Fishing Nets and Spears: Finding the Sweet Spot

Every digital marketer eventually faces the same trade-off: do you want more leads, or better leads?

It’s a classic dilemma. And while there’s no universal answer, a simple analogy helps frame the challenge clearly: the fishing net vs spear analogy.

Cast Wide or Aim True?

Fishing Net = Volume

You throw it wide. You catch a lot. But many of those fish aren’t keepers. The net is great for awareness, site traffic, social proof, and top-of-funnel engagement — but it’s not a precision tool. It’s how you get seen, not always how you close.

Spear Fishing = Precision

You’re after one perfect fish. It takes effort, skill, and targeting. You know who you're looking for, and you invest more to reach them. This is a slower process — but when it hits, it hits hard. That’s quality over quantity, and it’s often where your ROI lives.

Key insight: You can’t throw a net and expect only tuna. And you can’t spear 1,000 fish a day.

But First... Is Your Bait the Problem?

Before you obsess over net size or spear sharpness, ask yourself this: are you using the right bait?

• Is your offer aligned with the needs and desires of your target audience?

• Is your brand credible, familiar or trusted enough to convert cold prospects?

• Is your creative doing the job — or is it simply turning people off?

Even the most advanced targeting strategies won’t save a campaign if the bait isn’t appealing. So start there. Craft irresistible hooks. Build trust. And make sure you look like you belong in the water you're fishing in.

Platform by Platform: How the Analogy Plays Out

Meta (Facebook & Instagram)

Meta is built for scale — a wide-net platform with incredible reach.

• Net play: Awareness campaigns, social proof building, video views. Lots of eyeballs, lots of leads — not all of them great.

• Spear play: Retargeting, lookalike audiences, high-converting lead forms, warm audience campaigns.

Meta can flood your boat with fish — but you’ll need a system to sort and process them.

LinkedIn

Think of LinkedIn as premium waters — a smaller pool, higher-value fish.

• Net play: Sponsored content with broad job function targeting.

• Spear play: Account-based marketing, InMails, senior role targeting, matched audiences.

You don’t throw a net on LinkedIn. You craft a spear, name your fish, and go after it.

Google Ads (Search)

Google is intent-driven. The user comes with a fishing rod — your job is to make sure they choose your bait.

• Net play: Broad match keywords, display ads, remarketing for reach.

• Spear play: Exact match keywords, high commercial intent, ad extensions optimised for conversion.

The closer the searcher is to buying, the more your spear matters.

TikTok

TikTok is a rapid-fire net thrower. Explosive reach, short attention span.

• Net play: Viral content, brand storytelling, influencer plays.

• Spear play: Retargeting users based on interaction and video completion rates, custom lead forms.

The net here is wild and wide — great for top-of-funnel momentum, but rarely where the deal gets done.

Sometimes, Bulk Leads Are the Right Call

It’s easy to default to “quality over quantity” as a universal truth — but sometimes, quantity is exactly what the strategy needs.

If your business or client has:

• A large call centre or sales team ready to qualify and close leads at scale

• A product or service with broad market appeal (e.g. finance, trades, training, home services)

• A CRM system and pipeline that can handle the volume and filter efficiently

Then casting the net wide can be a highly profitable move — even if the average lead quality is lower.

High-volume, low-intent leads can still convert — if you have the structure to process them. It’s not about the fish; it’s about your ability to clean and cook them at scale.

So What’s the Best Strategy?

The truth is, you need both.

• The net fills the funnel

• The spear drives conversions

• Smart marketers integrate the two — using full-funnel strategies, automation, creative refinement, and audience intelligence to strike the right balance

Final Thought: It’s Not Just About Catching Fish

Digital advertising isn’t just about casting or aiming. It’s about:

• Knowing your ideal fish (buyer personas)

• Using the right bait (offer, creative, credibility)

• Choosing the right method for the current business context

Whether you're scaling up with volume or hunting high-value prospects, the success of your lead generation strategy comes down to alignment — between your tools, your team, and your goals.