What the Heck is Demand Generation?

Written by Mayhew Marketing | July 2025

Let’s be real: having an amazing product or service is only half the battle. If nobody knows about it, or worse, if nobody cares, you’re stuck shouting into the void. That’s where demand generation swoops in like your marketing superhero.

Demand gen isn’t just about collecting leads like seashells on a beach. It’s about building genuine interest, getting people excited, and setting the stage for your sales team to shine. It's how you warm up the crowd before the big act.

Demand Gen vs. Lead Gen: What’s the Difference?

Glad you asked! These two often get mixed up, but they’re not twins—they’re more like close cousins.

Demand Generation is all about creating buzz: educating your audience, building trust, and sparking curiosity.
Lead Generation is about capturing those curious folks, usually with forms, gated content, or compelling landing pages.

Think of demand gen as the full concert production, while lead gen is just the ticket booth.

Why You Should Care (A Lot) About Demand Generation

A strong demand gen strategy helps you:

Build authority and credibility in your space
Educate your audience before they even think about buying
Warm up leads so your sales team isn’t cold-calling into the abyss
Boost conversion rates with more qualified prospects

In short, it turns browsers into buyers.

5 Ingredients for a Rock-Solid Demand Gen Strategy (I’m not talking ACDC)

1. Create Content That Helps People

Forget fluffy stuff. Great demand gen content (e.g., blogs, guides, webinars, videos…) solves real problems and makes your audience say, “These folks get me.”

2. Be Everywhere Your Prospects Are

LinkedIn, search, email, events—your ideal customer lives in multiple places online. Multi-channel campaigns ensure your message travels with them (without being annoying).

3. Let Automation Do the Heavy Lifting

With tools like HubSpot, you can set up smart workflows that react to what people do (e.g., clicks, downloads, visits…) so every touchpoint feels personal (not creepy).

4. Sales + Marketing = BFFs

No more throwing leads over the fence. When sales and marketing teams align on what a “good lead” looks like and how to handle them, revenue follows. This is important.

5. Measure, Tweak, Repeat

Demand gen isn’t “set it and forget it.” Keep your eyes on metrics like:

Cost per MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead)
Lead-to-customer conversion rates
Revenue influenced by marketing

Use data to make smarter decisions and keep leveling up your game.

Real-World Demand Gen Ideas

Host a Webinar Series: Invite experts, answer real questions, and position your brand as the go-to authority.
Build Interactive Quizzes or Tools: People love personalized experiences, and they’ll happily trade contact info for a helpful result.
Run ABM Campaigns: For those high-value accounts, get ultra-targeted with custom content, ads, and emails that feel like a VIP experience.

Demand Gen = Long Game, Big Wins

Demand generation isn’t some short-term hack. It’s the engine that fuels sustainable growth. When you do it right, your pipeline doesn’t just grow, it becomes full of people who are actually ready to buy.

So if you’re tired of chasing cold leads or relying on luck, it’s time to flip the switch. Start building demand, and let the right people come to you.

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