Lead Gen is Dead. Long Live Demand Gen.
Once upon a time, in a world filled with white papers, gated eBooks, and questionable webinars, there lived a magical concept known as lead generation. 🪄
Marketers built entire kingdoms around it. “Download this PDF,” they’d whisper. “Give us your email address, and in return, we’ll give you a 27-page document you may or may not read.” And lo—the leads flowed.
But then… something changed.
Audiences got smarter. Inboxes got flooded. And marketers? They started to realize that a lead isn’t the same thing as demand.
Welcome to 2025, where traditional lead gen is on life support—and demand generation is wearing the crown.
Let’s break down what happened, why it matters, and how your marketing strategy needs to evolve before your “MQLs” start ghosting you harder than a Tinder date who hates dogs.
Wait… Lead Gen is Dead?
Okay, maybe not dead dead. But let’s call it what it is: lead gen is no longer the growth engine it once was.
Why? Because the entire model is based on a flawed assumption:
“If someone fills out a form, they must be ready to buy.”
Spoiler alert: they’re not.
Real talk:
90% of gated content downloaders are just curious—not qualified.
Most form-fills end up in nurturing purgatory.
SDRs waste hours chasing down cold leads who don’t even remember filling out the form.
Meanwhile, buyers want control. They want to research on their terms, in their time, without being immediately pounced on by a sales team asking, “Is this a good time to talk?”
Which brings us to the hero of this story: demand generation.
What Is Demand Generation (and Why Is It Better)?
Demand gen isn’t just a fancy name for lead gen. It’s a completely different mindset.
Where lead gen says, “Give me your info, and I’ll sell to you,”
demand gen says, “Here’s value, insight, and trust—when you’re ready, you’ll know where to find me.”
It’s the difference between:
Asking someone to marry you on the first date vs.
Building a relationship where they want to say yes
Demand gen focuses on:
Building awareness
Educating your audience
Creating intent before the form fill
Being top-of-mind when they’re ready to buy
You’re not chasing. You’re attracting.
Real-World Example: Gong.io
Gong is one of the best modern demand gen case studies.
They don’t gate most of their content. Instead, they:
Share insanely actionable sales insights on LinkedIn
Use humor and memes to stay culturally relevant
Create mini-series and live events with value-packed takeaways
Let their product speak for itself through demo videos and customer wins
Result? Gong’s brand became a magnet. People start following them for the content and eventually raise their hand to buy when the timing is right.
No forms. No friction. No “gotcha” tactics. Just demand, delivered.
Why Demand Gen Wins in 2025
The way people buy has changed. Drastically. Let’s look at the evidence:
1. Buyers do 70% of their research before contacting sales.
They read reviews. Watch YouTube videos. Ask Reddit. Consult TikTok. (Yes, even in B2B.)
If your brand isn’t out there building awareness and trust—good luck competing when they’re ready to buy.
2. Attention is a currency—and gating kills it.
People don’t want to give their email just to read your thoughts. Instead, give them value up front. If it’s good, they’ll come back (or sign up voluntarily for more).
3. Ads work better when paired with organic credibility.
You can’t just run “Free Quote!” ads and expect results. You need content that supports the ad with education, proof, and authority.
What Does a Demand Gen Strategy Look Like?
Let’s make this tangible. Demand gen includes tactics like:
Content that educates, not just converts
Blog posts like this one 😉
How-to videos
Ungated guides and comparison pages
Product explainer videos
Social media that builds your brand voice
Thought leadership (LinkedIn FTW)
Behind-the-scenes content
Audience engagement (polls, stories, Q&A)
Targeted advertising that drives TOFU (top-of-funnel) awareness
Promote value-based content, not just CTAs
Retarget with product-led assets after they engage
Community-building + word of mouth
Private Facebook or Slack groups
Customer advocacy programs
Partner webinars and co-branded content
Conversion paths that don’t rely on forms
Live chat or chatbot engagement
Free tools or ROI calculators
Product tours and demos without gating
Real-World Example: Lavender.ai
Lavender, the email AI assistant, went all-in on demand gen. They:
Built a cult following on LinkedIn with daily sales tips
Created funny, educational videos that salespeople actually enjoy
Offered a free Chrome extension with immediate value
Hosted community Slack groups for customer support and peer engagement
All this without obsessing over MQL forms. Instead, they created demand—and built loyalty.
“But Our Sales Team Needs Leads…”
We get it. You still need pipeline. Here’s the good news:
Demand gen doesn’t ignore leads—it creates better ones.
When someone comes to you after engaging with 3 videos, 2 blog posts, and your newsletter for a month—they’re warmer than that guy who downloaded a checklist and ghosted your SDR.
You’re not eliminating leads. You’re replacing cold leads with high-intent, inbound-ready buyers.
That’s how you win and keep your sales team happy.
Think Like a Media Company
If you want to crush demand gen, start thinking more like Netflix and less like a static website.
Ask:
What content does my audience binge?
What channels do they prefer?
How can I become a resource—not just a vendor?
Create value loops: give so much away for free that when you do sell something, your audience is already primed to buy.
Think:
Podcasts
Video series
Monthly live Q&As
Content hubs by topic or persona
Build a brand experience, not just a funnel.
Final Thoughts: Stop Chasing. Start Attracting.
In a world where attention is scarce and trust is everything, traditional lead gen just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Demand generation is how you:
Build brand authority
Stay top of mind
Empower buyers to want to talk to you
It takes more effort. It takes consistency. But the rewards?
Better leads. Shorter sales cycles. And a brand that actually matters to your audience.
Lead gen is dead. Long live demand gen.
Ready to turn cold leads into warm demand?
At INDemand Consulting, we help growth-minded businesses modernize their marketing, create content worth engaging with, and build a brand people trust.
Let’s attract the right audience—no gating required:
www.growwithindemand.com
