what is mql in marketing

A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is a lead who has indicated interest in what a brand has to offer based on marketing efforts or is otherwise more likely to become a customer than other leads. MQLs are prospects who have shown interest and engagement with a companys marketing initiatives. They are website visitors whose engagement levels indicate they are likely to become a customer. MQLs are judged to be interested in a companys products and/or services, and they may be open to more. The qualification process for an MQL is based on criteria such as which web pages were visited, content offers were downloaded, CTAs were clicked, and social posts were interacted with. MQLs are promising leads who are curious and considering a company, but they haven’t quite made the step into a sales conversation yet. They require additional nurturing before they can be passed on to the sales team. MQLs are typically defined by meeting specific demographics, online behavior, and content engagement criteria. Once marketing has identified MQLs for a business, they can send them along to the sales team.