Use Co-Registration To Generate Quality Leads
Co-registration, once a little-known Web marketing tool,
continues to quickly garner widespread usage. First used by just
a few of the largest online marketers, co-registration has gone
mainstream as marketers discover that it is a simple and
cost-effective way to quickly build a large mailing list of
potential customers.
Co-registration leverages the online sign-up process. While it
is most common on Web sites for Internet tools, like free email
or file storage, it can be implemented on any site where users
are required to register. Co-registration takes advantage of the
information input by users in the registration form to sign them
up for additional services, often by simply checking an opt in
box at the end of the form. Nearly every Internet user has come
across co-registration on Web sites such as Hotmail and Yahoo.
The benefit of co-registration is a tremendously high volume of
leads from interested customers, generally on a
return-on-investment-friendly cost per action (CPA) or cost per
lead (CPL) basis. Opt in rates can be as high as 15 percent to
20 percent, resulting in thousands of new leads daily. This
makes co-registration a highly effective tool to quickly build a
large mailing list or recruit a potential customer base. Plus,
with email list rental prices as high as 20 cents to 30 cents
per name, co-registration can help you build and own a mailing
list for about the same cost as just one or two list rentals.
Many Web sites have taken notice of this revenue opportunity,
which has resulted in a rapid increase in the number of sites
where co-registration is offered. With dozens of new outlets
available, co-registration is a fit for many marketers' needs
and budget.
Marketing advice site BasicLingo.com suggests these points to consider when creating a
co-registration campaign:
1. Placement is everything. Partner with Web sites that have
user base demographics similar to your own to produce the
highest-quality results. Long-term co-registration partnerships
will result in heavy overlap between your user base and your
partners', so be sure to weigh that risk, especially when
partnering with potential competitors. A small number of
networks now offer co-registration services, thereby simplifying
the site selection process.
2. Follow-up is key. Users obtained through co-registration have
likely never been to your Web site and may quickly forget that
they have signed up for it. Co-registration provides you with a
steady stream of leads; it's up to you to convert them into
customers. A thorough email follow-up plan designed to convert
co-registration leads into active users yields the best results.
3. Price is fluctuating. With prices rapidly changing for most
online marketing tools and limited history for co-registration,
prices currently vary widely from 25 cents to 25 dollars per
co-registration. Factors affecting price include the amount of
information collected from each user, the quality of a partner's
user base and negotiating skill. ROI calculations are key when
determining price, based on conversion rate and customer
acquisition cost. Avoid opportunities priced on an impression or
click basis.
4. Keep it simple. Typically, co-registration offers users just
a one- or two-sentence description of the service for which they
are signing up. Gear copy and information requirements toward
gaining qualified leads, not lifelong customers. Consider
incorporating a promotion, such as a sweepstakes or free
newsletter to increase opt in rates.
5. Never require an opt out. While most co-registration is done
on an opt in basis, occasionally some programs are run on an opt
out basis. With opt in rates frequently as high as they are,
sacrificing quality to increase quantity via opt out is a poor
trade-off.