Thinking About Buying Leads?

It's a very simple but expensive lesson in email marketing:

NEVER, EVER, EVER buy leads!
I know this is an un-popular thing to say in the internet marketing business... But, no matter how hard you try to be sure that the leads you buy are genuine, unless you get them yourself, the chances are very slim that they really are what the generator claims them to be.

Lead "Generators" use various methods to acquire leads, none of which are entirely honest:

• They create lead-capture and/or squeeze pages with generic "Work Online" promises then promote them like crazy and, in addition to adding sign-ups to their own list, they promptly sell their 'leads' (otherwise known as 'opt-ins') to others. This is the least mis-leading form of lead capture, although it makes promises you may not be comfortable with (that is, these are the famous, "do nothing and earn $60K a month" ads)



• They use a "search engine submission" system and, while that does submit the information to the search engines (which hasn't been necessary since about 2002, ever since search engines were able to automatically update their own lists), they also use/sell those 'leads'



• They create bogus search engines (veretekk is famous for this), which are then promoted to the above search engine submission systems so they, too, can use those 'leads'



• They also use a program called a 'troller' which, basically, combs the entire internet for any information that reads 'aname@thisdomain.anything' They then take THAT and sell it as 'leads'



• They also use highly appealing sites such as gaming sites, etc., just to capture leads, which are then sold off (any site that does not specifically say that they respect your privacy -- and some that DO -- probably doesn't)

And, on top of everything else, no matter how much they swear up-and-down that these are "unique leads" -- your VERY OWN-- BAH! They're selling those leads left and right. Just look at your own spam, if you don't believe me.

By the way (just a quick aside), this also explains why and how a brand-spanking new email address ends up swamped with spam in just a few weeks, even email addresses that are never submitted anywhere.

Also, according to various sources "in the know," while spam laws are in place in most of the continental US and Europe, none exist in many of the Middle- and Far-Eastern countries. So... people there can send all the spam they want without any fear of consequence.But, unless you live in those countries, you take a huge risk when buying leads.

Truth is, 99.999% of them are not at all 'opt-ins' or 'double-opt-ins', no matter what the lead generators promise. And they often take the attitude that it's not their problem... they're not sending the emails... you get what you deserve, for trying to take short-cuts and cheat the system... Just like the devil himself: they lure you in, sell you something worthless, then what?

Leave YOU holding the bag when someone complains about being spammed to either their email server or the affiliate program mentioned in your email. And, even more, they have the audacity to actually blame you!

THIS happens ALL - THE - TIME!

And here's the best part. The potential results of a spam complaint lodged against you are any and all of the following:

• Losing your auto-responder account
  (If the complaint is sent to your A-R; and that includes your entire 'opt-in' list)



• Losing your Affiliate membership
  (Including any referrals, commissions or paid memberships)



• Losing your website
  (If the complaint is lodged with your host-server)

The ONLY way to SAFELY ACQUIRE leads is by using your own lead-capture page and advertising it yourself! Period.

With any other method, the risk of losing all that you've worked for, is ridiculously high. You might as well drink 10 shots of tequila, then get in your car and drive past the local police station with your lights off (at night) and your radio blasting. It's THAT bad!