When starting inbound marketing, the focus is often on filling the funnel with leads. But once leads flow in, identifying who’s genuinely interested becomes key—that’s where lead scoring helps.
Lead scoring helps sales and marketing teams evaluate leads by assigning values based on their behavior and interest in products or services. This process qualifies leads as hot, warm, or cold, depending on their engagement and position in the buying cycle.
The first goal for companies is to bring leads into their pipeline. Once enough leads are secured, the focus shifts to identifying the most interested prospects. Lead scoring plays a key role by helping teams prioritize leads based on their position in the buying process, increasing the chances of conversion.
What about the process
For lead scoring to begin, sales and marketing teams must align on what defines a qualified lead. This involves gathering details about the lead’s occupation, role, and activities, along with their demographics and interests. These factors help determine if the lead is both a good fit and genuinely interested in the company’s products or services.
Actions are assigned point values based on their likelihood of leading to a purchase. High-interest, ideal leads earn positive points and are classified as marketing-qualified leads, ready for the sales team. Leads with less interaction but strong potential receive fewer points and are directed to marketing for further nurturing. Points may decrease for signs of disinterest, such as unsubscribing from emails. Scores are dynamically updated to reflect changes in behavior over time.
Organizations assess a lead’s interest by tracking:
- Email responses.
- Website pages visited and time spent on them.
- Form submissions or downloads.
- Blog clicks and social media engagement.
The relevance of these metrics depends on the industry, product, or service, with customer attributes varying by organization to define high-quality leads.
Why is lead scoring important
Is lead scoring still relevant? Absolutely. While methods have evolved, its purpose remains vital for sales and marketing teams. Lead scoring helps prioritize and focus on the leads most likely to convert, ensuring efforts are directed where they matter most. Without a system for scoring and prioritizing opportunities, businesses risk spreading themselves too thin and missing out on securing their best clients.
Lead scoring models
Lead scoring models assign values that reflect how well a lead aligns with your product. Typically ranging from 0 to 100, these scores emphasize key attributes of your ideal customer. Here are six lead scoring models based on data gathered from your audience.
Demographic Data
Are you focusing on a specific demographic, such as parents of young children or CIOs? Use demographic questions on your landing page forms to assess how closely leads match your target audience.
Deduct points for leads who fall outside your desired category or geographic area, such as city, state, or country. Conversely, reward leads with extra points for providing optional details, like a phone number, as this indicates greater engagement.
Company Data
If you’re a B2B organization, define your ideal target by considering factors like company size, type, or industry, and decide whether you’re focusing more on B2B or B2C clients. Use your landing page forms to gather this information, assigning points to leads that align with your target audience and deducting points from those that don’t meet your criteria.
We also suggest monitoring external company data, such as changes in leadership, mergers and acquisitions, new investments, or PR challenges. This knowledge can provide valuable context about a prospective company’s current situation, helping you evaluate their fit with your value proposition and uncover potential for long-term, profitable relationships.
Behavioral Information
A lead’s website activity provides insight into their buying interest. Review behaviors of leads who eventually converted into customers, such as the pages they visited and the offers they downloaded. Higher scores should go to leads engaging with high-value content (e.g., pricing pages or demo requests). Leads with more interactions, such as 30 page views versus just three, should also score higher.
Monitor shifts in engagement over time. If a lead stops interacting—such as not visiting your site or downloading offers—reduce their score after a certain period based on your sales cycle.
Conclusion
In conclusion, lead scoring is an essential tool for sales and marketing teams to prioritize leads effectively, ensuring resources are focused on the most promising prospects. By evaluating leads based on their demographics, company data, and behavioral activity, businesses can better understand where each lead stands in the buying process. This process not only helps identify high-quality leads but also allows teams to adjust their strategies based on evolving behaviors.