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11 Lead Sources to Grow Your Business in 2025

16 min read
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In 2024 Google launched 5 core algorithm updates, which caused a lot of chaos for businesses solely relying on Google as a source of leads.

Most, if not all of their top-performing web pages plummeted in rank and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

But guess what? I’ve seen this happen multiple times over the decade, and I know it will happen again and again.

That’s why I always preach “Don’t depend on a single channel, diversify – have many lead sources to keep your business safe“.

Easier said than done – finding good lead sources can be very challenging. But I got you covered!

I have 11 best sources for leads that I’ve encountered during my lead generation journey.

Let’s dive in and make sure you’re never at the mercy of any algorithm update again.

Lead Source: Table of Contents

What is a Lead Source?

A lead source is a channel through which your ideal customers are able to learn about your business and connect for a potential purchase or conversion.

There are various channels that you can use as a source of leads, but this will entirely depend on factors such as:

  • Your target audience.
  • Nature of your product or service.
  • Your overall marketing strategy.

Some lead sources, like LinkedIn, are ideal places for high-value clients to encounter your business. While others, like content marketing, help them find the right solutions to the problems they’re facing.

Let’s take a look at some of the best lead sources you can use in 2025.

11 Best Lead Sources to Supercharge Your Growth

1. Cold Email Outreach

Cold email outreach is first on my list of the best lead sources because it is a scalable, cost-effective, and efficient way of generating leads.

A cold email is a warm opening to a business conversation with prospects that you don’t know. It has three main elements:

  • An opening line that empathizes with the prospect’s pain points.
  • A pitch that offers a solution.
  • A CTA (Call to Action) that invites a sales conversation.

The average open rate for cold emails is 24%, and the reply rate is around 8.5%. If you send out 100 cold emails to your prospects, you’ll very likely start at least 8 sales conversations.

But here’s the best part: with follow-up cold emails, the open and reply rates rise exponentially. So, by the time you send a third or fourth follow-up email, the reply rate rises to around 30%!

When we talk about cold email outreach, we have to distinguish it from cold calling. Research suggests that 97% of people simply ignore cold calls, which is not the case with cold emails.

When to Use Cold Email Outreach to Generate Leads:

  • You need to generate B2B leads at scale.
  • You want to present personalized pitches to prospects.
  • You need a high-ROI lead generation strategy.

Recommended Strategy:

Use a reputed cold email platform to minimize bounce rates and boost reply rates. Cold email software provides you with a suite of deliverability tools like personalization, sender rotation, and A/Z testing to help you generate leads and start sales conversations.

2. LinkedIn

In my experience, LinkedIn is one of the best places where professionals and executives can learn about your enterprise and its products/services.

After all, it is a platform where more than 65 million decision-makers look for solutions, interact with other professionals, and form connections.

So, if you post quality content, regularly update your profile, form quality connections, and share updates about your growth journey, LinkedIn could be the best source for lucrative leads.

When to Use LinkedIn As A Lead Source:

  • You want to engage with high-value clients.
  • You use or want to use an Account-Based Marketing approach.

Recommended Strategies:

Here are the three best ways you can use LinkedIn as a lead source:

  • Post regular company and personal updates on LinkedIn so prospects can easily understand the solutions you provide.
  • With a LinkedIn premium subscription, your personal or business profile is guaranteed up to 4X more views.
  • LinkedIn ads and sponsored content are great ways to inform your prospects of your solutions that can solve their pain points.

3. Content Marketing

Research suggests B2B buyers visit between 2 and 7 websites before making a purchase. This makes content marketing the best source of generating organic leads.

The aim of content marketing is to ensure that your website is among the first three websites that the buyer comes across.

You can do this by using keywords that represent your target audience’s pain points to create content and educate customers about how to solve them.

This way, you educate potential customers while building brand awareness, positioning yourself as an authority, and naturally introducing your product or service.

When to Use Content Marketing to Generate Leads:

Content marketing is a reliable lead source for any type of business. It works especially well with a full-funnel marketing approach.

Recommended Strategies:

  • Have a strong backlink strategy to increase traffic on your landing pages.
  • Focus on technical SEO to ensure your website loads quickly.
  • Utilize guest posts to build domain authority.
  • Have subtle but enticing CTAs to convert traffic into leads.

4. Paid Advertising

As of 2025, advertising is still one of the best channels through which prospects come across your business, products, and services.

With targeted advertising that prioritizes specific keywords that your prospects are searching for, you can help your target audience learn about your offerings.

It’s no surprise that B2B marketers are still relying heavily on paid advertising to generate quality leads for businesses.

In fact, nearly half of all B2B marketing professionals allocated most of their budgets to paid advertising. And investment in paid marketing is only growing.

So, if you’re not using ads as a lead source for your business, you could be losing quality prospects to your competitors!

When to Use Paid Ads to Generate Leads

Paid advertisement is suitable for all types of businesses; the important thing is to choose an advertising platform that complements your business. Let’s check out some of the best-paid advertising platforms you can use.

Recommended Strategies:

  • Use Pay-Per-Click ads on search engines and affiliate websites to maintain a higher conversion rate and marketing ROI.
  • Use Search Engine ads to target keywords leading to your competitor’s websites.
  • LinkedIn offers a variety of paid content you can use to present your solutions to your prospects.

5. Social Media Marketing

Did you know that an individual spends nearly 143 minutes/day using social media?

And they don’t just use it to scroll through memes and reels but also to buy products and experience new services.

So, the one-and-a-half hours that your prospects spend on social media is the perfect time for them to discover your business and its services.

Plus, it is one of the best places to target specific demographics that match your ICP and show them why your product or service would be ideal for them.

One of the best things about social media is that it lets you build a community of followers and users. It boosts engagement and interaction, increasing trust and visibility among your target audience.

Recommended Strategies:

  • If you’re running a D2C company, I recommend using Instagram, TikTok, or Meta ads.
  • If you’re operating a B2B enterprise, I suggest posting on LinkedIn, X, Reddit, etc.
  • I also highly recommend creating video content on YouTube for B2B enterprises. 

6. Review Platforms

Review platforms are popular and reliable websites that prospects use to explore and learn about products and services they’re interested in.

In my experience, reviews form a critical part of a prospect’s buying decision. They help potential customers understand how others have experienced your products and services.

Good review websites act as a bridge between you and your prospects. They provide B2B buyers with product information, pricing options, ratings, features, and even a list of alternatives!

Recommended Strategy:

Ensure that your website is listed on popular review websites like G2, Gartner, Capterra, Yelp, Google Business Profiles, and Foursquare.

I also suggest responding to both negative and positive reviews to inspire confidence in potential leads.

7. AI Recommendations

While initially, people only used AI to get information, they have increasingly started looking at it as a source of making buying decisions.

The reason is simple: AI can help buyers reduce the time required to conduct research while not compromising on its quality.

So, if you’re offering cold email services for five clients and are looking for reliable cold email software, you can ask AI to come up with a list of the best tools based on your requirements.

Recommended Strategy:

Use simple words to precisely describe your ICP when prompting AI for assistance. If you’re looking for B2B leads, try experimenting with the prompts by asking the AI tool to give you a list of companies that are looking for the solutions you provide.

8. Webinars, Whitepapers and Podcasts

Webinars, whitepapers, and podcasts are good lead sources because they position your brand as an authority within your industry.

When your attendees, readers, or listeners encounter your brand as a source that can answer their queries or help them understand certain concepts, they’re also more likely to buy your products and/or services.

For instance, if you listen to a podcast featuring the editor of Search Engine Journal, you’re very likely to trust the SEO services they offer because of the expertise that the company has projected.

Regular webinars and podcasts also help you retain existing customers and boost visibility among prospects.

Recommended Strategies:

  • Use surveys to collect your prospects’ most burning questions and invite them to webinars that answer them.
  • Gate your Whitepapers so you can collect email addresses and other details from interested prospects.
  • Invite popular industry experts and thought leaders to whom your prospects will be drawn.

9. Industry Conferences and Offline Events

Conferences and offline events are also great ways to establish authority and connections in your industry or segment.

When attendees or participants witness you sharing solutions they can use, they’re more likely to trust you as a source of expertise and knowledge.

Plus, taking on a speaking role at a conference or event will position you as a thought leader and help you network with potential leads.

Conferences and events also act as trigger events that you can reference in your cold emails. Just an email with an opening line like, “Hey John, it was great meeting you at the Adobe Conference…” will boost your credibility when approaching leads.

So, while attending conferences and offline events could seem like heavy investments in time and money, they are excellent sources of qualified leads.

Recommended Strategy:

Attend the biggest events in your industry, engage with speakers at panel discussions and network with your peers.

10. Affiliate Marketing

If you’re operating in a niche market and are looking for a way to rapidly grow your business, I highly recommend exploring the affiliate market.

Affiliates are businesses and individuals who command respect and authority in your target market.

Through affiliate marketing, you collaborate with them to promote your products and services to your prospects.

For instance, users trust a website like eWorldTrade to find SaaS solutions. So, if they see your company’s services listed there, they’re very likely to visit your website and find out if your services suit their needs.

While B2C affiliate marketing involves influencers, bloggers, and celebrities, B2B marketing relies on experts, thought leaders, and consultants to promote your business.

When to Use Affiliate Marketing:

  • You need an additional revenue stream.
  • You operate a niche business where experts and consultants play a prominent role in reaching prospects,

Recommended Strategies:

  • Work with a very specific profile of affiliates based on expertise, marketing methods, and reach.
  • Use industry conferences and networking events to engage with interested affiliates.

11. References and Word of Mouth

A reference is the warmest possible source of leads. Since we receive and trust the references we get from others, it is the best way for your prospects to discover your business and the solutions you offer.

References also involve a personal touch and help prospects who already require your services reach you.

So, it’s also a great source of qualified leads. Plus, references always come from satisfied customers, so they guarantee a positive review of your products and services.

The only investment you need to make to get references is tailored relationship management for existing clients.

While references work equally well with all kinds of businesses, they’re especially useful in the B2B and SaaS industries.

While the average B2B buyer may visit 2-7 websites before making a decision, with a reference, you can cut through this process and get in front of the line.

Recommended Strategy:

  • Have a dedicated account or relationship manager for every high-value customer.
  • Never burn a bridge with a client unless you absolutely have to.
  • Offer a referral program with incentives to your existing clients.

How to Choose the Best Lead Sources?

Now, we come to a critical question: which lead sources out of the ones we’ve discussed should you choose?

After all, resources are limited and options are many!

Here are some lead-generation tips to help you make an informed decision:

  1. Match Lead Source to Business
  2. Understand the Cost of Doing Business
  3. Balance Present and Future Requirements
  4. Loop in Your Marketing and Sales Teams

1. Match Lead Source to Business

First, make sure that your lead source aligns with your business. For instance, review platforms work best for SaaS companies as their prospects trust and actively visit them.

Similarly, Instagram marketing may not work if your ICP comprises an older generation of buyers.

Study your ICP and your customers’ buying journeys to choose the best lead sources for your enterprises.

2. Understand the Cost of Doing Business

Apart from references, every lead source that we’ve discussed costs money. Whether it’s hosting webinars, hiring affiliates, or publishing content, they all have their ROI.

I highly recommend that you first determine your budget and then choose a lead source that fits your requirements.

Find out which platforms your prospects use to make buying decisions and aggressively target them.

Otherwise, you could hemorrhage your budget without receiving the leads you expect.

3. Balance Present and Future Requirements

Some lead sources, like cold emails and offline events, generate immediate leads. Others, like content marketing and references, take time to bear fruit.

I suggest you strike a balance between your present and future requirements to generate leads.

Of course, your strategy will have a primary source and several secondary sources, but build a strategy that relies on a diverse range of lead sources.

4. Loop in Your Marketing and Sales Teams

No one knows the challenges of lead generation like your marketing and sales teams. They know how high-value clients operate and where they would be most receptive to your pitch.

So, consult your marketing and sales teams before deciding which lead source you’ll prioritize.

Ready to Find Leads and Scale Your Enterprise

We’ve discussed several lead sources that can act as a portal through which prospects can find your business and understand its solutions.

Thankfully, from the different reliable lead sources we’ve discussed, I’m sure at least one or two will perfectly suit your requirements.

Remember: the key is to never put all your eggs in one basket and diversify your lead sources.

From my personal experience, cold emailing is a highly effective lead source. It lets your prospects encounter your business at their convenience through a personalized pitch that empathizes with their pain points.

And with a reliable cold email platform, you can scale your efforts to reach as many prospects as you need!

So, if you need a high-ROI lead source, why not give cold emails a shot…

Lead Sources: FAQs

1. What are the best Lead Sources to grow a B2B enterprise?

The best lead sources for growing a B2B enterprise are cold email campaigns, LinkedIn, and customer referrals. All three sources help your prospects learn about your enterprise and its services as naturally as possible.

2. What is the fastest way to generate leads?

The fastest way to generate leads is to launch cold email campaigns, connect with prospects via LinkedIn, and attend offline industry events. You can also try asking an AI assistant to generate a list of leads based on a specific ICP or criteria.

3. What is the best type of sales lead?

A Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) is the best type of sales lead. An SQL is brought in through marketing efforts, meaning the lead is primed to buy your product or service. A lead is an SQL if they require your product and have shown interest in working with your brand.

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