The Lead Generation Marketplace Grows Up
By Peter Klein | SVP, Media Services
Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt of an op-ed that was originally published in Revenue Performance magazine. Read the full opinion piece here.
Source: Revenue Performance magazine
The lead generation industry has matured and is now reaching an inflection point. While some companies will fall by the wayside, it represents a positive change and will create many new opportunities.
The good news is that “Online Darwinism,” for lack of a better term, has effectively eliminated many companies that refused to adhere to the basic values that once made them successful.
The great news is that new service and marketing channels continue to arise to support the marketplace.
And the best news? The future offers endless possibilities for those companies that operate in an ethical manner and add value for their partners.
Lead generation is growing up. Advertisers want strategic partners to provide true performance marketing, which includes lead generation and lead nurturing to a sale. They need expert guidance to develop proper technology and intelligent media plans rather than short-term profit taking.
Technology platforms are getting more robust, lead quality can now be monitored on the front- and backend, and marketers are graded more extensively on consumer engagement. A full suite of products is available to anyone wanting to engage in online marketing and will help drive marketing efforts through the next decade.
There are four main drivers of change in the lead generation marketplace:
Lead Tracking Platforms
Once owned entirely by DirectTrack, the lead tracking platform marketplace continues to grow. DirectTrack seems to have lost market share with Cake the current leader in the space while other solid platforms like Hitpath, Linktrust, Effectus, Impact Radius and HasOffers continue to compete.
Whether the client is an affiliate network or an advertiser, users want close to 24/7 customer support, along with near perfect uptime. These platforms have been designed with the end user in mind, and can support pixel and server-toserver tracking, as well as many different tracking events. The need for marketers to build their own lead-tracking technology diminishes every day. Read more …
Kindle
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