Cost Per Lead
Cost Per Lead (CPL) is the average amount of money spent to generate one new lead from a campaign or channel. It is calculated by dividing the total cost of a campaign by the number of leads it produced, giving a simple measure of how efficiently spend turns into prospects.
CPL is widely used to compare lead-generation channels such as paid search, social, or content, and to set and pace budgets. It is most informative when paired with lead quality: a low CPL means little if those leads rarely convert into qualified opportunities or customers.
A common pitfall is optimizing for the cheapest leads, which can flood the funnel with poor-fit contacts. CPL sits earlier in the funnel than Cost Per Acquisition and Customer Acquisition Cost, which measure converted buyers rather than raw leads.
Last updated: 14 June 2026