If you want to know whether the money you spend on B2B lead generation is paying off, this guide will show you how to find out.
It will also show you how to work out your lead cost and share ways to improve it so your business can grow steadily over time.
What are B2B lead generation costs?
In simple terms, B2B lead generation costs are the total amount spent to secure a single qualified business lead. For example, if you put $800 into a targeted trade publication campaign and $1,200 into an industry-specific webinar, and together these efforts bring in 100 qualified leads, your cost per lead would be $20.
Here are other types of B2B lead generation costs to consider:
- Using lead generation tools
They help your sales team reduce manual work when finding qualified prospects, which makes the sales process much faster.
These tools can include marketing and email automation platforms, CRMs, sales intelligence tools, and other similar systems.
- Buying lead lists
Purchasing qualified lead lists can be a significant boost for your company’s growth. However, the lead quality varies depending on the B2B data provider. It is a good idea to purchase leads verified by humans because accurate data produces the highest ROI.
Getting outdated contact lists from unreliable companies is simply a waste of time and money.
- B2B lead generation agencies
You do not have to build a team of lead-gen specialists in-house. You can outsource your B2B lead generation efforts to experts like Konsyg and tap into new lead sources.
The downside is that you might be getting non-exclusive lead lists. To lower lead prices, select services that prioritise lead quality over quantity.
- Paid ads and promotion costs
These types of B2B lead gen costs involve social media marketing, email marketing, Google Ads costs, and more.
The budget for digital ads can be a significant cost of your B2B lead generation efforts. It also involves the cost of salaries of a team of marketing specialists who run and monitor the campaigns.
- Funding incentives and immediate rewards
Nothing adds a human touch to B2B lead generation like a personalised gift sent to your most valuable prospects. Plenty of gifting platforms deliver physical gifts or experiences to your target business decision-makers around the world.
At Konsyg, we have run campaigns in which incentives included industry-relevant resources and curated materials that offered value to executives during the buying cycle.
- Hiring and training marketing specialists
This cost involves paying experts in-house who have the necessary experience and know-how to run campaigns on different platforms and understand your product inside out.
It is a significant investment, but it might take time to hire and train the team properly.
How to optimise the cost of B2B lead generation
Most business owners prefer not to spend a lot of money on leads and would rather obtain them for free.
But effective B2B lead generation campaigns require funds. If you find that the cost per qualified lead is higher than the lead’s value, it means it is time to redesign your lead generation strategies.
- Use Lead Sourcing Services
Instead of spending hours building a prospect list from scratch or buying generic contact lists online, use a service that researches and verifies each lead so you start with accurate, up-to-date information.
Different providers source their leads differently, which impacts the lead cost; inaccurate data means higher CPL.
Konsyg’s team ensures that company and contact data are accurate, current, and compliant. This includes providing verified B2B emails and direct phone numbers so your sales efforts reach the right decision-makers without wasted time.
- Target leads when they are ready to buy
At times, the cost of lead generation is influenced not only by the channels you use or how you share your message, but also by timing and intent.
With only about 3% of leads ready to make a purchase and roughly 7% considering it, even a strong pitch will fall flat if you are not targeting those in the “buying now” stage.
To identify qualified leads already exploring solutions like yours or those offered by competitors, rely on intent data tools and sales triggers. These resources help match the right prospects with the right timing, boosting the impact of your sales and marketing work.
You can reduce your B2B lead generation costs by working with contact lists from trusted partners that our sales team researches, segments, and aligns with the decision-makers we aim to engage:
- CMO
- CFO
- C-level executives
- IT decision-makers
- CTO
- Marketing directors
- Narrow down your target audience
It is difficult to get optimal CPL when targeting broad audiences with the same messaging.
A clear understanding of your ideal customer profile and different audiences’ pain points improves the cost-effectiveness of your B2B lead gen efforts and ensures a quicker return on investment.
- Adjust ad frequency and messaging per channel
Analyse whether higher ad frequency results in more revenue. Patterns can differ by campaign or channel.
For example, some campaigns may see ad fatigue in social proof ads but continued engagement in value-driven ads.
- Use inbound marketing methods
SEO content marketing attracts qualified B2B leads who are more likely to convert.
For example, you can create an organic content strategy targeting high-intent leads. Bottom-of-funnel content, such as comparison pages and listicles, can help reduce your CPL.
- Improve your landing page design
If you are paying for traffic, make sure your landing pages are optimised for conversions. Use above-the-fold space effectively, test your messaging, and include social proof where appropriate.
- Eliminate poorly performing channels
Track CPL per campaign to identify and stop low-performing channels that drive up costs.
How to calculate cost per lead (CPL)
Formula:
Total Marketing Spend / Total New Leads = CPL
Example: If you spend $1,000 on a cold calling list with 1,000 contacts, and only 10 convert into leads, your CPL is $100.
What is a reasonable cost per lead?
A good CPL is less than your gross profit per sale.
If your average B2B sale is $5,000 with a 50% gross profit margin ($2,500 gross profit), and your close rate is 10%, your CPL should be below $250.
Average cost per lead by industry
| Industry | Average CPL (USD) |
|---|---|
|
Technology
|
$45 – $80
|
|
Healthcare
|
$60 – $100
|
|
Financial Services
|
$50 – $90
|
|
Manufacturing
|
$35 – $70
|
|
Education
|
$40 – $70
|
|
Professional Services
|
$55 – $85
|
Source: Industry benchmark data from First Page Sage and HubSpot
Learn more about how Konsyg helps businesses manage and optimise lead generation costs through targeted outreach and strategic sales execution.
Average cost per lead by channel
| Channel | Average CPL (USD) |
|---|---|
|
Facebook Ads
|
~$22
|
|
Google Ads (Search)
|
~$67
|
|
Content Marketing
|
~$92
|
|
Webinar Marketing
|
~$72
|
|
SEO & Retargeting
|
~$31
|
|
Events / Trade Shows
|
~$811
|
Source: Amra & Elma CPL Statistics
Learn more about how Konsyg applies these insights across channels to help businesses improve conversion rates and control CPL through tailored sales strategies.
How much should a lead cost your business?
B2B lead generation is an essential part of every buyer’s journey to becoming a paying customer. But before you add more budget to lead gen, know your CPL inside out; otherwise, you risk paying more per lead than it is worth.
Ready to grow with the right conversations?
Let’s see if our B2B appointment setting and lead generation services align with your business needs.
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