What is MQL and how to calculate it?

Home

KPI examples

MQL

What is a MQL?

Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) is a metric that identifies potential customers more likely to become paying customers based on their interactions with marketing efforts. It calculates the number of leads that meet specific criteria, indicating their readiness to engage with the sales team. MQL helps focus efforts on leads with the highest probability of conversion, thus optimizing resources and maximizing ROI. By analyzing MQL data, you can gain insights into the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns, understand customer behavior patterns, and tailor strategies to target and attract qualified leads more efficiently. Optimization of the MQL metric involves refining lead scoring criteria, aligning marketing and sales efforts, and implementing personalized nurturing campaigns to guide leads through the sales funnel. Ultimately, mastering MQL leads to higher conversion rates, increased sales revenue, and enhanced overall marketing performance.

How to calculate MQL?

Calculate MQL by assigning points to leads based on predefined criteria like demographics, engagement level, and interaction history. Leads surpassing a set threshold are deemed marketing qualified.

MQL Count / Total Leads

What is bad MQL?

A bad MQL metric indicates poor lead quality or misalignment with sales objectives. Factors defining its inadequacy include low conversion rates, lack of engagement, or inconsistency in lead qualification criteria. In B2B SaaS, a low MQL to SQL conversion rate might fall below 10%, while in e-commerce, a conversion rate below 1% could signal ineffectiveness. However, benchmarks vary widely by industry, and what constitutes a "bad" metric should be assessed within the specific context of each business and its objectives.

What is good MQL?

A good MQL metric varies by industry but generally signifies a healthy balance between lead quantity and quality. Factors defining this include alignment with sales goals, high conversion rates, and consistent lead engagement. Benchmarks vary: B2B SaaS often aims for a 20-40% MQL to SQL conversion rate, while e-commerce might target 2-4% conversion from MQL to purchase. However, these figures are industry-specific and should be contextualized within individual business strategies and market conditions.

Our key templates to track MQL

All-in-one marketing dashboard in Looker Studio

Monitor all your marketing channels with an all-in-one dashboard providing performance overviews of web analytics, ad campaigns, SEO, social media, and emails.

All-in-one social media analytics dashboard in Looker Studio

Get an overview of your social media analytics on one dashboard that collects data from Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and GA4

Flex Hard: Your PPC 2024 Wrapped - dashboard in Looker Studio

This dashboard is a one-time checker for vanity metrics such as ad spend, impressions and clicks generated, CTR, and CPC for the whole 2024.

See all dashboards

How to improve MQL?

Refine Lead Qualification Criteria

Optimize MQL by fine-tuning qualification criteria based on past conversion data and buyer personas. This ensures better alignment between marketing and sales teams, leading to higher-quality leads and improved conversion rates.

Implement Targeted Nurturing Campaigns

Develop personalized nurturing strategies to engage MQLs effectively throughout the buyer's journey. Tailored content and communication help build trust, address pain points, and guide leads toward conversion, resulting in increased MQL-to-SQL conversion rates.

Analyze and Iterate

Continuously analyze MQL data to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement. Use insights to iterate on lead scoring models, campaign strategies, and messaging tactics, optimizing MQL performance over time and driving better results for the business.