# Reference
AQL - Advocacy Qualified Lead
An AQL is a person whose voluntary advocacy behavior generated measurable downstream impact. Not a vanity metric. Not a share count. A qualified signal that connects advocacy to business outcomes.
Two criteria must be met: the advocacy action was voluntary (not prompted by a manager, not auto-posted, not obligation) and the share generated measurable downstream activity in the advocate's network.
The Three Tiers
| Tier | Name | Criteria | Signal | Who measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQL-1 | Basic | Voluntary share + at least one downstream click | Entry-level advocacy. Any team can measure this with basic UTM tracking. | Marketing |
| AQL-2 | Influence | Voluntary share + downstream participant completes their own action (form fill, registration, download) | Compounding signal. The share didn't just reach people - it moved them to act. | Marketing / Growth |
| AQL-3 | Pipeline | Voluntary share + downstream participant enters a pipeline stage (demo, trial, meeting) | Revenue signal. Connects advocacy directly to business outcomes. | Sales / Revenue |
What AQL Is Not
Not AQL
- Share count without downstream impact
- Manager-prompted shares
- Auto-posted company content
- Likes or reactions on company posts
- Referral link clicks without context
AQL
- Voluntary share with tracked network impact
- Self-initiated at a completion moment
- Personal voice, own experience
- Downstream action from the advocate's network
- Attributable to specific advocacy behavior
The Compound Formula
Per-cycle formula
Participants × A × R × C = New Participants
A (Activation Rate) - % of cohort that shares
R (Reach Multiplier) - unique people per share
C (Conversion Rate) - % of reached who become participants
ALG compounds when any variable improves over time. Track per cohort, per completion moment type, and per campaign. After 3-4 campaigns, activation rates converge to predictable baselines.