As any business knows (or should know) customers are what help drive the business forward. Therefore in order to ensure customers are always satisfied with the service they are getting, it comes down to people like communication specialists, content  strategists,marketers and others of the sort to optimise brand-to-consumer relationship.

Marketers often throw term ‘demand generation and lead generation’ around, however it is important to note that they are not the same thing.

Demand Generation: is the focus of targeted marketing programs to drive awareness and interest in a company’s products and/or services.The goal is to drive closed business with minimal interaction with the consumer or business you’re attracting.

Lead Generation: is the initiation of consumer interest or inquiry into products or services of a business. Leads can be created for purposes such as list building, e-newsletter list acquisition or for sales leads. The methods for generating leads typically fall under the umbrella of advertising, but may also include non-paid sources such as organic search engine results or referrals from existing customers.

In short, demand generation encompasses an array of marketing programs that get customers exicited about your company’s product and services. These programs are extremely helpful as they can help a business reach new markets, promote new product features, build a buzz, generate PR and helps to re engage customers.

The goal of demand generation is to build key prospects and consumer relationships for the long term. In order to do this effectively, marketers need to engage with consumers, promote blog/website posts though platforms such as Twitter,Facebook and run email marketing campaigns.