The CAKE team recently attended Lead Generation World London to meet existing CAKE customers, network, and learn about the 2022 trends impacting the lead generation industry in Europe. Lead Generation World is a global event that takes place in the United States and the United Kingdom and brings together lead generators, performance marketers, and service providers with the goal of collectively evolving the lead generation industry. The event focuses on offering best practices and insights from industry leaders that enable advertisers and lead buyers to maximize the profitability of their lead generation efforts.

Based on event sessions and networking opportunities, there are three prominent trends set to strengthen and drive forward lead generation and distribution in Europe.

ONE: Affiliates maximizing the value of first-party data

Within performance marketing, affiliates are compensated for driving consumers directly to an advertiser’s landing page where they hopefully go on to convert. This method is still largely in existence today, however, a shift is taking place where affiliates are also collecting their own first-party data. In other words, affiliates are becoming brands by building a database of consumers that they can connect to lead buyers, nurture, and remarket to over time.

With their own database, affiliates know exactly who the consumers are, what made them convert, and the products and services they are looking for. This approach is very powerful for affiliates interested in creating emotional, long-term, and profitable connections with consumers that were previously anonymous to them. The information tells affiliates:

• How to sell the lead to the best buyer for the highest profit
• How to follow up with the lead once it has been sold
• How to remarket to and monetize the lead again in the future

When affiliates create an emotional connection with their customers the affiliate becomes a trusted source that customers will continue to rely on to curate the best deals for them. For affiliates, the expansion towards customer loyalty translates into greater returns and a more predictable revenue stream.

TWO: Trust and transparency are non-negotiables with lead distribution

A successful lead distribution program requires a mutual understanding between lead sellers and lead buyers that the data being acquired and sold is high quality. Europe has paved the way for brands to utilize affiliate marketing through ecommerce by developing an emotional connection with consumers. This connection creates trust between the brand and consumer. As a result, the demand for transparency has become hardwired into the European consumer experience.

When it comes to lead distribution, European performance marketers are taking what they know from the ecommerce sector and demanding the same level of transparency. Lead sellers want clarity into where the lead came from, the lead acquisition cost, and the ability to deep dive into the data. Lead buyers want assurance that the lead is from a trusted, verified source. In summary, for lead distribution to gain momentum open communication is essential between lead buyers and sellers. This can be solved by leveraging lead distribution technology that enables marketers to optimize lead acquisition efforts and provide insights into the original traffic source, buyer lead statuses, and lead quality reports.

THREE: Multi-selling leads is a new approach in Europe

The goal of lead distribution is to sell leads for the highest possible price while ensuring lead buyers are satisfied with quality. Though there are two main lead selling approaches (exclusive (1 to 1) and multi-sell (1 to many), the majority of lead distributors and buyers in Europe work on an exclusive basis. Culturally, the perception in Europe has been that multi-selling leads is not fair to the consumer or buyer.

Fortunately, the converse is actually true. When a lead is sold multiple times this results in consumers receiving multiple quotes for the product or service they are interested in. Consumers can then confidently select the option that best fits their personal criteria and budget. As more performance marketers recognize the value of connecting customers to multiple buyers who can provide competitive quotes, multi-selling leads will become a new standard in Europe.

To learn more about getting started with lead distribution, the important role technology plays in driving transparency, and how to ensure the highest profit per lead, download the whitepaper below.

Better Together

Adding Value to Your Affiliate Program With Lead Distribution

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• Lead Distribution Trends and the Growth Potential for the UK Market
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• How to Run a Successful Lead Generation Program on CAKE