From E-Com to Lead Gen: How to generate highly qualified inquiries with Launches & Creatives

Highly qualified leads 2025: Why generic funnels no longer work

Lead generation has never been more challenging — or more exciting. While in the past, a few well-placed ads and a simple funnel were enough to collect leads, today target groups tick differently. They are more informed, more critical and expect real added value. So anyone who still works with generic one-size-fits-all funnels in 2025 is wasting potential.

The good news: Anyone who is willing to invest time in strategy, understanding and clean processes has the opportunity to scale more sustainably and profitably than ever before.

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Listen to the podcast episode with Marcel Lechner here, in line with the article:

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Why a classic E-Commerce mindset often doesn't work out in lead gen

A lot of things happen impulsively in e-commerce: seen an ad, bought, done. Lead generation — especially for high-priced products or products that require explanation — involves bigger decisions. That means longer journeys, more trust, more touchpoints.

The challenge: Many are still trying to transfer E-Com principles 1:1 to lead campaigns. That rarely works. If you want really good leads, you have to play the game differently.

Launch campaigns: build trust instead of selling directly

What works better in Leadgen than classic funnels? Strategically designed launch campaigns.

The focus here is not on direct conclusion, but on storytelling, timing and trust. Communication takes several weeks — with ads, landing pages, emails, perhaps even WhatsApp. Users are informed, picked up and supported in their decision-making process — not pushed. It is precisely this long-term development that makes the difference.

Creative Strategy for Leads: More Relevance, Less Push

Simply attracting attention is not enough. Creatives in the lead gen sector must clearly show that we understand your problem — and have the right solution.

What works well:

• educational content that provides real added value
• authentic testimonials that build trust
• clear, empathic communication that doesn't “sell” but convinces

Depending on the funnel level, different content is required: from awareness to the final conversion touchpoint.

Testing: Clear focus instead of copy-paste variants

The same applies to lead gen: Whoever tests wins. But not blindly.

Instead of 20 variations without a plan, it's about targeted hypotheses: e.g. how hooks, visuals, or messaging affect lead quality. Important: It's not just clicks that count — but also what happens afterwards. Call rates, closing rates, deal sizes — these KPIs should be considered in every funnel.

WhatsApp + email: It's the right mix that counts

WhatsApp is fast, direct, personal. Email is informative, detailed, established. Both channels have their strengths, and the key is to combine them smartly.

The mistake: simply sending the same message twice. What works better: Email for content delivery, WhatsApp for targeted follow-ups or reminders. Used correctly, both formats can massively shorten the journey and significantly increase conversion.

Lead Gen in 2025 is different — and that's a good thing

Anyone who still works with generic funnels will have a hard time. But: Anyone who really understands target groups, builds trust and combines creative strategies with clear data has understood the game.

Lead generation is no longer a sprint. It is a smart marathon with a better understanding of target groups, well-thought-out storytelling and scalable processes.

How DatAds helps you reach your full potential

If Leadgen has to be thought of in a multi-stage, creative and data-based way, you also need the right tools. DatAds helps you to identify exactly which creatives really work at which funnel stage — on Meta, YouTube, TikTok & Co.

With clear visualizations, AI-powered recommendations, and measurable creative tests, you finally get the overview you need to systematically get more out of your campaigns — without getting lost in Ads Manager.