what are leads in marketing

In marketing, a lead refers to any individual or organization within a companys marketing reach who has interacted with the brand or has the potential to become a future customer. A lead can be someone who sees or downloads content, signs up for a trial, or visits a store. There are different types of leads, including marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs) . MQLs are people who have shown a curiosity about a brand and its products, while SQLs are people who have indicated that they are ready to make a purchase of a product or service. Marketing departments typically create a lead scoring system to help them determine the quality of a lead, which can help them know how likely a lead is to convert into an SQL. Generating leads is an important part of any business, and there are several methods to do so, including paid advertising, inbound marketing, and social media marketing.