Unqualified Leads - B2B & High-Ticket B2C Marketing

In this shorter episode of Unqualified Leads, Harry and Dan break down Google Ads AI Max — what it is, how it works, and the real-world results (good and bad) from live experiments.AI Max isn’t a new campaign type, it’s a layer you can add to existing Search campaigns that expands matching, dynamically optimises assets, and can even choose different final URLs based on intent. When it works, it can unlock major performance gains. When it doesn’t, it can burn budget fast with irrelevant queries.We cover:What AI Max actually changes (matching, assets, URL expansion)When it tends to work (B2C, mass-appeal search pools) vs fail (tight B2B intent)How to run a proper Google Ads experiment (instead of duplicating campaigns)Real results from tests: +40% to +125% conversions with -28% to -57% CPA, plus examples where it tankedThe biggest practical downside: negative keyword workload and query controlWhy you shouldn’t use AI Max on brand campaignsIf you’re considering AI Max, this episode gives you the criteria, guardrails, and testing approach to decide whether it’s worth it in your account.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we break down why server-side tracking is now non-negotiable for paid media teams.If you are still relying on pixel-only tracking, you are losing conversion data, weakening algorithm optimisation, and making your campaigns perform worse than they should.We cover:The difference between browser tracking and server-side trackingHow Conversion API works for Meta and LinkedInWhy Enhanced Conversions in Google Ads matterHow to implement offline conversion tracking from your CRMHow to use value-based bidding with SQL and revenue dataWhat to check inside Meta Events ManagerWorkarounds for restricted industries like finance and medicalThis episode is a practical breakdown of how to build a proper tracking foundation so your ad platforms receive cleaner data, optimise more effectively, and improve overall efficiency.If you run paid ads and have not audited your server-side setup, this is essential listening.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we break down why chasing lead volume in B2C often creates more problems than growth.We dig into how high lead volume quietly destroys sales efficiency, where poor qualification actually happens inside the funnel, and how marketers can take responsibility for protecting sales time rather than overwhelming it.You’ll learn how to diagnose lead quality issues using real funnel metrics, how to pre qualify leads through creative, forms, and landing pages, and how to design systems that filter intent before leads ever reach sales. We also cover practical tactics like pricing callouts, exclusion based messaging, instant forms, conditional logic, WhatsApp flows, and landing page structure that actually improves close rates.This episode is for B2C teams who want fewer wasted calls, better conversations, and a funnel that prioritises quality over noise.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we switch things up and walk through a real client case study: a B2B Company doing £10-20m ARR, operating globally, but with one major catch: they had never run paid media before.We break down how we approached a zero-history ad account, how we handled multiple products with multiple ICPs across broad geographies, and why we deliberately went broader than we normally would in the early stages to learn what the market responded to.You will hear the exact plays that moved the needle, including the measurement foundations, how we tracked a large number of conversion actions without losing clarity, and howwebsite conversion campaigns underperformed, while LinkedIn Instant Forms consistently delivered for webinars, gated agendas, and document ads.We also cover how events fit into the funnel, how employee thought leader content was turned into high-intent SQL demand, and how retargeting with LinkedIn message ads helped book meetings in specific verticals. Finally, we share the simple paid search structure used to capture existing demand/The result: just under £400,000 in pipeline generated in four months, starting from scratch and on relatively low spend, with a strategy tailored to how this market actually buys.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we go deep on signals and why they have become critical in modern B2B and high-ticket B2C go-to-market strategies. As buying journeys lengthen and buyers self-educate long before speaking to sales, signals help teams understand what is actually working long before revenue appears.We break down what a signal really is, how signals differ from outcomes, and why they should be treated as indicators rather than guarantees. From early-stage awareness signals through to mid and lower funnel signals, we explain how to measure intent without forcing leads too early.We also cover how signals should be used in practice, including validating long-term demand generation, improving retargeting, informing SDR timing, and identifying patterns that lead to higher ACV deals or faster pipeline movement. For enterprise and ABM teams, we discuss account-level signals such as stakeholder depth, named account visits, and multi-signal sequencing. Finally, we explain how to combine signal tracking with sales feedback and self-reported attribution to tell a clearer story about marketing performance in long sales cycles.This episode is a practical framework for using first-party signals to align marketing with how people actually buy.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we continue the ABM series with ABM Part 2, focusing on what happens after you have built the foundations. This episode is about execution and how to turn target accounts into real conversations.We break down how to warm up priority accounts using LinkedIn as a strategic channel, not just a place to post. You will learn how consistent value-led content and thoughtful engagement builds familiarity, credibility, and relevance across buying committees, so outbound does not feel like a cold interruption. We also cover the importance of optimising personal profiles as the first landing page, how to use stakeholder mapping and account dossiers for one-to-one and one-to-few plays, and what early success signals to track, including profile views, site activity from target accounts, and engagement patterns.Finally, we discuss where paid fits into ABM and what it is actually for. Paid ads in ABM are there to reinforce narrative and credibility, support multithreading, and keep you top of mind, not to force direct conversions. We also share practical guardrails, including keeping messaging consistent and excluding ABM accounts from generic demand campaigns.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we kick off a 2026 ABM series by getting brutally clear on what ABM actually is and what it definitely isn’t. ABM isn’t “targeted LinkedIn ads to a list” or “personalised outbound at scale”. It’s a company-wide revenue system where accounts (not leads) are the unit of planning, execution, and measurement, and success is defined by account-level pipeline.We cover why ABM is becoming more important as B2B buying committees grow, sales cycles lengthen, and lead-based systems break down. Then we go deep on the most important part of ABM: building your target account lists. You’ll learn how to define a strict ICP gate (built to exclude, not include), how to structure tiers (one-to-many, one-to-few, one-to-one), and how to score accounts across firmographic fit, technographic fit, contextual triggers, and commercial viability, plus the hard-stop exclusion rules that prevent wasted sales capacity.We also touch on governance: why ABM fails without sales and marketing alignment, how to avoid pet accounts ruining the list, and why a clean CRM account structure is non-negotiable. This is the foundation episode. Next we’ll get into the marketing execution: paid and organic plays, sequencing, retargeting, outbound integration, and how to orchestrate ABM across channels.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we break down incrementality testing — what it is, how it works, and when B2B teams should (and shouldn’t) use it. While attribution shows where conversions come from, it often fails to show what actually caused them. Incrementality testing fills that gap by measuring true cause and effect.We explain the core differences between attribution, incrementality testing, and marketing mix models, and why correlation alone can lead to poor budget decisions. You’ll learn how control groups and holdouts work, what sample size and spend levels are required, and why timing and organisational buy-in matter just as much as the data itself.We also cover real-world scenarios where incrementality testing becomes essential — rising CAC, overlapping channels, brand and retargeting over-credit, and leadership pressure to justify spend. Finally, we outline the practical prerequisites, common pitfalls, and how modern teams can run incrementality tests without massive data science resources.If you’re making high-stakes marketing decisions and want confidence that your spend is truly driving incremental revenue, this episode is essential listening.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we break down a problem almost every B2B team faces but rarely talks about: the attribution trap. It’s the illusion of accuracy that convinces marketers that the numbers in their dashboards are absolute truth — when in reality, they only reflect the tiny slice of activity that’s actually measurable.We explore why attribution over-credits bottom-of-funnel channels, under-credits everything that happens upstream, and leads marketers to double-down on what looks good in reports rather than what genuinely drives demand. From boards demanding predictable revenue to the comfort of clean charts over messy reality, we dig into the human bias that pushes teams toward false precision.You’ll hear real examples of how over-relying on last-click, platform data, or even sophisticated attribution tools can distort decisions, starve top-of-funnel programs, and ultimately damage long-term growth. We also discuss why dark social, brand, and organic efforts rarely show up in attribution — and how that creates systemic underinvestment in the areas that actually move the needle.If you want to understand the limits of attribution, where it misleads, and how to make smarter, more holistic decisions, this episode is essential listening.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we unpack how to make organic social a core part of your go-to-market strategy, not an afterthought. We break down why most B2B brands neglect organic, how buyer behaviour has shifted, and why consistent content across LinkedIn (and, where relevant, YouTube, TikTok, and Meta) is now essential for awareness, trust, and authority.We Break Down:Why organic social is one of the most underused yet powerful GTM levers in B2BHow consistent posting builds credibility, creates compounding reach, and lowers dependency on paid spendWhy employee-led content outperforms company pages, and how to empower your team to post with confidenceHow to optimise personal and company profiles for visibility and trustThe “Organic-to-Paid Flywheel” - using high-performing organic posts to guide and fuel your paid campaignsPacked with real-world examples and practical takeaways, this episode shows how to build a scalable, trust-led content engine that strengthens brand visibility, improves pipeline quality, and amplifies every other marketing channel you run.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

A practical deep dive into UTM parameters and attribution that actually works. Learn how to implement session-based UTM tracking, set up hidden fields and workflows for first/last touch, backfill legacy records, and standardise UTMs and naming conventions across LinkedIn, Meta, and Google Ads.We show how to map UTMs from contacts to deals, build useful CRM dashboards, and pair machine-reported data with self-reported attribution to capture dark social. Including a real example where SRA revealed paid social as the true driver behind “organic/direct” deals.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

Part 3 of the Meta series dives into the hands-on playbook for profitable B2B and high-ticket B2C lead gen on Meta. We break down how to structure creative tests (ABO vs CBO vs cost caps), what to test (angles, hooks, thumbnails, formats), and exactly how to graduate winners into evergreen without losing social proof.You’ll learn the must-track metrics inside Ads Manager and beyond—custom hook rate, hold rate, landing page view rate, link CTR, frequency controls—plus off-platform quality checks in GA4 (engagement rate, key event rate) and how to calculate the “go-to-Google” rate to see dark search lift from paid social.We also cover conversion tracking: consistent UTM standards, Pixel + Conversions API (CAPI) with proper deduping, real-time event enrichment, and offline conversions (meetings, SQOs, revenue) to train the algorithm on outcomes that matter. Rounding it out: using post IDs to carry over engagement, daily community management to protect CTR, and Partnership (whitelisting) ads with creators/industry voices to boost trust and performance.If you’re ready to turn Meta into a predictable pipeline channel in 2025, this episode gives you the frameworks, metrics, and tracking setup to do it.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In Part 2 of our Meta Ads deep dive, we go beyond audience targeting and creative placements to break down the nuts and bolts of running high-performing campaigns in 2025.We cover:Campaign Objectives: awareness, traffic, engagement, leads, app promotion, sales, and when each actually makes senseProspecting vs Retargeting: budget split best practices and how to stay flexible with smaller post-iOS14 poolsBudget settings: CBO vs ABO, when to let Meta’s algorithm optimise spend and when to keep tighter controlAccount structure: why consolidation beats over-segmentation, when to split campaigns, and how to keep accounts cleanAd set logic: testing audiences vs creatives, emotional triggers, hooks, pain points and formatsNaming conventions: why a consistent taxonomy matters for scaling, reporting and CRM integrationHosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

Meta (Facebook & Instagram) isn’t just for D2C, it can be a high-ROI channel for B2B and high-ticket lead gen when used correctly. In Part 1 of our three-part deep dive, we break down the biggest misconceptions and show how to make Meta work:Why Meta is undervalued in B2B and when it outperforms LinkedIn on unit economicsCreative-led targeting: calling out the ICP and pain points beats job-title/interest hacksAudience setup that actually works: broad/Advantage+, lookalikes (when they make sense), and the limits of CRM lists with work emailsRetargeting that matters: video-view audiences, website/social engagers, proper exclusions, and simple sequencing windowsPlacements: what to switch off (e.g. Audience Network), how to test Advantage+ vs manual, and when Instagram outperforms FacebookSettings to watch: AI “enhancements” and site links, when to disable, when to testPlaybooks evolve fast on Meta; this reflects what’s working now and what’s likely to carry into 2026.Part 2 will see us discuss: campaign objectives, budget strategy (CBO vs ABO), account structure, creative testing, and conversion tracking.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we go deeper into why B2B marketing can’t just be about chasing MQLs and capturing demand. Backed by fresh studies from Forrester, Bain, Google, 6sense and Green Hat, we break down how today’s buyers behave: 70%+ of the journey is complete before they ever speak to sales, and most already have a shortlist of three vendors in mind.We talk through what this shift means for marketing strategy, budget splits and campaign choices. We explore why demand capture alone (Google Ads, lead gen forms, gated ebooks) caps growth, and why demand generation, brand storytelling, founder-led content, educating before the search, is now the lever that creates scalable pipeline.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

In this episode of Unqualified Leads, we explain why we’ve stopped chasing MQL volume and how we’re shifting to a modern revenue playbook. We walk through where MQL → SQL made sense, why it breaks in 2025, and what we’re doing instead: ungated education, demand creation, and measurement that reflects how people actually buy.We talk dark social, self-serve research, brand vs demand capture, and how we align with sales around SQLs, pipeline and Closed Won.We share practical ways we track progress, share of search, engagement signals, self-reported attribution, and how we bring stakeholders with us during the transition.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/

Episode 001 is our origin story. We’re Harry and Daniel Hughes, two brothers from London who’ve spent the last decade deep in the world of lead generation, paid media and demand creation. From bootstrapping our first marketplace startup to running multi-million-pound campaigns across B2B and D2C, we’ve seen both the highs and the hard lessons of performance marketing.This episode sets the stage for Unqualified Leads. We share why we’ve launched the podcast, the gaps we see in today’s marketing conversations, and what listeners can expect as the series unfolds. You’ll hear the differences in how we approach growth, one of us leaning towards the creative and branding side, the other obsessed with data, operations and clean attribution, and how those perspectives combine to shape how we run campaigns today.But more importantly, we outline what this show is really about: cutting through the noise and replacing buzzwords with practical, real-world experience. No gatekeeping, no theory for theory’s sake. Just transparent discussions about what works, what doesn’t, and how to move from “leads” to actual revenue.If you’re a founder, marketer or agency leader tired of cookie-cutter playbooks and generic advice, this is the starting point. Welcome to Unqualified Leads.Hosts:Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/