Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)

By /

A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is someone who is interested in buying from a brand because of their reactions to marketing activities.

They’re considered more likely to buy than other leads because they do things like visit certain web pages, download information, or join online events, showing they’re curious about the products or services.1

Visual Representation

marketing qualified lead visual representation

Purpose

The primary purpose of a marketing-qualified lead is to identify potential customers who are more likely to convert into paying ones.

MQLs act as a bridge between general marketing efforts and the sales team.

By figuring out who the MQLs are, companies can adjust their marketing to better support these potential buyers, guiding them closer to purchasing and preparing for a sales conversation.2

Usage

MQLs are used in various business areas to identify and nurture potential customers.

Here’s where they’re commonly applied:

  1. Marketing Teams: They figure out who’s interested in learning more and target them with particular messages to get them even more curious.
  2. Sales Teams: They get a heads-up on who’s warming up to making a purchase, so they know who to talk to next.
  3. Emails: If you’ve shown some interest, you might get emails meant just for you, with information or offers to nudge you closer to buying.
  4. Content Like Blogs or Videos: Companies make stuff you’d like to read or watch, helping you learn more and maybe decide to buy.
  5. For Bigger Sales: Especially when selling expensive things or services to other businesses, knowing who an MQL is helps make selling smarter and not harder.3

Example

For instance, a tech company might have a marketing campaign online where they keep track of who visits their site and what they do, like if someone downloads a guide or signs up to see how a product works.

People who do these things are called MQLs.

Then, the company sends these MQLs special emails with more information about their products and stories from happy customers, preparing them to talk to a salesperson.

Related Terms

References

1. Rothman, D. (2014). Lead Generation For Dummies. United Kingdom: Wiley. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Lead_Generation_For_Dummies/4qsEAwAAQBAJ

2. Baker, K. (2021, October 25). Marketing qualified lead: Everything you need to know about mqls. HubSpot Blog. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/definition-marketing-qualified-lead-mql-under-100-sr

3. What is a marketing qualified lead (MQL)? marketing qualified lead (MQL) definition. Tableau. (n.d.). https://www.tableau.com/learn/articles/marketing-qualified-lead

Scroll to Top