This is an awesome article written by Robert Regehr, who blogs about Mortgage Refinancing.

I found this awesome Customer Value Chain Diagram from Flickr, that shows Lead Generation as the critical starting point! The notes under this image available here states “Understanding the value chain as it applies to lead management. Not only is lead management the critical connectivity between lead generation and CRM, but it is also the secures the efficiency and economy across important value transitions where customers, leads, or revenue is typically lost. “

Lead generation is one of the most profitable methods of monetizing your blog. Lead generation isn’t limited to niche blogs in the financial sector; you’d be surprised how easy it is to generate leads in almost any niche. Here are several tips to help you decide if lead generation is appropriate for your blog and strategies to help get your feet wet in the lucrative field of online lead generation.

What is Internet Lead Generation?

Lead generation is not new; it’s been around for years before the Internet existed in the form of direct mail marketing. Lead generation has evolved since the advent of Internet marketing and it has become a highly profitable business model that even the most novice blogger can profit from. That’s right, any blogger can benefit from lead generation, with just about any topic.

So, what is lead generation? It is simply matching your visitor’s interest in a product or service with a business capable of satisfying their needs. Suppose that I blog about cars and I’ve written a detailed article about a Ford Mustang convertible. I get a fair about of search engine traffic from people searching for information about Ford Mustangs, and I feel like I’m giving my visitors quality content. As a reader of my blog I’m interested in purchasing a Ford Mustang and in this example I’m probably willing to give my contact information to get more information about the car. This is the basics of what lead generation is all about.

Types of Internet Lead Generation

There are two basic types of lead generation you need to be aware of. These two types are leads that are incentivized and those that are un-incentivized. An incentivized lead is generated by offering people something tangible in return for their information. You’ve seen these offers online where you can register to win an IPod in exchange for taking a survey or signing up for a sales pitch. Most businesses do not want their leads incentivized as the quality of these leads is very low. As a blogger you’re interested in generating un-incentivized leads as these are not only more profitable but represent a legitimate and sustainable business model. [Hey, I’m Proud of my unique partnerships, and promote my incentives big-time! Especially since these joint ventures don’t last for long. Also, note, I’m a “unique” case with unique circumstances with 0% unsubscriptions. You can too, with my tips here!]

• Lead Generation Methods for Bloggers

The most basic, albeit least profitable method of generating leads with your blog is to register with one of the big CPA networks like Commission Junction. CPA stands for “cost per action” and basically means that you get paid a set amount every time someone clicks on your link and fills out a form. When you register with these networks you’ll be provided a unique hyperlink that you can imbed in your content. When visitors to your blog click on your link and goes on to enter their contact information, you’ll get paid whether they make a purchase or not. This is the great thing about lead generation; your success is not dependent on someone reaching for their wallet and making a purchase. [I’m a member of Commission Junction, and half-dozen others. But, they all well…read the next paragraph!]

• Brokering Lead for Yourself

A much more profitable business model to follow as a blogger is to broker leads for yourself. While this takes considerably more effort, the rewards can be equally great. Lead brokering means that you are collecting information from your visitors related to your niche and selling leads to local businesses for a commission. There’s a high demand for quality leads in most niches; in fact most businesses are crying out for quality leads. If you can help meet this need you are not only profiting from your blogging you’re building a future-proof, sustainable business.

Lead brokering is easier than it sounds. You are basically identifying a need that your blog readers have, providing quality content, and collecting contact information for your leads. Once you’ve identified this need you can approach businesses to sell your leads. You can do this with local business in your hometown or nationwide depending on the service and reach of your content. How do you approach a business with an offer to sell leads? The simplest way is to call them up on the telephone. You’ll find the person you need to pitch with your offer. Trade magazines and classified newspapers are also valuable sources for business. Look at the advertisements in these publications and you’ll know what the businesses are looking for in potential customers.

How Do You Collect Your Leads?

The simplest way to collect leads on your blog is to use an auto responder service. Aweber is an ideal choice for bloggers because it allows you to define custom fields for your lead generation. Aweber also allows you to export this information that you will provide to the businesses purchasing your leads. There are legal issues you’ll need to address before generating leads with your blog and a good privacy policy is a must. Whenever you’re dealing with other people’s contact information it is important to fully disclose what you’re doing with the information. [I use wahmcart. It’s cheaper (with unlimited # of campaigns), and a shoppingcart/autoresponder “lead generattion” tool all-in-one. You can try it for 14-days for #1. P.S. I bought the 6-month special; dozens of buckeroos less than aWeber ].

Lead generation isn’t difficult and is a monetization strategy that just about any blog can profit from. If you’re struggling with finding the best monetization strategy for your blog consider generating leads related to your niche. You can find advanced lead generation strategies and lead buyer contacts online by searching internet marketing forums and related blogs.

Please share some link-love, thoughts, concerns, issues, and questions below for Robert and/or I to attend to. This is the beginning of Guest Blogger series, as I’m desperately trying to get from Ohio to Connecticut during this week. Also…I am not well these days, I had 2 brain-pain-attacks this weekend alone…and well, I need tons of self-empowerment and faith to lead me and my girlz. Much thanks for awesome contribution Robert!

blogs generate leads incentivized internet marketing lead generation niche profitable methods robert regehr search engine traffic win an ipod

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Posted on August 28th, 2007 by Ponn Sabra
Filed under: Blogging, Entrepreneurialism