When Should You Use Demand Gen?

Knowing when to use demand generation is crucial for maximizing its impact. In 2025, demand generation is evolving; therefore, you need to understand when it’s the right strategy for your business. 

So, when should you use demand generation, and how can you make sure it’s the right fit for your goals? 

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Top Situations Where You Should Use Demand Generation

Demand generation plays a pivotal role in driving growth, but knowing when to apply it is just as important. Below, we’ll highlight key situations where leveraging demand generation strategies can yield the best results.

When You’re the “New Player in the Market”

When you’re the "new player in the market," demand generation is crucial for establishing brand awareness. It helps introduce your brand to a wider audience, teaching them about the challenges they may not even realize exist yet. 

For example, a SaaS company launching an innovative platform could use demand gen strategies to highlight the inefficiencies of traditional workflows and how their solution addresses these pain points. 

Startups, businesses entering new markets, or companies launching new products can all benefit from using demand generation to capture attention and educate potential customers. By focusing on building awareness through valuable content and thought leadership, you can create interest without resorting to hard selling.

DemandOS simplifies the demand generation process for new players in the market. Our tailored solutions help you build brand awareness, educate your audience, and drive interest in your offering, setting the stage for sustainable growth and long-term success.

When Your Audience Isn’t Looking for You

Demand generation is important when your audience isn't actively searching for your product or service. Since 95% of buyers aren’t in the market at any given time, demand generation helps to build awareness and educate them before they begin their search.

Consider producing informative blog posts, sharing valuable industry insights through podcasts, or providing useful tips on social media. These tactics guide potential customers toward your solution before they even realize they need it.

This strategy works particularly well for complex products like software, where prospects might not fully understand the benefits until they’re educated. It’s also effective in industries such as finance or manufacturing, where trust takes time to build and decision-making processes are longer.

READ MORE: Using Identity Positioning to Build a Strong Brand‍

When Competitors Dominate the Conversation

When your competitors are taking up all the space—ranking higher on Google or having bigger ad budgets—it’s time to use demand generation to stand out. Focus on differentiating yourself with fresh, creative approaches such as:

• Unique content: Create eye-catching visuals, like fun infographics, that grab attention and stand out from the typical whitepapers your competitors offer.
• Community building: Engage with potential customers where they already interact, whether it’s LinkedIn groups, Reddit AMAs, or niche forums that align with your brand.

By leveraging demand messaging frameworks and focusing on engaging content and communities, you can shift the conversation and build a space for your brand, even in a crowded market. 

When Sales Take Months (Not Days)

When your B2B sales cycle is lengthy, demand generation can help nurture leads over time, gradually guiding them toward a decision. Imagine when you plant a seed, you’ll wait and let it grow, right? Demand generation, too, sometimes requires patience, but eventually, you’ll harvest the results.

You can use webinars to educate prospects step by step, providing them with valuable knowledge throughout their journey. Email courses that drop helpful tips each week keep leads engaged and allow you to stay top of mind.

As leads progress, use lead scoring to identify which prospects are heating up, so you can prioritize your outreach. With the right B2B messaging, you can keep nurturing prospects until they’re ready to make the move, ensuring a steady pipeline without rushing the process.

When Customers Leave Too Soon

When customers make a single purchase and then disappear, demand generation helps re-engage them and keep your brand top of mind. You can create loyalty content, like advanced user guides, to offer ongoing value and keep them invested in your product.

Referral programs are another powerful tool for encouraging satisfied customers to spread the word. By leveraging happy users to attract new prospects, you strengthen both customer retention and acquisition.

With targeted demand messaging, you can ensure customers stay connected, helping you build a more loyal and long-lasting customer base.

When Sales and Marketing Don’t Agree

When sales complains about "bad leads," demand generation aligns both teams by fostering transparency and collaboration. Here’s how:

• Sharing Data: Provide sales with insights on what content is driving quality leads, so both teams understand what’s working and why.
• Creating Joint Goals: Set shared targets, like generating 50 high-quality leads per month, to ensure alignment and drive accountability.
• Regular Feedback Loops: Implement consistent meetings to review lead quality and refine strategies, ensuring ongoing alignment between sales and marketing.

With a unified approach, your sales and marketing teams can work together more effectively to drive better outcomes for your demand generation strategy.

READ MORE: Differences Between Product-Led and Sales-Led Growth‍

When Privacy Rules Change (Like GDPR)

As privacy regulations evolve, maintaining compliance while still reaching prospects becomes a challenge. In such times, demand generation helps you pivot by using zero-party data—information that users willingly provide. This approach not only keeps you within the bounds of privacy laws but also builds trust with your audience.

For example, interactive quizzes like "What’s your marketing style?" can gather valuable insights while engaging users. 

Additionally, you can create polls to gather opinions on niche subjects like "future marketing trends" or "preferred SaaS tools." These polls engage your audience and provide further insights into their preferences, helping to build trust while maintaining compliance with privacy regulations.

Ungated content, which offers free access to valuable resources, further strengthens this trust by removing barriers to information. When privacy laws tighten, these tactics provide a way to nurture relationships without compromising compliance or user trust.

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When Not to Use Demand Gen

Demand generation isn’t always the right solution. For instance, if you’re launching a very niche product in a highly defined market with established relationships, your immediate need might be more targeted outreach, not broad awareness.

Similarly, if your product is simple and widely understood, like phone chargers, demand generation might not be necessary as customers already know what they need and where to find it. 

However, when demand gen is needed, it’s important to have a professional who understands the nuances of this strategy. A well-implemented demand gen plan can increase efficiency and lead to greater success.

At DemandOS, we specialize in designing tailored demand generation strategies that drive consistent results. Let us help you optimize your efforts and accelerate growth.