Lead generation gates everything and asks for emails. Demand generation creates interest first, then captures. Here's why you need to pivot.

Why "Gating" Everything is Hurting You

Gating content (requiring email for access) has downsides:

The Gating Problem

Lower reach: 70-90% of visitors won't give email
SEO penalty: Google can't index gated content
Poor quality leads: People give fake emails to access content
Slower growth: Can't scale if content is hidden

The Math:

10,000 visitors × 10% conversion = 1,000 leads (gated)

10,000 visitors × 100% consumption = 10,000 people educated (ungated)

Then retarget all 10,000 with ads = More qualified leads

Creating Demand in "Dark Social"

Dark social is where real demand is created:

What is Dark Social?

Sharing that analytics can't track:

Direct messages (Slack, WhatsApp, text)
Email forwards
Private social media groups
Word of mouth

How to Create Demand in Dark Social

Ungated content: Easy to share (no login required)
Valuable content: People want to share it
Clear branding: People know it's from you
Share buttons: Make sharing easy

Measuring Influence vs. Direct Attribution

Demand gen is harder to measure, but more valuable:

Lead Gen Metrics (Direct Attribution)

Leads generated
Cost per lead
Lead to customer conversion
Problem: Misses influence and awareness

Demand Gen Metrics (Influence)

Content consumption (views, time on page)
Brand searches (people searching your brand)
Direct traffic (people typing your URL)
Assisted conversions (content helped but didn't directly convert)
Advantage: Measures full funnel impact

The Content Strategy Shift: Education First

Demand gen requires a content shift:

Old Way (Lead Gen)

Create content
Gate it (require email)
Promote to get downloads
Nurture email list
Focus: Capture

New Way (Demand Gen)

Create valuable, ungated content
Promote widely (SEO, social, ads)
Educate and build trust
Retarget engaged visitors
Capture when they're ready
Focus: Educate first, capture later

Balancing the Budget: Capture vs. Create

How to allocate budget:

Demand Creation (60-70% of Budget)

Content creation (blog, videos, resources)
SEO (organic traffic)
Social media (awareness)
PR and thought leadership
Goal: Create interest and awareness

Demand Capture (30-40% of Budget)

Paid ads (PPC, social)
Retargeting (capture engaged visitors)
Email marketing (nurture captured leads)
Sales enablement
Goal: Convert interest to customers

Conclusion

Lead generation gates everything and focuses on capture. Demand generation educates first, then captures. Ungate your content, create demand in dark social, measure influence not just attribution, and balance your budget between creation and capture. The result? More qualified leads and faster growth.