What is a lead source and why record it?
At the end of the month someone asks where last month's new customers came from. If the answer is a shrug or everyone's own impression, the lead source was never recorded.
What counts as a lead source
The source answers one question: through which channel did this person first get in touch? Typical values are a Meta lead form, a form or quiz on your website, an incoming call, an email, a referral from an existing customer, a trade fair or a marketplace. Many teams add a second, finer level for paid channels: the campaign or even the ad, usually taken from UTM tags on the link.
Why record it
- Budget: cost per lead and, more importantly, cost per customer can only be calculated per channel if each lead carries its channel.
- Quality: some channels bring many requests and few customers, others the reverse. You only see it when source and outcome sit on the same record.
- Follow-up: a person who filled in an ad form two minutes ago needs a different first call than a referral from a long-standing client.
- Data questions: if someone asks how you obtained their contact details, the source helps you answer. What you must be able to show depends on the privacy rules that apply to you, such as the GDPR in the EU.
An example (illustrative numbers)
A company gets 120 leads in a month: 80 from Meta lead forms, 30 from the website and 10 referrals. Customers won: 4, 6 and 5. Counted by leads, Meta looks like the best channel. Counted by customers, referrals convert at 50% and the ad forms at 5%. Only the source on each lead makes that visible.
How to keep sources consistent
- Use a short, fixed list instead of free text, so Facebook, FB and facebook ads do not become three sources.
- Fill the source automatically wherever the system knows it; ask people only for calls, walk-ins and referrals.
- Do not overwrite the source when the same person comes back through another channel; record the new touch separately.
Lead sources in OrgLines
The OrgLines Lead Center shows leads from Meta lead forms, from forms and quizzes on your website and from manual entry in one list, with source, status and the person responsible. Quizzes record the UTM source of each visitor. Meta and Amazon Ads data sit next to lead outcomes, so you see cost per lead by campaign and what a real lead costs, not just a click.