about your company\u2019s products and services without<\/em> trying to explicitly sell to them.<\/p>\n Demand generation programs can help your organization reach new markets, promote new product features, build consumer buzz, generate PR, and re-engage existing customers. This includes things like ambassador programs, influencer partnerships, educational content campaigns, interactive webinars, and more.<\/p>\n Essentially, demand generation is a long-term, education-focused marketing strategy that prioritizes reaching and engaging \u201cout of market\u201d buyers.<\/p>\n The ultimate goal of B2B demand generation is remaining top of mind while your potential customers are not in a buying cycle \u2014 so that whenever the need arises, your product or service is immediately considered for purchase.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve found what makes demand generation a distinct concept from other customer acquisition tactics is a commitment to long-term customer relationships and a strategic mindset.<\/p>\n HubSpot pioneered inbound marketing as a demand generation strategy by creating high-value educational content (blog posts, guides, webinars, and free tools) that nurtures potential customers long before they\u2019re ready to buy. I\u2019m biased, of course, as a writer for HubSpot, but I do believe there is a lot that we can learn from this strategy.<\/p>\n HubSpot offers free tools like a CRM and Website Grader, which introduce users to our ecosystem. These folks can then keep HubSpot top-of-mind when they need a paid solution. My favorite tool recently has been the AI Search Grader<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n This strategy builds trust and authority over time rather than pushing for immediate conversions, making it a textbook example of long-term demand creation.<\/p>\n I also love when a product offers me genuine value upfront without pushing a product or sale immediately in my face.<\/p>\n Drift<\/a> disrupted traditional B2B marketing by shifting the focus from lead capture forms to real-time conversations via AI-powered chatbots and messaging.<\/p>\n Instead of gating content, Drift prioritized making it easier for potential customers to get answers quickly, reducing friction in the buyer journey.<\/p>\n I really appreciate their approach to thought leadership content, including books like Conversational Marketing,<\/em> which positioned them as the go-to brand for real-time B2B customer engagement.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Drift\u2019s approach aligns with modern buyers who prefer on-demand, interactive experiences rather than filling out forms and waiting for follow-ups.<\/p>\n Gong<\/a>, a revenue intelligence platform, has built its demand generation strategy around original research and data insights, often using proprietary sales analytics to create compelling, shareable content.<\/p>\n They publish data-backed insights on LinkedIn, in newsletters, and on their blog, providing valuable information that naturally attracts their target audience.<\/p>\n I\u2019m a sucker for new data or industry-insider information, so I think their State of Revenue Growth<\/a> is the perfect example of how you can use proprietary research to serve as demand gen for your product.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I think Gong\u2019s demand generation success lies in leveraging data to educate and create authority \u2014 a winning formula for credibility and engagement.<\/p>\n Notion<\/a>, a productivity and workspace tool, focuses on community-driven demand generation by fostering an engaged user base that creates and shares templates, tutorials, and best practices.<\/p>\n They encourage user-generated content through Notion Ambassadors and Certified Consultants, who promote the tool organically.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Their freemium model allows individuals to get hooked on Notion before upgrading to a paid plan, creating natural demand among teams and businesses. I can see firsthand how effective this model can be. Most everything I know about Notion is through peers who use it religiously and refer to it to me. Such an organic recommendations engine really can\u2019t be beat.<\/p>\n By prioritizing word-of-mouth and community-driven growth, Notion fuels bottom-up adoption \u2014 where individuals introduce the tool to their workplaces.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Demand generation marketing is about educating your audience with no expectation in return. Meanwhile, lead generation is optimized for capturing contact information \u2014 but prematurely pushes non-solution seeking people to sales automation workflows, which is highly ineffective.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n The reality is that traditional lead generation is riddled with inefficiencies, outdated tactics, and a fundamental misunderstanding of today\u2019s B2B buyers.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s explore six reasons most lead generation strategies can be unsuccessful.<\/p>\n Misaligned to the modern-day buyer\u2019s journey.<\/strong> Gartner research reveals that B2B buyers only spend <\/strong>17% of their time<\/a><\/strong> talking to sales<\/strong> \u2014 yet most lead generation efforts are geared toward ushering prospects into a sales conversation. According to Digital Zone<\/a>, a multi-channel approach is more essential, given that most B2B buyers require at least 3-10 interactions before seriously considering a brand. <\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Too many uninterested leads can overwhelm sales teams.<\/strong> Many marketing teams are so focused on driving high lead volumes that they end up handing off unqualified prospects to sales. As a result, sales teams are overwhelmed with leads that aren\u2019t ready to buy, which not only hurts morale but also leads to burnout. The repetitive cycle of chasing low-intent leads causes frustration and inefficiency, ultimately harming the company\u2019s ability to close meaningful deals. <\/p>\n Creates a hostile environment between sales & marketing<\/strong>. Where the classic conflict of \u201cmarketing is sending us garbage leads\u201d<\/em> and \u201c<\/em>sales can\u2019t close deals<\/em><\/a><\/strong>\u201d<\/em> results in tremendous inefficiency. <\/p>\n Damages brand perception among research-stage buyers<\/strong>. These buyers may eventually request a demo when they are motivated and ready to speak to sales. B2B buyers in the research stage<\/strong> don\u2019t want to be rushed into a decision. If they download a whitepaper and are immediately bombarded with sales calls, it creates a negative brand experience. <\/p>\n Gating content generates top-of-the-funnel leads<\/strong>. Gating content \u2014 like whitepapers, webinars, and case studies \u2014 is a standard lead generation tactic. But just because someone downloads a report doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re ready to buy. Instead of gating everything, I recommend using a strategic mix of free and gated content, ensuring they provide value before asking for an email address. <\/p>\n Over-reliance on lead scoring and lead nurturing. <\/strong>With this method, marketing teams are placing a bet on their ability to use behavioral data and intent signals<\/a><\/strong> to predict the right sales triggers. Without deeper engagement signals \u2014 such as multiple high-intent actions (e.g., visiting pricing pages, comparing competitors, or requesting demos) \u2014 lead scoring can be misleading, resulting in wasted efforts on leads that will never convert. <\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been struggling with lead generation, try HubSpot\u2019s lead generation tool<\/a>. Built-in analytics and reporting then make it easy to learn which pages, offers, ads, and traffic sources are driving the most conversions.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Is gated content an acceptable lead generation tool for demand generation?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start by looking at the biggest drawbacks of gated content<\/a><\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n Lack of page views and traffic. But if you\u2019re going to march on with gated content, it should be done for ABM warm-up<\/a><\/strong> and not direct response sales follow-up.<\/p>\n\n Gated content \u2014 used correctly \u2014 can offer the following benefits:<\/p>\n Capturing lead contact information and growing your email list. <\/a> <\/p>\n Inbound marketing<\/a> is a key component of any high-performing demand generation campaign. However, this is no longer about content calendars or the AIDA framework<\/a>.<\/p>\n Instead, it\u2019s about alignment with sales to properly respond to a buyer\u2019s intent to purchase (declared intent), while orchestrating and facilitating the desired purchasing experience.<\/p>\n Today, with inbound marketing, you are either capturing<\/em> demand or creating<\/em> demand.<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s explore what that means.<\/p>\n Capturing demand means responding to and fulfilling existing customer needs or wants. I find it best to show up where your target audience is already looking. Here are some resources you can leverage to make your offering easier to find:<\/p>\n Demand Capture.<\/strong> Top Email Marketing Services<\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> Best ETL Tools<\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> Identity Protection Companies<\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> ERP Integration Tools<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n Verticalized Demand Capture.<\/strong> CRM for Real Estate<\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> SEO for Startups<\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> QA Metrics for Software Testing<\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> VoIP for Enterprise<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n SEO.<\/strong> Bottom-of-funnel demand generation strategy \u2014 this can be summarized as content marketing that creates blogs and landing pages for purchase-intent keywords. <\/p>\n PPC.<\/strong> Bidding on commercial intent keywords to attract your target audience while they are solution-narrowing. <\/p>\n Conversion rate optimization<\/a><\/strong> (CRO)<\/strong>. A practice by which marketers run testing programs to increase conversion rates against high-intent website traffic. <\/p>\n Review Websites.<\/strong> G2, TrustRadius, and Gartner. Anywhere your buyer personas<\/a><\/strong> go to read in-depth peer reviews and ratings of your brand, products, and services. <\/p>\n Affiliates & Aggregators.<\/strong> PCMag, US News, Business.com, TechRadar, etc. <\/p>\n Intent Data Providers. <\/strong>Bombora, 6Sense, DemandBase, etc. <\/p>\n Creating demand means generating interest and desire for your offering before customers are actively searching. I like to think of this as \u201csoft\u201d marketing \u2014 showing up in your audience\u2019s space to introduce them to your brand and products. Here are some ways you can do that:<\/p>\n Social Media Platforms. <\/strong>LinkedIn, X, TikTok. <\/p>\n Influencer Marketing.<\/strong> Brand awareness<\/a><\/strong> or product launch campaigns with relevant influencers in your niche. <\/p>\n Email Marketing. <\/strong>Newsletters, content promo, nurture sequences, and event invites. <\/p>\n Online Communities.<\/strong> The Hustle<\/a><\/strong>, Sales Hacker<\/a><\/strong>, Demand Curve<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n Offline Media. <\/strong>Direct mail, NYC subway ads. <\/p>\n Offsite Channels. <\/strong>Guest posts, press, and thought leadership. <\/p>\n Audio Channels.<\/strong> Podcasts, interviews, radio advertising. <\/p>\n Video. <\/strong>YouTube, LinkedIn, Vimeo, Wistia, Loom. <\/p>\n Events. <\/strong>Webinars, live hangouts, virtual conferences. <\/p>\n Conferences.<\/strong> INBOUND<\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> SaaStr<\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong> Dreamforce<\/a><\/strong>, among others. <\/p>\n Forums. <\/strong>Reddit, Quora, Slack, Discord. <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Rewind to five years ago and ask anyone about demand generation \u2014 they\u2019d tell you it was marketers disguised as salespeople running lead generation tactics via marketing automation.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s because marketing used to be a service organization to sales, until B2B executives realized that marketing should be a strategic partner \u2014 not an order-taker.<\/p>\n Today, outbound-focused demand generation is not about high-volume cold outreach with automated follow-up sequences. Instead, it\u2019s about ABM<\/a><\/strong> (account-based marketing), the inverted marketing funnel.<\/p>\n I find the most successful companies recognize that sales and marketing must work together to educate, engage, and build relationships with potential buyers long before a purchase decision is made.<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Instead of a top-down inbound marketing approach, ABM is a bottom-up marketing strategy that collaborates with sales to engage with high-quality leads and target accounts during complex B2B sales cycles.<\/p>\n Revenue teams have learned that full-funnel marketing with a hybrid mix of inbound, outbound, and lifecycle marketing<\/a><\/strong> is the right balance for a high-performing demand generation program.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Your demand generation marketing efforts should be guided by a north star: lead quality<\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition to understanding<\/strong> key SaaS metrics<\/a>, I\u2019ve gathered some important questions to ask:<\/strong><\/p>\n Which channels are driving highly qualified leads? Brand search volume. Assisted conversions: pages consumed \u201con the path\u201d to becoming a conversion. Digital marketing has evolved away from direct response, lead generation focused marketing campaigns to a more holistic approach that covers brand awareness, demand nurturing, and demand capturing across the entire sales funnel.<\/p>\n With this in mind, I think it\u2019s worthwhile to think about the CTA buttons on your website \u2014 and what constitutes declared intent versus assumed intent.<\/p>\n Run a \u201cdeclared intent audit<\/a>\u201d to check if assumed intent leads are being treated as declared intent. If yes, that\u2019s a clear misalignment of sales experience and buyer expectations.<\/p>\n I think this is the decisive test which confirms if your marketing team truly understands the customer journey \u2014 a critical component of any demand generation program.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Once you\u2019re acquainted with your buyers\u2019 needs and can anticipate marketing trends, you can fuel your marketing programs with enhanced levels of personalization.<\/p>\n To begin with your demand gen strategy, get to know your customers and conduct qualitative research through user feedback and conversations. If you\u2019re struggling to understand your prospects\u2019 needs, pick up the phone and ask.<\/p>\n
\n Why is demand generation different from lead generation?<\/a>
\n Why are most lead generation strategies unsuccessful?<\/a>
\n Gated Content: Bad Practices vs. Good Practices<\/a>
\n The Role of Inbound Marketing in B2B Demand Generation<\/a>
\n The Role of Sales in B2B Demand Generation<\/a>
\n Metrics and KPIs for Measuring Success<\/a> <\/p>\nWhat is demand generation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Demand Generation Examples<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. HubSpot\u2019s Inbound Marketing Strategy<\/h4>\n
2. Drift\u2019s Conversational Marketing Approach<\/h4>\n
3. Gong\u2019s Data-Driven Demand Generation<\/h4>\n
4. Notion\u2019s Community-Led Growth<\/h4>\n
Why is demand generation different from lead generation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Why are most lead generation strategies unsuccessful?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Gated Content: Bad Practices vs. Good Practices<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n No SEO benefit or boost.
\n The form deters people from downloading content.
\n No brand visibility. <\/p>\n
\n Personalized lead nurturing based on the content each lead downloaded.
\n Email list segmentation.
\n Provides analytics and insights into customers.
\n You can offer further free content, invitations to webinars, and access to your sales team when the leads are ready. <\/p>\nThe Role of Inbound Marketing in B2B Demand Generation<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Demand Capturing: Intent Channels and Content Examples<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Demand Creation: Education Channels and Content Types<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The Role of Sales in B2B Demand Generation<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Metrics and KPIs for Measuring Success<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n Which lead types most often convert into a qualified sales pipeline?
\n What percentage of our opportunities convert into paying customers?
\n What percentage of our paying customers stick around long enough to become profitable?
\n Which marketing channels are driving opportunities with the best LTV?
\n How do we generate more qualified opportunities from the best channels?
\n How do we champion full-funnel pipeline visibility?
\n How do we hold sales accountable for working the leads properly?
\n How can we develop an effective feedback loop between marketing & sales? <\/p>\nLeading Indicators: Example Metrics<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n Your brand vs. competitor brand search volume.
\n Organic traffic to high-intent website pages.
\n Direct traffic (people type your website URL into the browser).
\n Entrances and engagement on your feature\/solutions pages.
\n Referral traffic from other relevant websites and social platforms. <\/p>\nLagging Indicators: Example Metrics<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n Website traffic to conversion rate (declared intent).
\n Qualified demo to sales opportunity rate.
\n Proposal sent to closed\/won rate.
\n Average deal size.
\n Sales pipeline velocity<\/a>.
\n Cost per acquisition (CPA<\/a>).
\n Customer lifetime value (CLV<\/a>). <\/p>\nDeclared Intent vs. Assumed Intent<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Where to Start With Your Demand Generation Strategy<\/h2>\n