Generating leads is the lifeline of every marketer. Did you know that according to a survey by Forrester Research sixty percent of marketers say online advertising is more effective than traditional advertising when it comes to generating targeted leads. Online lead generation is even more appealing since once the process is in place generating leads on autopilot is how the activity takes place.

The process of generating leads on autopilot begins by creating something for the prospect. A special report, a gift, a CD, or an e-book are all good items to use to collect quality leads. Once you have the items in place, the next step is to design the materials to attract the buyers.

You can use a one-page website, commonly called a landing page. On this page, all you are doing is explaining your offer and its benefits. In order to receive the offer the reader must complete an online form. The sole purpose of this page is to get the prospect's name, address, and e-mail information.

The online form can be as simple as name and e-mail address or it can include other questions to help you learn more about your prospect. A word of caution, don't make your form too long. If there are too many questions, prospects often will either skip the less important questions or not even bother to fill out the form to get your freebie. Also, make sure to specify clearly the action you want the reader to take. For example, To receive your free... complete the form below.

Once your landing page is complete, submit it to the search engines and create online ads to direct the prospect to your page. The next step is collecting the leads and delivering your offer.

If your offer is digital, the easiest way to deliver is to use auto-responder software or services. Auto-responders allow you to set up your message, attach the free information you are providing, and automatically send it to the requester. If you choose, you can also use the auto-responder to send other messages automatically at designated intervals.

The auto responder delivers the information immediately, and stores the requestor's e-mail address and other information in your database. Voila! You are generating leads on autopilot. Once this process is set-up it can provide valuable leads for you time after time without your input. Thus, the entire lead generating system is virtually hands free.