Summary: how do you generate more leads?
Lead generation works with a strong offer, the right channel, a landing page that converts, good measurement and fast follow-up. On Facebook a lead costs €8.50 on average and on LinkedIn €75. For our clients we saw €5.89 per lead (CrossFit Amsterdam) and a drop from €55 to €9 per lead (CrossFit Climbers Cabin). In our research into the Google top 10 for “leads genereren” (generating leads), 8 of the 9 pages gave tips, but only 1 said what a lead costs. At Game-changers we build lead campaigns from €500 per month excl. VAT.
- Cost per lead: Facebook €8.50 on average, TikTok €3 to €40 by industry, LinkedIn €75 on average.
- Our clients: CrossFit Amsterdam €5.89, Fysio aan Huis €8.70 and CrossFit Climbers Cabin €9 per lead.
- Follow up fast: Companies that respond within an hour are nearly 7 times more likely to have a qualifying conversation (Harvard Business Review).
- Our advice: First calculate what a lead may cost, then measure everything up to the customer.
What is a lead, and what may a lead cost?
A lead is someone who leaves their details because they are interested: a quote request, a trial class, a call booking or a download. According to Ahrefs, Dutch people search 500 times a month for “leads genereren” and 1,200 times for “leadgeneratie”. The question almost nobody asks: what may a lead cost? You work that out backwards from your customer.
1. What does a customer bring in?
Take the margin on a customer, not the revenue. For example €1,000.
2. How many leads become customers?
For example 1 in 5.
3. Work it out
€1,000 divided by 5 is €200. Up to €200 per lead you make money. If a lead costs €20, you keep €900 per customer.
What does a lead cost per channel?
The averages below come from the Dutch cost overviews by Searchlab for Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn (March 2026). Next to them are the results of our own clients.
An expensive lead is not always bad. On LinkedIn a lead costs €75 on average, but if one business client is worth €20,000, that is cheap. Read more about choosing a platform in social media advertising: which platform fits you, and about Google in Google Ads costs.
Our research: what the top 10 for lead generation does not tell you
On 9 November 2026 we read the 9 articles in the Dutch Google top 10 for “leads genereren” (we did not count one LinkedIn post). For each page we checked what it covers. We do not name the pages.
- Everyone gives tips, almost nobody calculates: Eight pages are a list of tips, but only one says what a lead costs. Without that number you do not know whether your campaign makes money.
- Proof is missing: Three of the nine show a client result with a number. The rest stays with general advice.
- Much is outdated: Four pages are older than two years. Ad platforms and privacy rules have changed a lot since then.
Our approach: generating leads in 5 steps
1. An offer people respond to
A free trial class, a free check or a clear price indication. For Total Move we got 221 leads in the best month with a trial offer and local campaigns.
2. The channel where your customer is
People who are already searching you reach via Google Ads. People who are not searching yet via social media advertising. Often the combination works best.
3. A landing page that converts
One page per offer, with the promise from the ad, proof and a short form. Use our landing page checklist.
4. Measure everything, up to the customer
With server-side tracking and Meta’s Conversions API requests also come in when cookies are declined. See data and tracking.
5. Follow up fast
Call or message within an hour. A lead that has to wait for hours often chooses someone else.
Why fast follow-up delivers the most
Researchers from Harvard Business Review sent requests to 2,241 US companies. Companies that responded within an hour were nearly 7 times more likely to have a qualifying conversation with a decision maker than companies that responded an hour later. On average a response took 42 hours. The study dates from 2011, but we see the same with our clients: the faster the follow-up, the lower the cost per customer.
“Most leads are not lost in the ad, but afterwards. A request that is only called back after two days has often already gone elsewhere. That is why we also look at the follow-up for every client: who calls, how quickly, and does the outcome flow back into the ads.”
What lead generation delivered for our clients
Three clients, three channels. The figures are also on our Google Search Advertising and social media advertising pages.
- CrossFit Climbers Cabin: Cost per lead fell from €55 to €9 with Google Ads, and the box was fully booked within four months.
- Fysio aan Huis: €8.70 per patient request via social media, and a full local patient base in a new region within 6 weeks.
- BodyBalancer: 12 qualified practice owners per month via Meta, worth €720,000 in potential client value per month.
What does lead generation cost at Game-changers?
At Game-changers you can start a Google Ads or social media advertising partnership from €500 per month excl. VAT. You pay the ad budget directly to Google, Meta, TikTok or LinkedIn. Do you work in an industry such as real estate, SaaS or local services? Also see local businesses.
- Free introduction: A 30-minute conversation about your offer and your customer.
- Free analysis: We review your ads, landing pages, measurement and follow-up, and you get an action plan.
- No set-up fee: You pay no one-off costs to get started. Request a free analysis.
- Senior point of contact: Always a senior partner or the founder.
- Your accounts and data: Ad accounts, pixels and leads stay yours.
Source for market prices: Searchlab (March 2026). Want to know first what outsourcing social media costs? Read outsourcing social media: costs.
Frequently asked questions about lead generation
What does a lead cost?
On Facebook €8.50 on average, on LinkedIn €75 on average and on TikTok €2 to €40, depending on your industry. For our clients we saw €5.89 to €9 per lead.
How do I generate more leads quickly?
With an offer people respond to straight away, such as a free trial or check, and ads on Google or social media that lead to one clear landing page.
What is better for leads: Google Ads or social media?
Google Ads reaches people who are already searching, social media people who are not searching yet. For most businesses a combination works best.
What may a lead cost?
Work back from your margin. If a customer brings in €1,000 margin and 1 in 5 leads becomes a customer, a lead may cost up to €200.
How quickly should I follow up a lead?
Within an hour. According to Harvard Business Review, companies that respond within an hour are nearly 7 times more likely to have a qualifying conversation.
What does lead generation cost at Game-changers?
A partnership starts from €500 per month excl. VAT, with no set-up fee. You pay the ad budget directly to the platform.
What is lead generation?
Lead generation is the process of creating interest among potential customers and collecting their details so you can follow up. It can happen online through ads, your website and social media, or offline through trade fairs and networking. The goal is not as many names as possible, but requests that become customers.
What is a qualified lead?
A qualified lead is someone who fits your audience and is genuinely interested, for example by requesting a quote or a call. An e-book download is often still a cold lead. Quality matters more than quantity: ten good requests deliver more than a hundred loose email addresses.
How does online lead generation work?
You draw the right people to an offer, for example with Google Ads or social media ads. On a landing page they leave their details through a short form. Then you follow up the request quickly and measure which ad delivered the customer.
How do you approach B2B lead generation effectively?
Choose channels where you can target by job title and company, such as LinkedIn, and add Google Ads for people who are already searching. A B2B lead costs more, €75 on average on LinkedIn, but is often worth a lot. For BodyBalancer, Meta delivered 12 qualified practice owners per month.
What is the best tool for lead generation?
There is no single best tool. You need an ad platform (Google Ads, Meta or LinkedIn), a CRM to follow up requests and proper measurement with GA4 and server-side tracking. How to set that up is covered in our server-side tracking and GA4 checklist.
How can a gym generate more leads?
With a low-threshold offer, such as a free trial class, and local campaigns on Instagram, Facebook and Google. That is how we got Total Move 221 leads in the best month. At CrossFit Amsterdam a lead cost €5.89 on average, and at CrossFit Climbers Cabin it fell from €55 to €9.
Can you use AI for lead generation?
Yes, the ad platforms themselves already use algorithms to find the people most likely to respond. That only works well if you feed them reliable data about requests and customers. AI can also help with text variants, but always test what actually works.
How do I get customers without a big budget?
Start on one channel with a test budget of €300 to €1,500 per month and a clear offer. Measure every request and follow up within an hour. That is how Total Move got 221 leads in the best month, without a big ad budget.
Sources
Searchlab, Wat kost Facebook Ads in 2026? (Dutch)
17 March 2026
Searchlab, Wat kost TikTok adverteren in 2026? (Dutch)
17 March 2026
Searchlab, Wat kost LinkedIn adverteren? (Dutch)
17 March 2026
Harvard Business Review, The Short Life of Online Sales Leads
March 2011
viewed 9 November 2026
Meta, About the learning phase
viewed 9 November 2026
Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, Dutch search volume
9 November 2026
Over de auteur
About the author
Annefleur van Osta
Online marketing strateeg bij Game-changers. Schreef dit artikel en houdt de prijzen en bronnen actueel.
Online marketing strategist at Game-changers. Wrote this article and keeps the prices and sources up to date.
