Internet Killing The Lead Generators?

It's well-known that the Internet is MASSIVE on so many levels whether you want to find something out, a person out, join a network through some kind of social media or use it to promote a business.

As time goes by its uses are growing and with it the way we communicate, as well as how we communicate.

Another big impact the Internet is having is with Data! Personal information is a valuable asset. Telemarketers have known this for years, capitalizing on this for some time. Lead generation companies main source of income is generated through their data and their ability to target prospective customers as possible sales leads for businesses.

Research has shown that the good old-fashioned method of telephone consumer lifestyle surveys has not died out, and is as profitable as before. But how long will this last?

With the growth of social media websites, businesses are now beginning to generate their own leads.

The new updated social media sales funnel incorporates all the aspects of how business's can attract and engage with prospective customers - namely sales leads.

There are a number of different analysis of social media sales funnels. The one I favour is by Peter Chang where he sites: Awareness and Perception, Subscribers, Engagement and Interaction, Advocacy and Influence, Leads, Conversions and Loyalty as layers to the social media sales funnel.

Indeed, the "funnel" is alive and well, and continues to be very useful as a model in marketing to understand the buying behavior.

What if you don't get to the end of the funnel and make a sale? How do you a generate a lead from somebody who has visited your website and maybe not bought any of your products....yet? The idea is to get their data. The traditional method of telephone surveys works of course for the telephone and so for the internet something similar is required.

However, unlike the telephone where you can be charming and engage your prospective sales lead with a natural human element of voice interaction, the internet requires another method. Most people won't give up any personal information if they are not getting something in return, and if it's not human energy exchange and the promise of something they will find valuable, then it needs to be something else like a free trial or a white paper - then you get the data and they get a goodie of some sorts to keep or try out.

When you have the data you have another prospective customer - a target to hit campaigns onto, deals and information.

Two main hurdles that present themselves are 1) even if your incentive is enticing, if your form - survey is too long some people just may not bother; 2) what data should you gather?

An ingenious new programme offers a solution to this....Now I can't get away with mentioning what it is, however this revolutionary new social media tool has a unique function that makes it a must for small businesses. It works by being able to gain access to the name of a person, their age, gender, occupation and what social networks they use by simply providing their email address. The ease and cost effectiveness of this service are its biggest assets. Quick and easy to use it cuts out the middle man, namely companies that make money out of data sales like lead generation companies. Here small businesses can generate their own leads by hitting target groups. Another advantage is that being a social media tool it allows you to keep up with customers and prospective customers through social media sites like Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter.

But where does this leave Internet lead generation companies, who will no doubt not be able to compete with such a device.

As mentioned at the start, telephone sales has not died a death yet, not even with the mass increase of internet users. So as long as people use the telephone, telephone consumer lifestyle surveys will still function...perhaps the next generation of current two-year olds will find a way to cipher that out too...until then Hail the telephone!

In the 80's the Buggles claimed that Video killed the Radio star, in the 2010's will the Internet kill the Telephone?...well not so far..