At the same time, lead generation can be extremely expensive and time consuming. Leads range anywhere from $5 to $25, depending on how difficult it is to get the leads.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money buying leads for your website or product.  You can get more leads, traffic, and visitors using simple lead generation methods .

Free Business Lead Generation Method #1:  Go Viral!

Viral Pictures & Memes

Anything that is ‘viral’ has the ability to spread online easily.  One way to generate a viral picture which is closely connected with your products.  Everyone likes funny pictures and they don’t mind sharing it with others.

For example, if you’re selling a health product, then you may create a funny/creative/thoughtful image  related to your product or service with your website’s name on it.  Then forward the image to your contacts or upload it to a social networking site such as Reddit or Imgur. If you create an original, humorous, and interesting, your image will be shared  with hundreds of thousands of online users.

Viral Video

Videos are the most famous entertainment on the Internet.  Overnight sensations have been born due to an uploaded video that went viral.

Produce original and creative viral videos about your product or message and put your link in it. If you got 3 minutes video, then make sure your website’s link is visible throughout the whole 3 minutes.  If you don’t have the necessary tools to create a video or if you have a limited budget, then you can simply collect 5-10 viral pictures and make a movie slideshow with free software such as Windows Movie Maker.   Then just upload it to You Tube or Google Videos.

Free Business Lead Generation Method #2: Yahoo Answers!

 If you’re trying to think of fantastic ways lead generation technique for your new website or products,  Yahoo Answers is what you need.  Yahoo Answers is a social-based platform where potential leads can ask questions on virtually any topic.

Simply do a simple search on Yahoo Answers for questions regarding your niche.  Then answer the questions your potential business leads ask, leaving a link to your website as a resource.  The secret to using Yahoo Answers isn’t to ‘sell’ or ‘convert sales’.  Instead, the purpose of Yahoo Answers is to generate interest in your product and/or website.  Make sure your answer doesn’t sound ‘salesy’.

As you will gain reputation as a trusted member, more potential business leads will turn to you for additional advice.

Free Business Lead Generation Method #3: Forum Marketing!

 Marketing on bulletin boards and forums is similar to Yahoo Answers.  While forum marketing is fairly easy, it does take a bit of hard work and creativity. Getting business leads by marketing your service or product on internet forums is an excellent way to get your name out there. Forum marketing is a very “grass roots” type of marketing. If done right, this type of lead generation really can be a free source of leads and prospects for your business, product, or website..

Begin by doing a search for 10 or more forums that are related to your niche.  Make sure the forums are fairly active.  Join these forums and become an active contributor.   Marketing on forums is one of the most effective lead generation method.  But there is a catch!

Most marketers forget that online forums are actually mini communities.  If you simply sign up and register with the intention of spamming your product…think again.  Most likely, spam or salesy behavior will turn your audience off from you.

It is important to choose the right community that fits your niche AND THEN BECOME A PART OF THAT COMMUNITY.  Respect the forum’s rules.  Understand the culture of the community’s forum.  Blend in as much as you can.   Remember to build credibility and trust.

Free Business Lead Generation Method #4:  Article Marketing

Article marketing, or ‘bum marketing’, involves writing articles about your niche product or service.  Then the article is submitted to article submission sites such as Ezine Articles or Go Articles.  Before you submit your article, you include a few links to your website or contact site.  Writing articles can make you an ‘expert’ in your niche area of interest.

However, there is another benefit to article marketing. By including a link back to your website, you can help your website’s search engine rankings.  Not only do you benefit from potential leads from those who read your article, but  your website can improve in rank because of additional ‘link backs’ to your website….but that’s a different topic.

When it comes to lead generation, article marketing can give you a solid advantage over the paid methods, such as pay-per-click.

Free Business Lead Generation Method #5:  Social Networking

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube are household names.  It is no longer possible to gain a strong business leads while ignoring these social media giants.

Keeping  your finger on the pulse of social media marketing will get your message to millions of business leads and potential customers.

If you are a small business owner and don’t know how to advertise your product on social media, then start with Facebook.   Approximately 650 million people around the world use Facebook to communicate and share information with one another.   Creating a Facebook fan page and link it to your website can help expose your service and/or product to countless number of potential business leads.

Just as with article marketing, the purpose of social media marketing is to gain leads to your website or product, not to sell anything.  Avoid spamming or sounding too salesy.  Use social networking sites to promote your products and links.  If you got a nice profile with beautiful pictures in it, i bet you’ll get a lot of visits from other members.

How do you generate free business leads?  Please leave a comment and share your experiences and sources with the community .

Results from the community powered Business Opportunity Search Engine are much more focused than a general search engine and they will continue to learn and adapt, anonymously and automatically, based on the search behavior of every search you request. http://www.businessopportunitysearchengine.com

I have seen a few similiar questions to mine, however I’m wondering if anyone can help me out…

Like many others, I have been searching for an online opportunity/business which will give me an extra income in addition to my everyday job. My request is pretty simple, I want to be able to do my normal job during the day and come home at night/ weekends, sit at my computer and do something that is going to bring in an income. However, I don’t want to have to call people, sell anyone products, conduct recruitment sessions, fill out surveys (was scammed in the past)….

Im hoping that someone might be able to put me on track to a company that they themselves are working with or that they know of that will genuinely allow me to do work from home and be paid for it (along the lines of data entry etc)… All i keep finding is thousands and thousands of ads telling me I can earn $000′s a day/a month for just a small joining fee…
PLEASE PLEASE HELP!!!

would you be interested in writing?

You could setup a blog or website, this is completely free. Once you have added some good content, you can start to earn money from advertising. I know you wont make a huge income from this, but it would get you started working from home.

Pick a topic which you are very interested in, and write a piece on that everyday.

I’ve given step by step instructions on how to create a website for free, and then add adverts to it so you can start generating income.

Any questions please leave a comment on this blog.

http://your-first-blog.blogspot.com/

I’ve also found some useful information on this blog which I found today, it helps you to earn small amounts of money from data entry, surveys, receiving telephone calls, reading adverts in emails and online selling.

http://genuinedataentry.blogspot.com/

I have created a site that explains several ways of making money online.Ceck it out and tell me what you think.

http://www.squidoo.com/justsellstuff

We have 4 children and she has been wanting to find something she could do part time, while I am home (I work 12 hour shifts 3 x’s a week).

We looked online and we read a lot of Mary Kay horror stories about how people have quit because seniority breathing down their backs to bring in more profit. Some people suggest Avon is better because you strictly work for yourself.

We would like to find something for her that is under $250 start up costs and something that will not create a stressed out life for her.

Any advice for or against Mary Kay or Avon? Or do you know better business opportunities that could keep our children being raised by a daycare center???

I’ve been in Mary Kay for about 6 mts. I have a husband and 3 kids (3 yrs, 10mts, and I’m 33 weeks pregnant). No one made me join, I joined because I love all the free prizes and all my Mary Kay sisters. There is no multilevel marketing, because no one makes a portion of what I make. Do I have people call me to see how I’m doing? Yes, but no one is telling me to sell, sell, sell. Mary Kay truly believes in faith first, family second, and your career thrid and I love that. I think your wife would love it for the positive women and she would have the ability to make make 50% of what she sells in addition to a free car! I can get excited about that!

Good parent company (New Vision) with good leadership.

Binary pay plan – not to my liking but some folks swear by them.

I think using the web as a presentation model is fine. Great way to give information, allow ordering, sign ups, etc.

However these automated "fear of loss" downline building systems look great on paper but seldom deliver.

They sound duplicatable, but they aren’t. To use them successfully you have to be able to drive a huge amount of traffic to your site – that means you know how to do that or buy thousands of leads weekly and monthly. Most new people won’t be able to do that.

Some get frustarted at the lack of duplication and decide to build it themselves. But by doing so you instill a "something for nothing" lazy attitude in new recruits.

Again, I think Vemma is a fine opportunity, but I don’t have much use for "automated" downline building systems.