Should You Focus on Search or Social for Leads?
"This SEO strategy in 2025 gives you a balanced approach for Coaches and Content Creators" - Amanda
TL;DR
- Over 40% of one creator's monthly revenue now comes from organic search
- Social media burnout sparked a strategic shift to evergreen lead generation
- Coaches and content creators scaling beyond social can use a hybrid model to generate leads
What Is Lead Generation?
Lead generation is the process of attracting and converting potential customers into paying customers through strategic marketing efforts. For content creators and coaches, an effective lead generation strategy blends valuable content, search engine optimization (SEO...which includes AI visibility in 2025), and social media platforms to meet your target audience where they are.
Generating leads isn't just about traffic... it's about attracting the right audience and guiding them through a lead generation funnel that turns curiosity into commitment.
Comparing Generation Strategies: Search vs Social
There are many generation strategies, content marketing, SEO, and social media marketing, but each has pros and cons. Social media can create viral visibility, while search engines provide consistent, qualified leads over time.
Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn allow for quick bursts of engagement and community interaction. They excel at helping you test messages, show up in real-time, and connect emotionally with your target audience.
But here's the downside:
the visibility is fleeting. Once the post is out of sight, it's often out of mind. Algorithms change. Engagement fluctuates. You’re always chasing the next hit.
On the other hand, search engine optimization helps you create evergreen assets. A single blog post or landing page optimized for the right keywords can generate leads for months or even years. SEO content compounds. It allows creators to attract leads while sleeping, not scrolling.
A well-rounded lead gen approach starts by understanding your target audience's pain points and using both inbound marketing and traditional search engines to address them with valuable content. By combining the real-time interaction of social with the long-term visibility of search, you build a sustainable lead generation strategy that works both now and later.
Content Marketing: Your Lead Generation Foundation
Content marketing remains one of the most powerful lead generation tools for creators scaling beyond social.
Whether it’s blog posts, podcasts, or video, content helps you:
- Establish authority
- Build trust
- Generate qualified leads from both search and social media channels
Content is the bridge between what your audience is searching for and the solutions you offer. It allows you to show up in both social media feeds and search engines, creating multiple touchpoints that reinforce your expertise.
A great content marketing strategy aligns with every stage of the buyer's journey: from awareness to decision.
When done well, content doesn’t just attract website visitors... it converts them into paying customers. The key is to create valuable content that addresses your target audience’s pain points while naturally leading them toward your offers.
Use your blog to target long-tail keywords. Use video and podcast content to deepen trust. Repurpose your high-performing content across multiple social media platforms to increase reach without reinventing the wheel.
The goal? Create a content marketing strategy that fuels your website with organic traffic and supports your social media marketing campaigns. When combined with SEO and strong calls-to-action, your content becomes your most reliable lead generation engine.
How to Convert Leads into Paying Customers
The marketing and sales teams must align to move leads from awareness to decision.
This conversion process includes:
- Offering lead magnets and a compelling free tool
- Using a sales funnel with personalized touchpoints
- Providing relevant content that addresses common pain points
But those are just the basics. Real lead conversion happens when your process is intentionally mapped to your customer's journey. That means understanding their objections, answering their questions before they ask, and delivering the right offer at the right time.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Send segmented email sequences that speak directly to their interests and behaviors
- Create discovery call frameworks that focus on their pain points, not your product
- Strong follow-up with leads who didn’t convert the first time
- Provide social proof through testimonials, case studies, and client wins that reflect their goals
Whether it’s email sequences, discovery calls, or product demos, the secret to converting leads is consistent value and genuine relationships. It's not about closing the sale, it's about solving the problem better than anyone else.
Using Social Media to Generate and Nurture Leads
Social media advertising and organic posts remain powerful ways to generate leads. But the key is consistency and community-building, not chasing trends.
Use social media platforms to:
- Share valuable content that educates, entertains, or solves a problem
- Drive traffic to your site or lead capture pages
- Promote lead generation campaigns, such as free tools or webinars
Success on social media comes from showing up with intention. That means creating content that aligns with your brand voice, speaks to your ideal customers, and provides authentic value. Avoid posting for the sake of visibility. Instead, aim for connection, engagement, and trust-building.
Leverage social media stories, live sessions, and interactive content like polls or Q&As to deepen engagement and stay top-of-mind. Repost testimonials and client wins to add social proof to your lead gen campaigns.
Make sure to use social media analytics to track which lead generation efforts are actually driving conversions. Monitor metrics like click-through rates, lead magnet downloads, and form submissions to evaluate what's working and refine your strategy accordingly.
Best Practices to Capture Leads
To capture leads effectively, make your offer clear. A high-converting landing page or social post should:
- Speak to your ideal client avatar (ICA) with copy that reflects their language
- Address their pain points with a solution-oriented messaging
- Include a strong call-to-action that creates urgency
Every part of the user journey matters. Your headline should stop the scroll, your body copy should reinforce value, and your form should be simple and friction-free. Use visual hierarchy to guide attention, bold the benefits, use bullet points, and contrasting buttons.
Whether you're offering a free tool, lead magnet, or event registration, the structure matters. Test different versions of your lead capture pages to see which converts best. Small changes like tweaking the headline, shortening the form, or adding testimonials can lead to significant improvements.
Don't forget to set up proper tracking so you know exactly which sources and offers are bringing in valuable leads.
The Role of SEO in Scaling Beyond Social
Search engine optimization increases your visibility in Google and AI search. It plays a vital role in:
- Attracting organic traffic
- Generating qualified leads
- Supporting your lead generation strategy long-term
Unlike social media posts that quickly disappear from feeds, SEO content builds equity over time. When your website ranks for the keywords your audience is searching for, you create a predictable flow of potential leads without needing to publish constantly.
This matters even more for coaches and content creators who are shifting away from social-first growth.
A strong SEO presence allows you to:
- Rank for pain point-specific searches like "how to scale a coaching business" or "get coaching clients without social media"
- Show up in AI-generated answers, which increasingly favor structured, well-optimized content
- Generate traffic while you're offline, instead of having to feed the algorithm daily
A solid SEO plan includes keyword research, on-page optimization, internal linking, and backlink building. When combined with GSO strategies for AI search visibility, SEO becomes your long-term engine for lead generation and authority-building.
Most importantly, it creates sustainable visibility so you're not reliant on social media algorithms.
Offer a Free Tool That Converts
One of the best ways to turn website visitors into potential leads is by offering a free tool that solves a specific problem.
This could be:
- A quiz that helps users identify a pain point or solution pathway
- A mini-course that provides a quick win and showcases your teaching style
- A checklist that simplifies a complex process and gets them moving forward
These free tools should be aligned with your paid offerings and serve as the first step in your lead generation funnel. They act as both a trust-builder and a lead qualifier, allowing you to segment and nurture your audience based on interests and needs.
Use clear headlines, benefit-driven copy, and a frictionless signup process. Highlight what the user will get out of the tool and why it matters. If possible, show a preview of the tool or include a testimonial from someone who used it.
The goal is to provide immediate value while guiding them into your lead generation funnel. When executed well, a strategic free tool not only captures leads but primes them for conversion.
Lead Conversion Strategy: From Cold to Closed
Lead conversion starts with understanding intent. Whether it's a marketing-qualified lead or a sales-qualified lead, your goal is to provide value every step of the way.
That means:
- Mapping the customer journey to understand how your leads move from awareness to decision
- Addressing pain points with relevant content tailored to where they are in the funnel
- Prioritizing leads based on behavior, such as clicks, downloads, or webinar attendance
A successful lead conversion strategy should blend personalization with automation. Use lead nurturing email sequences to deliver the right content at the right time. Build dynamic landing pages that speak to specific personas or pain points. Integrate your CRM with tracking tools to monitor engagement and adjust your messaging accordingly.
The right lead scoring system can also help your sales team focus on those most likely to buy. Assign scores based on actions (like visiting your pricing page or downloading a high-intent asset) and demographics (such as job title or company size). Then, based on those scores, trigger next steps, like a discovery call invite or a retargeting ad.
Ultimately, conversion isn't about pressure...it's about solving someone's problem. When your lead feels understood, supported, and confident that you can solve their problem, the close becomes a natural next step.
Build a Lead Generation Funnel That Works
A lead generation funnel moves potential customers from awareness to action. Key components include:
1. Awareness (social media marketing, SEO, content): At this stage, the goal is visibility. Use educational blog posts, engaging videos, or social media reels to introduce your brand and value proposition. It's not about selling, it's about showing up where your potential customers are and addressing their top-level questions.
2. Consideration (lead magnets, webinars, case studies): Now that they know who you are, it's time to build trust. Offer lead magnets that solve specific pain points, host webinars that deliver quick wins, and share case studies that show real results. This phase is all about nurturing interest and proving credibility.
3. Conversion (sales calls, demos, offers): In the final phase, you're turning intent into action. This could involve a discovery call, a personalized audit, or a limited-time offer that nudges the lead to say yes. Your CTA should be crystal clear, your offer compelling, and your follow-up tight.
Tailor your funnel to your audience’s behaviors and needs. Use data analytics to optimize each step. Track conversion rates between stages, identify where drop-offs occur, and run A/B tests to refine your copy, visuals, and calls-to-action.
The best funnels feel like a guided journey, not a hard sell. When done well, your funnel not only generates leads but also qualifies and converts them with minimal friction.
Use Social Media to Build Community and Loyalty
The most effective social media lead generation efforts focus on relationships, not reach. Use business accounts to create a trusted space where followers feel seen and heard.
- Share stories that address the target audience’s pain points. Stories foster emotional connection and allow your audience to see themselves in your journey. Whether it's a client win or your own behind-the-scenes moment, authenticity builds trust.
- Engage through comments, DMs, and live sessions. Direct interactions show your audience that you're accessible and invested in their success. Real-time engagement can be more powerful than any pre-recorded video.
- Position yourself as a guide, not just a content machine. Your role is to help your audience solve problems, not overwhelm them with more social media chaos. Offer solutions, frameworks, and encouragement that help them move forward.
Use social media to build a feedback loop. Ask questions, run polls, and use the answers to refine your content and offers. Recognize your most active followers, shout out community wins, and make space for user-generated content.
When people feel like they’re part of something, not just consuming something, they stay longer, engage deeper, and convert faster.
Community converts... not just content.
Final Takeaway: Scale Beyond Social with Search-Backed Systems
For coaches and content creators, the question isn’t "Should you focus on search or social for leads?" It’s how to balance both in a way that builds a trustworthy business.
At the start of this blog, we shared how one of our clients moved from content burnout on LinkedIn to generating over 40% of their leads through organic search. They didn’t just escape the algorithm, they built a lead engine that runs even when they're offline.
That shift wasn’t magic. It was method. It was structure. It was belief in long-term results over short-term dopamine.
You don’t need to abandon social media; you just need to stop depending on it.
That change can also be magical. It can shift your perspective on social media channels and create more focus on building relationships through social media, which in turn leads to more leads.
If you’re feeling stuck in the content churn, if you’re constantly refreshing for likes but craving lasting impact, this is your sign for change.
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