25

Mar

Sometimes Shady World of ‘Lead Generation’ Now Has its Very Own Conference

Posted by: Jeremy Reither

Lead Generation on the web (or ‘Lead Gen’ for short) is, in essence, the practice of enticing website users to give you their personal information online. Lead gen sites come in various types, such as:

• Debt Reduction: LowerMyBills.com
• Credit Card Applications: CreditCards.com
• Insurance Quotes: NetQuote.com
• Business Opportunities (aka: Biz Opp): BizOpp.com

Many are legitimate, and some are questionable at best. Just like every industry lead gen has its bad apples, but for some reason lead gen has gotten a particularly bad rap. So, it surprised some people when a conference sprouted up to appeal to the lead gen market in particular: LeadsCon. In a way just having a conference legitimizes the marketplace a little, but it will be interesting to hear feedback from attendees after the conference is over.

It’s obvious that the LeadsCon people are aware of the preconcieved notions that many have about lead gen. And you can bet that people from both sides of the fence (black hat and white hat) will be in attendance. I recently saw this comment on a ReveNews post, which acknowledged the dichotomy:

“Is [lead gen] as evil and filthy as many would have us believe or is it just forever mis-understood?”

I’m guessing the LeadsCon hosts will do their best to address that question and others like it. I, for one, wish I could be there to witness the first LeadsCon, but I won’t be able to make it. I will be following news of the event, though, and reporting back to you whether lead gen as an industry is any better understood after LeadsCon than it was before.