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Lead generation is the creation of prospective consumer interest or inquiry into products or services by signing up for an advertiser offer that includes contact and demographic information. It is a sector that is maturing quickly with annual growth of 71%.

If done well lead generation can be highly effective. It is of particular use to companies with a quantifiable projected revenue stream, such as utilities, insurance companies and TV or magazine subscriptions – businesses that can forecast the flow of future income if they sign up a new customer. 

Lead generation is also very good value, making it particularly relevant in the current economic climate. It allows businesses to quickly understand whether the campaign is working. For every £1 spent they get a tangible item on their database  - a customer who wants to be sold to.

At Sports New Media we see lead generation as an integral part of the process of connecting brands with fans and we have put all of our knowledge and experience to use in our recent campaign with Setanta Sports.

There are many ways in which leads can be generated, but we generate them naturally through search platforms and via our own PFA site (www.givemefootball.com), as well as through partner sites. Our methods are visible and allow clients to track their leads from the source through to the tangible data.

From Google, the PFA site or affiliated websites, potential customers are directed to the PFA fans’ player of the month award page. They then complete a questionnaire with the incentive of presenting their favourite star with the award, encouraging them to share their data. The data they impart is then stored on our database and in turn passed on to Setanta.

What the client then chooses to do with the data is entirely up to them, but the details of potential customers from a specific and targeted demographic can be put to various uses.

Whilst we understand best practices and always ensure they are carried out, if done badly lead generation can be a waste of both time and money. The crudest and perhaps least effective method is to purchase leads from aggregators.

Aggregators are companies that buy leads from online marketers and in turn sell them on to brands. Although such a system allows a third party to do the work for you, the downside is that how and where the leads have come from and whether or not they are wholly relevant to your brand is unknown.

With lead generation you are creating a relationship with consumers. At Sports New Media we understand the importance of connecting brands with fans and making sure that relationship is mutually beneficial to both parties.