Here is a wonderful article on one of the industry leaders for lead generation -
QuinStreet: Move This Spam Company To Your Junk Folder - QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ:QNST) | Seeking Alpha
My advice to everyone on here is to learn as much about the lead gen industry as possible. A typical lead is generated via affiliate marketing and then placed in a ping tree --> highest bidder wins the lead. This person can now decide to resell in another ping tree for a markup or sell the lead to numerous people.
Odds are you are not getting the lead yet.
Large aggregators are plugged into these ping trees and they then use call centers to qualify the lead and sell to you as a transfer. If they cannot get the person on the phone, they will then sell to you as an "exclusive internet lead" along with another 3-5 other agents.
It is not unheard of for a lead to make 4-6 "stops" before someone pays for it at an incredible markup.
I am not an agent, I have been involved in online lead gen for almost 20 years, but if I WAS an agent I would be as deep into the lead gen business as I am the insurance business. For research, I have put information into an insurance lead gen website using a google phone number and the number was dialed over 87 times in the next 5 days.
So, how do you protect yourselves?
#1 - trust no one. I have watched numerous companies claim on this forum they generate their own leads (internal media buying, social media marketing, black magic) and I know that my company sells them leads via ping tree. Even after you buy for 30-45 days, they realize they have you "hooked" and can begin to sell you lower quality leads where they make more margin.
#2 - ping trees. Learn about them and get a seat at one. If you were in the business of buying beef, would you prefer to pay full retail at Trader Joes or be in the auction when they walk the cattle across the auction block? If you ever learned what leads sell for in the wholesale market, you would quickly figure out how to buy there.
#3 - ask tons of questions. "We generate our own leads"... sure you do "wink wink". Show me your websites you capture the lead on. Then plug that domain into similarweb.com. What vertical traffic do you use to generate leads? Does similarweb show that type of traffic to the site? Plug a google phone number into the domain they give you, what happens? Create a throwaway google email to use to complete these forms. How many times do they sell your info?
#4 - ask more questions.
This industry is begging to be cleaned up and I think it is concerning when one of the industry "leaders" is being picked apart in that article above. Do your homework because leads are an asset and you want to continually find the top value, while paying the least amount of money.
Happy to connect with anyone that has specific questions I can possibly help answer!
Good luck everyone.
QuinStreet: Move This Spam Company To Your Junk Folder - QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ:QNST) | Seeking Alpha
My advice to everyone on here is to learn as much about the lead gen industry as possible. A typical lead is generated via affiliate marketing and then placed in a ping tree --> highest bidder wins the lead. This person can now decide to resell in another ping tree for a markup or sell the lead to numerous people.
Odds are you are not getting the lead yet.
Large aggregators are plugged into these ping trees and they then use call centers to qualify the lead and sell to you as a transfer. If they cannot get the person on the phone, they will then sell to you as an "exclusive internet lead" along with another 3-5 other agents.
It is not unheard of for a lead to make 4-6 "stops" before someone pays for it at an incredible markup.
I am not an agent, I have been involved in online lead gen for almost 20 years, but if I WAS an agent I would be as deep into the lead gen business as I am the insurance business. For research, I have put information into an insurance lead gen website using a google phone number and the number was dialed over 87 times in the next 5 days.
So, how do you protect yourselves?
#1 - trust no one. I have watched numerous companies claim on this forum they generate their own leads (internal media buying, social media marketing, black magic) and I know that my company sells them leads via ping tree. Even after you buy for 30-45 days, they realize they have you "hooked" and can begin to sell you lower quality leads where they make more margin.
#2 - ping trees. Learn about them and get a seat at one. If you were in the business of buying beef, would you prefer to pay full retail at Trader Joes or be in the auction when they walk the cattle across the auction block? If you ever learned what leads sell for in the wholesale market, you would quickly figure out how to buy there.
#3 - ask tons of questions. "We generate our own leads"... sure you do "wink wink". Show me your websites you capture the lead on. Then plug that domain into similarweb.com. What vertical traffic do you use to generate leads? Does similarweb show that type of traffic to the site? Plug a google phone number into the domain they give you, what happens? Create a throwaway google email to use to complete these forms. How many times do they sell your info?
#4 - ask more questions.
This industry is begging to be cleaned up and I think it is concerning when one of the industry "leaders" is being picked apart in that article above. Do your homework because leads are an asset and you want to continually find the top value, while paying the least amount of money.
Happy to connect with anyone that has specific questions I can possibly help answer!
Good luck everyone.
