Many lead business customers using our LeadPro247 Lead Distribution and Delivery software system that I spoke with have started experimenting with CPA Ad Networks in their lead generation strategies. During the discussions, I strongly encouraged them to test the waters with solid research and well planned strategies.
Since there are dozens of ad networks operating in the marketplace, it is essential to do a thorough research about the companies’ practices and support services before putting your offers on the networks. Also, the process is an ongoing one as new networks keep popping up in the field and some fade out of the scene.
Another area of research and exploration is that of the competition. By understanding the advertising strategies and offers of your competitors, you can avoid of a lot of mistakes and reduce the learning curve substantially.
Offer Vault service brings CPA Ad Networks and Ad Publishers together. The ad publishers (i.e. website owners and operators – known as affiliates) can compare the offers from various networks and pick the suitable ones. The ad networks send their offers (from various advertisers) to Offer Vault on a regular basis in order to attract more publishers. Your landing page and offer related information will be made available to the ad publishers.
Offer Vault service was founded by Mark Roth and I understand that Howie Schwartz, a well known internet marketer is also involved in it. The Offer Vault is completely free for anyone who registers on the site.
As a lead generation company and advertiser, you can leverage the features of the Offer Vault service to compare advertisements from competitors and offers through other CPA networks. For example, you can visit and compare landing pages of other leadgen companies in your market segment.
You should be using Question and Answers (Q&A) as part of your internet / social media and lead generation strategy per Jason Falls, one of the leading social media experts. Question and Answer forums such as Yahoo Answers, Answers.com, LinkedIn Answers, etc. drive a lot of business leads.
Business.Com has released a Social Media Benchmarking study results recently. Polling over 900 professionals, the study has revealed some interesting facts. Question and Answers forums are more popular than even Twitter. Consumers and business are finding Q&A increasingly useful. While LinkedIn Answers leads the category, Yahoo Answers follows distant second.
The Social Media Best Practices: Q and A Forums report is available for free download from Business.Com. You need to register, if your are not a member already. You may also download the full Social Media Benchmarking Study report from Business.Com.
Video Blogging for Lead Generation and Distribution companies and Internet Marketing professionals
Video Blogging is a great tool to leverage your demand generation and brand building efforts. If you are a internet marketer and involved in lead generation and inbound marketing using SEO practices, I am sure all of you must be on one or more blogs, not just reading, but contributing your ideas, suggestions and best practices. Here is the take on vlogging from the lead blogger of Cisco.
While personally I am not a vlogger yet, video is a great addition to your social media marketing and inbound marketing efforts. Video is obviously not as easy and simple as text simple text blogging. For example, video search is still its in infancy. Search engines deliver video links by keywords and tags. Also, video is still not very popular among the smart phone users, as the bandwidth issues are plaguing the industry. However, it is a good time to start using the video in your blog posts so that your will be a master when the practice becomes more mainstream.
Lead Distribution and Delivery software application helps the lead generation companies, internet lead sellers and service providers and lead buyers to capture sales leads from landing pages and signup forms, distribute the captured leads in real time using distribution rules and filters and provides reporting for tracking the leads.
Depending on your business needs, you can pick and choose the features to be used and leave the rest of the functions. Though web based lead distribution and delivery solutions such as LeadPro247 are easy to use, you should understand the underlying principles and concepts of lead generation and distribution, in order to maximize the benefits of deploying such software. The above chart shows a high level overview of the LeadPro247 lead distribution solution. This is applicable for any lead generation distribution software service.
Note that the lead generation is not the core function of a Lead Distribution system. However, it helps to integrate with the landing pages and registration forms and capture the leads. In other words, lead generation websites and the lead system have to work together. For more detailed discussion on Landing Page principles, design and deployment, please take a look at the other posts on the subject in this blog.
To summarize, the following are the functions of any lead generation capture and distribution system:
- Integrate with Lead Capture landing pages (used for lead generation)
- Interface with 3rd party lead vendors, affiliates and partners to capture / collect leads from their systems
- De-dupe, Srub, Validate, and Verify leads captured
- Maintain lead buyer / client profiles, including delivery methods and payment modes
- Maintain Sales Rep info and provide sales / commission statements
- Maintain lead order parameters and filters for each client’s orders
- Distribute exclusive / shared leads to lead buyers based on filters and conditions via the Lead Distribution Engine
- Deliver leads to lead clients via Email / SMS text messaging / API interfaces / HTTP posting / Fax / Back office Lead Retrieval System, etc. based on the buyers’ preferences
- Process payment via credit card gateways or accept manual payments
- Accept credit requests from buyers for bad / invalid / duplicate leads
- Process credit requests and provide substitute leads
- Provide lead capture, delivery and sales statistics for lead distributors / companies
- Back office access to view / manage / download leads delivered
As mentioned earlier, you may not be needing all the features and functions for your business. Also, some of the Lead Distribution and Delivery systems may miss some of the features and have more frills. You need to research and evaluate the software system before finalizing the deployment.
LeadPro247, a lead distribution, tracking, and management service has announced the launch of a dedicated blog site to serve as a lead management resource for insurance agents, brokers and professionals. This would would be particularly useful for insurance agents who are generating their own leads on their websites or buying internet leads from insurance lead companies and vendor. The blog resource is available in http://www.Insurance-Leads-Management.Com web location.
The blog will include the following categories of resources, among others:
- Insurance lead management best practices
- Lead tracking tools, software and services
- Tips and tricks
- Lead management Guides
- Resource links
- Insurance Lead generation practices and processes
- Leveraging social media for customer acquisition, retention and service
- Internet lead buying – concerns, issues and best practices
- Lead distribution and routing engines
- Lead quality
- Lead nurturing with drip emails and follow-up tracking
- Lead conversion issues
- Technology trends and impact on insurance agencies
- Industry happenings
- Tutorials, webinars, etc.
Insurance verticals
The site will not be restricted to any particular vertical or segment. It will cover all segments and insurance types including individual insurance and group insurance practices. Whether you are a single agent practice or a multi-agent, multi-location insurance agency, the site will be a great service.
Health, Life, LTC, Automobile, Homeowners, Business / Commercial, Annuities, RV/Boat, and Renters Insurance related information will be included in the blog resource.
Have you heard stories about becoming overnight millionaires by launching an internet lead generation business? Sure, tons of stories. Succeeding in an internet lead generation business takes time, consistent practices and continuous improvement. While it is easy to scale up and grow, it is easy to lose money quickly and bite the dust too! Here are 10 tips gathered from the industry experience and insiders that will lead you in the path of success.
- Do the ground work: If you are in the planning / launch stage, this is the time to take a re-look and assess the plan. Even if you are already in the business and trying to ramp up, revisit the basics and make sure that the plan will work. Some of the key factors to be taken into account are: Lead verticals, Customer segments, Competition in your vertical(s), Lead acquisition strategies, Lead pricing, and Quality Issues. Every lead vertical has its own unique advantages and issues.
- Deploy suitable lead generation methods: Leads can be generated in a variety of ways. What would be the right method for your vertical and customer segment? Research and select from: Media buying, own lead generation sites, PPC / SEO mix, affiliates, etc. Thorough market research will help you decide the right combination. For instance, there are lead companies who use thousands of their own websites. Some others use exlcusively media partners and digital marketing agencies.
- Plan multiple Lead Delivery modes: Each lead customer will demand their own formats, interfaces and data conversion. Do not under estimate the customer requirements. Unless the lead buyers are able to reach the prospects within minutes, there is no value in the lead! You may have to deploy multiple delivery modes such as email, SMS text messaging, fax, SOAP based API, form POST, etc.
- Choose a right Lead Distribution Software system: Many lead providers make costly mistakes in this sphere. If you are generating thousands or even a few hundred leads a day, imagine the complexity involved in capturing the leads, distributing leads to buyers, delivering leads in real time, processing payments and applying credits for bad / invalid leads! Even if you are a business person, educate yourself and see what you can and cannot do with your lead collection, distribution and management software system.
- Right Source to Right Partners: Whether in lead generation, distribution or lead delivery, choose the right tools and partners. The operations and maintenance are time consuming and costs money. Again, do not under estimate the improtance and costs in this area.
- Manage Customers Proactively: The lead buyers can easily switch from one provider to another lead vendor. Unless you manage their expectations, requirements and operations, the lead buyers will learn from you and move on. Retaining customers is the most important aspect, as you do not have any hold on them unlike other traditional businesses.
- Focus on Lead Quality, not Quantity: Unless you are passionate about lead quality, it is very difficult to survive. Because, in the internet lead generation segment there are so many variables on which you don’t have any control! For example, you might depend on the media partners and affiliates to generate leads; unless you have carefully selected them and established relationship, there is no gurantee that they will provide consistent quality leads. You can also provide valued added service such as third party Lead Verification services integrated with your lead delivery system.
- Educate yourself: You need to keep abreast of the technology development and industry issues such as legal compliance. Research and update your knowledge in the lead generation business and the verticals you are operating. Attend relevant webinars and conferences in the Leadgen domain. Even if you don’t do programming or build software, become technology savvy. Knowledge is power in this internet era!
- Be prepared for the long haul: Invest for the long term and be prepared for the pot holes on the way. Probably you need to invest more of your personal time than the traditional businesses. The internet does not sleep; you cannot start at 9 AM and close at 5 PM. Your customers will be in all time zones and need to be ready to support them.
- Measure, evaluate and improve: All internet centric businessese share one common thread: it is continually changing at rapid pace. Using the right tools, measure your operational effectiveness and end results. Improve the processes in an on going basis.
And finally, here is the good news. As mentioned earlier, the lead generation business can be quickly ramped up and scaled. Some leading internet lead companies have grown from zero to 50 million business in 3 or 4 years.
Now that the internet lead generation practice has gained critical mass, website landing pages have become the core components of the online marketing and demand generation process. Unfortunately many online marketers, professionals and businesses treat the landing page as just that – a visitor-landing page. And they keep driving the traffic to these landing pages and losing boat loads of money in the process! Whether you are B2B or B2C lead company or an independent marketer, this holds good for everyone.
Landing Pages
The very purpose of landing pages is to convert the web visitors into leads (or prospects). While it serves as a funnel to attract the web site visitors, unless the visitors are converted to leads with contact information there is no meaning in attracting the traffic. In others words, landing pages should be treated as conversion pages.
Typically web site traffic (for lead generation) is generated via one or more of the following practices and visitors are sent to the lead capture pages:
- PPC (Pay Per Click)
- SEO / Search Engines
- Email Marketing
- Blogs and Web 2.0 sites
- Social Networking Media
- Direct Mail (with web URL)
All of these traffic sources costs money and significant efforts. While some may term traffic from social media and SEO as free, it is really not free. Search engine optimization and social media maintenance is a time taking and long term process.
Lead Conversion Pages
How to convert the money loosing sign-up pages to profitable lead-conversion pages? While every step of the page design, development and deployment is a candidate for improvement, the following key factors are to be taken into consideration.
- Layout and Design are primary components to attract and convert visitors. Make them simple, clear and precise.
- Avoid distractions and unwanted links on the page. Address the specific product or service.
- Provide Clear Call to Action. If you want them to fill up a form, tell them clearly what to do and why they should do so.
- Include a Compelling Offer. Whether it is a Whitepaper, Quote, or a Free Trial, make it compelling.
- If you are using Advertising (such as PPC) to drive traffic, make sure the Ad and the Landing Page talk about the same offer
- Page content should be relevant, short and to the point.
- If you are using Lead Capture form on the page, make it as short as possible, unless all the data fields are required to fulfill the offer.
- Let the sign-up form be above fold on the page.
- If required, make multiple lead capture pages for different purposes and different target audience, so that the content will be relevant.
- Validate all sign-up form fields for required content and type, ideally using JavaScript (rather than separate error pages)
- Capture the meta data such as source web site, publisher, key words, etc. which will help in the sales process.
- Provide a meaningful Thank You page with relevant information. This will set the right expectation for the prospect and will help in closing the sale.
- Lastly, do not forget to use a good lead management and tracking database system in order to track the entire conversion process.
Lead Verification Services for Improving Lead Quality and Increasing ROI in Demand Generation
Online Lead Verification is the most valuable and intensive quality assessment and improvement process which comes to the aid of online lead generation companies and lead distributors. Lead Verification can be employed in both B2C and B2B scenarios, though it is most useful in consumer lead scenarios. You may take a look the primer / my earlier post on Lead Scrubbing, Validation and Verification processes.
Again, this is a post-lead-capture process and hence you can not prohibit the bad leads hitting your marketing / leads database. However, by deploying a suitable Online Lead Verification Service you can verify the lead parameters and then make a decision whether to pass on the lead to the lead buyer or your sales team.
The lead verification is carried out generally online and hence it can be used in real time lead generation and distribution situations. Once the lead information is received from the landing pages, the lead management system will subject the key data elements to dozens of tests and determine the quality of the lead.
Lead Verification Properties
The following lead profile parameters are used to verify the lead. Obviously, if the lead captured does not contain all these data elements, then the quality assessment results will be less accurate.
- First name
- Last name
- Email Address
- Address
- Phone Number
- Gender
- Date of Birth
- IP Address
Based on the input values, the verification process will return the corrected values as well as a set of useful quality parameters (which may vary from system to system).
Most of useful results from Lead Verification process will be:
- Overall Quality score
- Overall Quality Result
- Type / technology of telephone numbers
It may also provide alternate telephone number and address.
At the highest level, the Overall Lead Quality Score can be used to take an instant decision and treat the lead accordingly. For example, if the score is less than 50, probably the quality may not be very high and hence you may avoid selling it to your high value customers.
Benefits of Lead Verification
Adding a Lead Verification service feature in the lead capture and tracking system will be a great boon to those dealing with mortgage leads, debt settlement leads, financial services and other consumer (B2C) leads. There are several advantages and benefits of using an online lead verification process in your demand generation and distribution efforts. Here is a check list. These benefits are self explanatory. However we will revisit these in future posts.
- Increased Customer Satisfaction
- Increased Lead Conversion Rate
- Decrease in Wasted Time and Efforts by your Buyers / Sales Team
- Decrease in Lead Cost in the long term
- Identification of poor quality lead sources and providers
- Increased ROI
- Decrease on Price (for Lead Buyers)
Verification Services
Since Lead Verification involves comparision and mathcing with millions of public and proprietory database records, the verification services are generally provided as a per transaction fee based service. The typical cost per transaction varies from 25 cents to 35 cents based on volume of leads verified on monthly basis.
There are a number of verification service providers in the market place. The services include TargusInfo, ServiceObjects, LeadQC, and AccurateAppend among others. You may directly contact the data service provider and request your technical team to establish the interface for online verification.
On the other hand, Lead Distribution and Management service providers, such as LeadPro247, include Lead Verification as an optional service in their lead management and distribution platform. These services use one or more of the database service providers as their back-end partners and hence you can not only get the same benefit as going to the primary provider but better service and more choices. Choosing such a lead management platform might solve a lot of technical issues and maintenance efforts for your team. And your lead buyers and sales team will be happy that you addressing their pain points!
