Leads for business: what they are and where to get inquiries that turn into sales
A lead is a person who has left their contact details or messaged you on their own: asked about the price, requested a quote or filled out a form on your website. They aren't a customer yet, but they're no longer a random passer-by either: they're interested in your product and waiting for your reply.
In Kazakhstan, people search Google for «лиды» ("leads") about 880 times a month, for «привлечение клиентов» ("attracting customers") about 40 times, and for «как увеличить продажи» ("how to increase sales") about 30 times (Google Ads data, November 2026). Let's look at where leads come from, which of them buy, and how not to lose them along the way.
Where leads come from
| Source | How the lead comes in | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram and TikTok ads | a person watches a video and messages you on WhatsApp right away | a video showing the product, and a fast reply |
| they search for a product or service, then call or leave a request on your website | a page with prices, contact details and a WhatsApp button | |
| 2GIS and maps | they find you nearby and call | reviews, photos, opening hours |
| Referrals | a customer recommends you to a friend | the deadlines you met and the service you provided |
Cold calls bring in leads too, but there you're the one calling, and the person wasn't expecting you. Leads who message you first are usually more willing to buy.
How a lead differs from a sale
Not every lead will buy. Some are comparing prices, others are gathering information for later. That's why you look at two numbers:
- Cost per lead: how much one inquiry cost. Divide your ad spend by the number of people who messaged you.
- Conversion rate: how many out of every ten leads became customers.
A cheap lead who doesn't buy ends up costing more than a pricier lead who does. It's not just the number that matters, but also who is messaging: someone from your city, looking for exactly what you sell and ready to buy soon.
How to get more leads who buy
- Show your product in action: the process, the sizes, the "before and after" results.
- Make your ads lead straight to a chat: every extra step loses you some people.
- Show ads only where you deliver and install.
- Reply within the first few minutes: anyone left waiting for an hour messages a competitor.
- Record every lead: where it came from, what the person asked and how it ended.
Where leads get lost
Most often, leads get lost not in the ads but after them: the manager replied late, forgot to call back or didn't send the quote. If you get more than a dozen inquiries a day, it's easier to manage them in a CRM: you can see who is waiting for a reply and who has already bought. For this, we set up a CRM system tailored to your sales process.
Example: leads from ads with a WhatsApp button
This is how we work with the Mir Matrasov mattress factory in Almaty: a product video on Instagram and Facebook, a button, and the person messages on WhatsApp right away. Over 107 days, 4,034 people messaged this way. These are leads: each person asked a question about the product, and a manager could guide them to a purchase.
Mir Matrasov
Instagram and Facebook ads: people tap a button and message on WhatsApp right away.
Numbers from our ad report, as of 23 October 2026.
That's how our Instagram and TikTok ads with a WhatsApp button work: we shoot the videos, launch the ads, and every week we show you how many people messaged and how much each lead cost.
Frequently asked questions
It's a person who showed interest on their own: they messaged, called or left a request. They haven't bought yet, but they're ready to talk.
Through Instagram and TikTok ads with a WhatsApp button: a person watches a video and messages you in the chat right away.
It depends on your niche, city and average order value. The cost per lead is worked out from the first weeks of advertising and compared with how many leads became customers.
You can, but those people aren't expecting to hear from you: they never left a request with you specifically. Leads who message you on their own are more willing to buy.
Get leads from advertising
We'll shoot videos about your product, launch ads that take people to WhatsApp, and show you every week how many people messaged. Leave a request below, and we'll estimate how many leads you can get in your niche.