UK Lead Generation Podcast

James Dooley:
So, Kasra, why am I not generating leads?

Kasra Dash:
There are plenty of reasons why you might not be generating leads. First one: lack of branding. You need to build a proper brand and be seen everywhere. People have to understand who you are and what you do. Brand building is huge for lead generation moving forward.

James Dooley:
Definitely. What are some key things you’d recommend for building a brand?

Kasra Dash:
Be seen in as many places as possible. Have all the major social media accounts—Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok if you do videos. Have an SEO-optimized website ranking for your brand. Just be everywhere from top-of-funnel to bottom-of-funnel, helping people in any way related to your product or service.

James Dooley:
One thing you mentioned—having all the social media accounts—ties into my next point: not having a clear offer.
If you have all the social media accounts but you’re posting things like, “Hey it’s dress-down Friday,” or “We had Domino’s today,” that’s not going to help your brand. You need a clear offer, and post content that supports it. That’s what good brands do.

Kasra Dash:
Another massive reason you’re not generating leads:
Yes, be everywhere—but you must track your KPIs to know what platform works best.

If you're in a specific industry—for example, a locksmith—TikTok, Pinterest, and random social content may not matter as much. You want to be on PPC and ranking high with SEO.
Understand your offer. Understand your customer. And then spend more money on the channels that work. People under-spend on what’s already winning. If something works—double or triple down.

James Dooley:
Next one: being omnichannel and omnipresent—with one caveat.
If you’re a locksmith, don’t go spending money on billboards. That’s not going to help.

Google released a guideline: 11–7–4 rule.
- 11 pieces of content
- 7 hours consumed
- across 4 platforms

If you do that, lead generation becomes easier. People trust you more. They watch case studies, guides, and by the time they enquire, they’re already warmed up.

Kasra Dash:
Another big issue: people say they’re not generating leads, and I check their website in keyword tools like Semrush or Ahrefs—and they're ranking for nothing.
No SEO, no meaningful content, no keyword targeting, no content optimization, no link-building.
Your website is basically a shop hidden on the 10th floor of a warehouse with no foot traffic.
You need to rank for keywords that generate inquiries.

James Dooley:
Next: testimonials.
A lot of people don’t have testimonials.
Quick tip: Google your brand plus “reviews” and see what comes up. If TrustPilot shows 1.2 stars, that's killing your conversions.

You need:
- testimonials on your site
- Google Business Profile reviews
- external review sites showing positive sentiment
- Sometimes you get unfair reviews, but you need to manage perception.

Kasra Dash:
Another reason: wrong target audience.
Example: Jason Hennessey specializes in SEO for law firms. He could target dentists, roofers, plumbers—but each niche needs different SOPs, strategies, and case studies.

If every testimonial is about winning cases for law firms, and you're a law firm, you instantly trust him.

Being a jack of all trades hurts you.
Choose a demographic and drill into it.

We do the same in our soft services business—we focus on schools, colleges, universities, not residential/domestic. That’s where funding and bigger jobs are.

James Dash:
Next: competition.
SEO, PPC, Facebook ads—they all became more expensive.
Years ago, we generated leads for £5–6 on Facebook; now it’s double.
Competition is spending more.
If you’re still stuck at your old budget, expect fewer leads.

Kasra Dash:
Another major factor: not investing enough money in the quality of your marketing.
Your photos are poor, videos are poor, messaging is poor. You might need the right tools:

- a video editor
- a graphic designer
- a social media specialist
- someone who knows SEO for videos
- a PPC specialist
- a professional SEO

People don’t want to pay for proper management, but when they don’t, they get click fraud, wrong keywords, no negative keyword list, poor optimization.

It’s an investment—put money in, get quality leads, get a positive ROAS.
Most people underestimate the required budget.