Prospectiv's president and CEO separates myth from reality and defines best practices in online lead generation.

Few marketers can afford to overlook the benefits of online lead generation as a tool to find highly qualified consumers interested in their brand and products, especially when compared to traditional marketing methods. Direct mail, telemarketing and print or TV advertising bring drawbacks such as a high cost per lead, lack of precision targeting and uncertain return on investment (ROI). And, these methods require added investment to analyze program effectiveness. 

Many studies show that today's consumers increasingly are receptive to receiving the marketing messages they ask for while they're online, making the case for online lead generation. Consumer comfort with online lead generation, where they are in control and can select who they want to hear from, will push the industry to a $1 billion business globally in 2007, according to a research report by investment banking analyst firm GP Bullhound, positioning it as one of the internet's fastest growing and most dynamic marketing categories.

As marketing dollars continue to head online and consumers gain more control over the messages they receive, it's more important than ever for brand marketers to understand the myths and realities of online lead generation. In this article, we will look at a number of myths, and present best practice tips and "how-to's" that will help marketers drive the highest results from online lead generation campaigns.

The myths fall into six categories:

The effects of Web 2.0 
Types of businesses best positioned to use online lead generation effectively 
The business benefits of giving consumers more control over what they receive 
The role of search 
Contextual targeting 
Testing and constructing an appealing offer