Where to Find Leads in Performance Marketing: 2025 Guide
Marketing
Maria Lychko
Senior Business Developer
Where can you find clients today? Which channels still deliver results — and which are effectively obsolete? These are the questions on the minds of business owners, team leads, and even recruiters during interviews. Identifying high-performing lead generation sources remains one of the most pressing challenges in performance marketing.
In my experience, personal connections consistently outperform all other channels — referrals, professional networking, and industry events are particularly effective. Below, I outline my subjective ranking of lead generation sources, from most to least impactful — with practical insights into how to activate each one.
In my experience, personal connections consistently outperform all other channels — referrals, professional networking, and industry events are particularly effective. Below, I outline my subjective ranking of lead generation sources, from most to least impactful — with practical insights into how to activate each one.
WORD-OF-MOUTH & PERSONAL BRANDING
If you're someone people enjoy working with — especially within high-performing teams — you will get recommended. You don’t need to pitch aggressively; staying visible and being genuinely helpful is often enough.
What works:
What works:
- Share real project stories, even if you're not the business owner — clients remember those who were hands-on.
- Maintain visibility: post regularly, share micro-analyses, and engage meaningfully with others’ content.
- A personal brand is the sum of your words and your actions.
Bonus: These leads typically come with a strong understanding of their needs and higher-than-average budgets.
NICHE COMMUNITIES
Slack groups for FinTech, Discord servers on AR/VR, iGaming circles, Telegram channels on user acquisition — all of these are vibrant and much less saturated than traditional platforms.
What works:
What works:
- Don’t start by selling — start by observing and contributing.
- Offer value: break down a campaign, help in the comments, or share relevant insights (without dropping your landing page).
- Over time, people will tag you in threads, DM you directly, or refer to you with: “This person really knows their stuff.”
OFFLINE CONFERENCES & NETWORKING EVENTS
Not scalable — but extremely high in quality. A single in-person conversation can build trust in ways that no cold email ever will.
What works:
What works:
- Prepare thoroughly: know who’s attending, who you want to meet, and what you want to discuss.
- Focus on memorability, not a hard sell — people connect with clarity and authenticity.
- Follow up within 24–48 hours: “We met at X. I’d love to explore Y with you.”
These events are great for securing high-value deals — no one signs off on €20K+ blindly, but post-meeting? Much more likely.
REFERRAL PROGRAMS & CLIENT SHARING WITH PARTNERS
A classic approach: if you have strong relationships with partner networks, dev studios, or creative agencies, you can exchange leads that don’t fit your current pipeline.
What works:
What works:
- Clear rules: no lead poaching, with transparent terms or a win-win structure.
- Direct intros like: “You should talk to this person — feel free to mention me” work far better than blind outreach.
Once a top-tier source — now oversaturated, with a lot of noise and fatigue. That said, it can still bring qualified leads if used strategically.
What works:
LinkedIn cold outreach may still work for targeted lead acquisition, but as a primary source — it's no longer reliable.
What works:
- Optimize your profile as a value-first mini landing page — highlight what you solve, for whom, and how.
- Don’t add everyone. Focus on your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile).
- Use soft intros: “I noticed you're working on…”, “We faced similar challenges…” — avoid aggressive pitches.
LinkedIn cold outreach may still work for targeted lead acquisition, but as a primary source — it's no longer reliable.
COLD OUTREACH (APOLLO AND ALTERNATIVES)
The hard truth: it barely converts. You may get opens or clicks, but meaningful replies are rare. Why?
If used at all, this should be treated as a channel for testing messaging or hypotheses — not for generating consistent inbound.
- Everyone’s doing the same thing: “We’re X, let’s talk about Y.”
- People are burned out by AI-written templates and generic pitches.
- Even polite replies usually mean “Not interested.”
If used at all, this should be treated as a channel for testing messaging or hypotheses — not for generating consistent inbound.
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
The best-performing sales professionals in performance marketing aren’t chasing every opportunity. They know exactly who they’re targeting, build trust and value long before the pitch, and show up precisely where — and when — they’re needed.
Some key takeaways:
When you apply these principles systematically, leads begin to find you — not the other way around.
Some key takeaways:
- Invest in personal relationships — regularly nurture your network and create value to build long-term trust.
- Be active in professional communities — contribute consistently, share insights, and position yourself as a go-to expert.
- Be helpful before you're asked — offer guidance, ideas, and resources proactively so your expertise stays top-of-mind.
When you apply these principles systematically, leads begin to find you — not the other way around.
Need a steady stream of qualified leads right now?
Reach out to the AdSkill team. We’ll design a tailored marketing strategy, provide agency-level access to top ad platforms, and support you at every stage of the process.
Reach out to the AdSkill team. We’ll design a tailored marketing strategy, provide agency-level access to top ad platforms, and support you at every stage of the process.