Without question, the absolute first thing every marketer should do is to figure out their audience.

I recently had a meeting to discuss the impact of our marketing efforts at my company and how to find the people who will buy the stuff we want to sell.

What we found out is well worth your time.

So without further ado let's cut to the chase and begin.

My name is Nick Tribe and I’m a DJ, marketer, and entrepreneur.

I’ve spent the last few years studying from the most successful marketers & entrepreneurs worldwide.

I’ve read countless books, attended countless courses, and devoured countless pieces of information on marketing and entrepreneurship.

I’m now building a marketing company that starts, grows, and monetize brands leveraging AI, direct response marketing, and sales funnels.

Join me and follow along as I learn, apply, and share marketing insights to build my million-dollar business.

Everyone today seems to be asking questions that don't really matter.

Hate to admit, but myself included.

Things like:

What content performs better?

What ads should I run?

How to get traffic to my funnel?

And on and on.

These questions need answers. I get it.

But unfortunately, they are not exactly the 'right ones'.

Let me explain.

Content, ads, outreach, promotions, etc.

They are all the same. In the sense that they have the same goal in mind.

Lead Generation.

That's it.

The ultimate goal of marketing is lead generation. In one way or another.

This means that if you don't generate leads, you're not doing your job as a marketer.

Unfortunately, it's that simple.

When it comes to measuring marketing efforts, everything boils down to lead generation.

The effectiveness of your marketing is judged by your ability to get leads and turn them into loyal customers.

Without this focus, all the branding, content, and engagement in the world won't matter.

You can have the best product, the slickest website, and the most compelling sales pitch.

Without leads, you’ve got nothing.

It’s like having a Ferrari with no fuel - it might look great, but it’s not going anywhere.

What Is A Lead

There are countless definition of a lead today.

I like to keep things simple. So here’s my take on it.

A lead is a potential customer.

Pretty simple. Right?

Now, think.

If you have potential customers coming your way, you have a chance of making money.

If you don't have any potential customer coming your way, you have no chances of making money.

That's why marketing activities get measured in leads.

It's the process of lead generation that begins the sales process.

No leads = no sales.

No sales = no money.

Why Lead Generation Matters

Lead generation is the lifeblood of any business.

It's the process of attracting and converting strangers to your stuff.

It makes those who are interested in your company's product or service raise their hand and say "Tell me more!".

These leads are potential sources of revenue.

They are the ones who will eventually pay for what you’re offering.

Without a steady stream of leads, your sales team has no one to pitch to.

Without a steady stream of leads, your landing page has no one to convert.

Without a steady stream of leads, you can't sell your products.

Your marketing efforts fall flat, and your revenue stagnates.

Local shops need leads. Agencies need leads. Big companies need leads.

Everyone needs leads.

If you want to sell something to someone, you need leads.

That’s why lead generation is the first critical step in the sales process.

How To Get Leads

You get leads by advertising.

Obvious maybe. But not really.

I like Hormozi's definition of advertising, which is 'the act of getting known'.

So if you let people know about your stuff, you are advertising.

The more you let people know about your stuff, the more leads you should get.

The way to do this today is with a combination of social media content, paid traffic, and outreach (aka contacting people).

Now, here's something most marketers don't tell you.

It's not about what works and what doesn't.

It's about what works FOR YOU.

Some people are great with ads.

Some people are great with content.

Some people are great at contacting people.

So what works? What's the best? What's the hottest?

Ads require money and skills, but the reach is guaranteed (you pay for it).

Content is free but requires skills, volume, and time to work.

Outreach is free. But talking to strangers to let them know about your stuff is not exactly the easiest thing in the world. For some people, it is.

The truth is that it doesn't really matter.

Especially if you are in the beginning.

What matters is the answer to the following question.

Are you getting leads?

In other words…

Are you getting people to raise their hand and say 'tell me more'?

If yes, you're generating leads. Good.

If not, you have a lead generation problem. Not good.

If you are in the ‘not good’ situation, you have to do something about it asap.

Which leads me to this other point.

Why Attention Alone Doesn't Cut It (And What To Do Instead)

"Nick, I got it. Leads are important. I need to get leads, so I need to get attention, right? That's how to 'get known'...."

Well, yes… but not exactly.

Attention is necessary, but unfortunately there is much more that goes into it.

Getting attention by itself might be for nothing.

Here's an example to prove this point.

If you run naked down the street, you'll certainly capture a lot of attention.

But the most likely outcome will be a visit from the local police. It won't be a flood of new customers. (***please don't try this at home***)

The point is, attention alone isn't sufficient.

What you need is targeted attention from people who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

This is why hiring just a social media manager to fill your account with memes and cute pictures often doesn't lead to real business results.

Sure, you might amass a huge following and lots of likes.

But are these followers actually interested in your products or services?

Are they the right audience that will convert into leads and, eventually, paying customers?

That's the crux of effective lead generation.

Here’s the take-away.

Focus your marketing efforts on attracting potential customers.

They must have a real interest in what you're selling.

Otherwise, they are not a lead. Simple as that.

This mindset shift must change your strategy.

You need to ask yourself:

Attention is good. But is it the right attention?

This means flipping the script.

You begin with the customer in mind.

And you start making content for their needs and desires.

You use targeted ads to reach specific groups where they hang out.

You keep improving based on data and feedback.

Got it?

Remember.

What truly matters from a lead generation perspective is not just how many people you reach. It's how many of those people are genuinely interested in becoming your customers.

Attention for the sake of attention is a vanity metric.

What you need is purposeful marketing that drives business results.

Now that you know what is a lead, how to get one, and why attention alone isn't enough, we can go a layer deeper.

You're about to discover why not all leads are created equal.

The Power of Quality Leads

So now you know that you need to attract people that might be interested in what you have to offer.

Cool. But we are not done yet.

Why? Because to be successful with this, it’s not just about generating any leads. It’s about generating quality leads.

A quality lead is someone who is genuinely interested in your product or service and has the potential to become a paying customer.

Meaning.

➢ This person knows your stuff.

➢ This person is thinking of buying it.

➢ This person can afford it.

Having all three is crucial.

Quality leads are not just random names on a list.

They are prospects who have shown interest and can actually buy the thing.

Let’s say you sell a Ferrari.

Most people want a Ferrari. Good. There is interest.

Most people cannot afford a Ferrari. Not good.

No matter how much you try to sell them, they will not become serious potential customers.

They simply do not have the money to give it to you.

That’s why going after the right leads is crucial.

Quality leads result in higher conversion rates, more sales, and increased revenue.

It might be more expensive to go after those, but it's simply the right thing to do.

They save your sales team time and effort.

You can focus on prospects who are more likely to convert.

And they are often better customers in general.

So there you have it.

Here’s the final recap.

At the end of the day, everything in marketing comes down to lead generation.

It’s the foundation upon which successful businesses are built.

Without leads…

You have no one to sell to, no revenue to generate, and no business to grow.

Leads are the people who will buy from you.

They need to know you, want your stuff, and have the money to afford it.

You get them by advertising (content, ads, outreach, etc.).

And the more you get those, the more chances you have of making money.

So measure your efforts based on how many you get.

That’s basically it.

Hope this brought value to you.

Talk soon,

Nick