Introduction
In today’s world, businesses are constantly looking for ways to improve their sales and marketing strategies. One of the most important aspects of this is lead generation. However, not all leads are created equal. Some leads are more likely to become customers than others. This is where the concept of a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) comes in.
In this article, we will discuss what a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is, why identifying MQLs is important, and how you can establish MQL criteria on your team.
What is a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)?
A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is a lead that the marketing team has deemed more likely to become a customer compared to others. This determination is based on criteria such as which web pages were visited, content offers were downloaded, CTAs were clicked, and social posts were interacted with.
An MQL is typically generated through various marketing activities, such as website visits, content downloads, webinars, or other interactions with your brand.
Once marketing has identified MQLs for your business, then can send them along to your sales team — this propels sales through the initial steps of their roles (e.g. discovery and prospecting), and provides them with leads their marketing counterparts believe are worthwhile.
Why Identifying MQLs is Important?
Identifying MQLs is important because it helps businesses to focus their resources on leads that are more likely to convert into customers. By identifying MQLs, businesses can ensure that their sales team is spending their time and effort on leads that are more likely to convert, rather than wasting time on leads that are unlikely to convert.
Moreover, by aligning team members and different teams, your business’s employees are able to work together to create delightful experiences that make prospects want to convert and stay loyal to your brand.
One example of a process in which this type of collaboration only improves your ability to convert prospects into loyal customers is lead qualification.
If your marketing team can align with sales on what makes for a high-quality lead at your company, then marketing can identify and handoff these leads to reps after a leads initial interaction(s) with your brand.
Then, once sales has these contacts from marketing, reps can also qualify them and nurture them accordingly. This leads to time being well-spent across the org and ensures sales reps aren’t wasting their time trying to identify leads that marketing has already engaged and vetted.
How to Establish MQL Criteria on Your Team?
Establishing MQL criteria on your team is important to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to identifying MQLs. Here are some criteria you can establish on your team:
- Web Pages Visited: If a lead has visited certain web pages on your website, it could be an indication that they are interested in your product or service. You can establish criteria for which web pages are most important to your business and use this information to identify MQLs.
- Content Offers Downloaded: If a lead has downloaded certain content offers, such as whitepapers or eBooks, it could be an indication that they are interested in your product or service. You can establish criteria for which content offers are most important to your business and use this information to identify MQLs 1.
- CTAs Clicked: If a lead has clicked on certain CTAs on your website, it could be an indication that they are interested in your product or service. You can establish criteria for which CTAs are most important to your business and use this information to identify MQLs 1.
- Social Posts Interacted With: If a lead has interacted with certain social posts, it could be an indication that they are interested in your product or service. You can establish criteria for which social posts are most important to your business and use this information to identify MQLs 1.
Conclusion
In conclusion, identifying MQLs is an important aspect of lead generation. By identifying MQLs, businesses can ensure that their sales team is spending their time and effort on leads that are more likely to convert, rather than wasting time on leads that are unlikely to convert.
Moreover, by aligning team members and different teams, your business’s employees are able to work together to create delightful experiences that make prospects want to convert and stay loyal to your brand. Establishing MQL criteria on your team is important to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to identifying MQLs.
By following these criteria, you can ensure that your business is identifying the highest-quality leads based on criteria set by your business