What is lead generation?

Online lead generation is one of the most cost effective and measurable ways to acquire new customers. Online lead generation is about getting contact details for potential customers who have requested information on an advertiser’s product or service. In the current economic climate, marketers are increasingly looking to channels that are accountable and where return on investment is easily calculable. Lead generation takes an advertiser a step closer to a converted customer than many “traditional” forms of online marketing. Ultimately online lead generation is about customer acquisition. Lead generation is categorised as performance marketing and a business model which was introduced in Europe in year 2000.

What is a lead?

A lead is a piece of information about a consumer who has stated they are interested in a product or service and given their express consent to be contacted about that product or service. This person has responded to some form of response-geared marketing because they are in the market for the advertiser’s product or service.

A lead can in its simplest form be a consumer’s name and email address but may also contain full contact details as well as a suite of information about the product or service the consumer is interested in.

Lead generation can also allow the marketer to define what profile of prospective customer they want to target - only paying for each lead as it is received and returning leads which do not match the pre-defined criteria.

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