Part 2: How do I start?
I probably peaked your interest with part 1 when I shared with you the main benefits of getting into the lead generation business. No doubt you’re curious about exactly how much work this will entail. It’s not too bad. I have outlined the basic needs for getting started below.
1. Create a Plan. Know what markets you want to get into. Whether it’s debt consolidation, mortgage refinance, cash advance, auto loan leads, etc. there’s a best practice for each vertical. Start by talking to someone who knows something about it and is wiling to share. Talking to qualified media professionals like Kimberlee White with Advertising Kings Marketing Group (AKMG) would be a good start since they’re making huge strides towards adding lead generation a part of their strategic business plan. Paying for some initial consulting services may be a quick way to jump start. If you already have stable affiliate, search or email traffic, consider how you will leverage them to generate leads across your new landing page.
2. Build a landing page/site. You need a place for consumers to enter their information so you can capture it and sell it. In addition, some lead buyers will want to see where leads are coming from, so have something to show. In the event that you sell to lead buyers who don’t care if you initially generated the lead or if your are simply brokering leads from other marketing companies, you may not need a web site at all. This is the fastest way to get started since it requires much less work.
3. Obtain Technology. At one time, technology was a huge barrier to entry but with tracking platforms like LinkTrust, that is simply not the case anymore. Now you can track, manage affiliates, capture leads and sell them in real time without hiring technical staff, messing with programming or buying expensive hardware. Not all tracking systems are the same, so choose wisely. Invest in a technology solution that will provide for your future growth as well as not surprise you with hidden fees. Choosing the technology that accomplishes your current needs like affiliate management, pixel tracking and lead management within the same platform may be your best choice. I’ll cover this area in more depth in part 3 of this series.
4. Set Up Lead Buyers. One of the biggest questions I get is, “How do I find companies who want to buy leads?” This is simple because you probably already know them. Start by contacting advertisers and ad networks that you are already sending traffic to. I’ll help you get started by listing just a few reputable companies that successfully buy and sell leads: LinkMo, Ethos Interactive, Tranzact Media, Pure Ads, Niche Marketers Network, eComLead, ileadpay, and Canadian Sponsors. The list goes on and on, for a longer list, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I’ve found that some advertisers and networks will proclaim that they don’t buy leads from sources other than their own hosted websites. Although this may be true with some, many advertisers change their tune if you can show them that you are collecting leads through your own website already. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a landing page of your own. Most advertisers are just afraid of poor CoRegistration data getting pumped into their systems because they have buyers to protect too.
5. Get Qualified Help. If this is a new area of business for you, get qualified support that allows you to ask questions all along the way. The before mentioned platform provider LinkTrust provides limited free ongoing personal support for it’s partners as well as fair priced consulting services. Any reputable tracking platform provider will want you to be successful and therefore will offer support at little or no cost to you as you get started. Professionals like Tanya Alvarez with BlinkAds are very willing to help newcomers to the industry by giving qualified feedback. She jumped into lead generation and has been very successful.
Network
