Executive Summary
Treat a small lead generation budget as a test rather than a long-term commitment. Give each traffic channel a small share and one clear job. After two weeks you compare cost per qualified lead and put the next round of money where the number is lowest.
Define a Qualified Lead Before You Spend a Penny
A qualified lead fits the problem you solve and can afford your offer.
Write that definition on one line. Example: a service business with 5 or more staff that books a 15-minute call. Now every channel gets scored against the same bar.
During the test you track one number. Cost per qualified lead.
Cost per qualified lead = total channel spend / number of qualified leads
Keep this formula in front of you for the whole test.
The Test in Four Moves
Two weeks on one sheet of numbers. Here is the run order.
Move 1: Split the Budget by Job
Paid search reaches people already searching for what you sell. That intent is pricey but easy to measure. Social interrupts people who had no plan to buy today.
Then there is organic. It rarely pays out inside two weeks, so you fund it with effort and watch the trend line.
A £100 test might look like this:
- Paid search: £45, because intent buyers move fast.
- Social: £30, enough for one audience and one ad.
- Organic tools: £15, a writer hour or a scheduling app.
- Hold back: £10, reserved for the channel with an early pulse.
Move 2: Run Paid Search Like a Scientist
Pick one keyword group, not the whole category.
Write two ads with the same offer and different angles. Send both to one landing page. Log clicks and forms in a sheet from the first day.
Set a hard stop. When the £45 is gone and no qualified lead has arrived, you have your answer. Move on.
Move 3: Test One Social Channel
Broad social targeting eats a small budget in an afternoon. Pick a single platform. Build one audience that matches your qualified lead definition.
Run one ad with a clear offer and a small gate, such as a booked call or a paid sample. Then check how many of the leads were qualified. A cheap lead that never buys costs you twice.
Move 4: Fund Organic With Time
Organic traffic is slow to arrive. It is also the one channel that keeps working after the spend stops.
Do not buy traffic here during the test. Publish one useful page aimed at the exact phrase your buyers type. Measure impressions and first-touch leads.
In two weeks you will prove you can produce organic content on demand.
Read the Numbers on Day Fourteen
Put every channel on one line. Track spend, raw leads, qualified leads and cost per qualified lead.
| Channel | Spend | Qualified leads | Cost per qualified lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid search | £45 | 5 | £9 |
| Social | £30 | 2 | £15 |
| Organic | £15 | 0 | n/a |
| Total | £90 | 7 | £12.86 |
In this made-up run paid search wins at £9 per qualified lead. Organic shows nothing yet, which is normal at this stage.
Do not pour the whole next budget into the winner.
What to Do Next
Take the winning channel, double its slice and run the same test with the same qualified lead definition.
Keep a small budget live on your second-best channel too. The keyword that cost £9 today can cost £20 next month once a rival notices.
The One Thing to Do First
Before you spend anything, write your qualified lead definition on a single line. Without it you cannot tell a cheap lead from an expensive one and the test means nothing.
Read the full guide: Starting Lead Generation On a Small Budget: Field Notes From 100 Pounds of Testing