Demand gen vs demand capture

Demand capture is being there when someone is already looking. Search ads, comparison sites, a quote request answered quickly. Demand generation is the work that makes more people start looking in the first place: content, PR, brand and being visible where customers are before they have a need.

In B2B, demand gen has become a buzzword that often means a lead form in front of an ebook. That is capture by another name. Only around 5 per cent of a B2B market is ready to buy in a given quarter, according to the LinkedIn B2B Institute. You will not catch the other 95 per cent with a form.

You need both, and they are measured differently. Capture shows up directly in pipeline. Generation shows up only after months, in more inbound requests and cheaper search clicks. Take your budget and sort each line into one of the two piles. Most people are surprised by how small one pile is.