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/
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/
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:
Packed 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/
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/
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/
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:
Hosts:
Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/
Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/
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:
Playbooks 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/
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/
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/
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/