B2B Lead Generation vs. Lead Nurturing – Explained

Gil Gruber, MBA

With over 20 years of diverse marketing and sales experience, Gil’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to serial success in various business and organizational ventures, recognized on the “Maverick of the Morning” CNN show and awarded with the “Best of the Web” from Forbes. Gil is a frequent speaker at conferences, associations, and international events about emerging trends in B2B marketing and organization expansion. His book “Turn On Marketing” is available on Amazon.

25/05/2016
( Last updated 16/02/2025 ) -
Reading time: 4 minutes

Acquiring new B2B customers is an exciting but challenging process. As you know, demand creation does not happen overnight. Businesses must pinpoint – and analyze – their target market to develop an effective marketing strategy. Next, they need to engage with prospects and attempt to convert as many as possible into sales. To increase your conversion rate, you must first understand the role of lead generation vs. lead nurturing purpose.

Lead Generation and Lead Nurturing Defined

Lead generation is the process of attracting and converting prospects who show an initial interest in what you have to offer. Meanwhile, lead nurturing consists of building relationships with potential clients. They might not be ready to buy your solution, but they could be in the future. This is sometimes called drip marketing.

Lead nurturing serves to increase a prospect’s knowledge and shape their perception of a specific solution. Simply put, lead nurturing serves to build trust between your company and the prospect. That way, prospects are more likely to choose your solution when it comes time to execute their decision.

Lead Generation vs. Lead Nurturing

We’ve set up a table outlining the difference between these B2B marketing strategies. First, we have lead generation, which serves to help your sales team find new prospects. This type of generic campaign is designed to help you identify initial interest in your product/service.

Meanwhile, lead nurturing has a different goal: to turn prospects into clients. With this type of marketing tactic, you’re in it for the long haul. You will build a relationship with your prospects throughout the buying cycle and create customized campaigns tailored to their needs.