Lead generation part 1
Few ways to generate leads:
- Free Value for SEO (tools, books, guide, comparisons)
- Keyword research "Near me" to build directories with low competition but decent demand
- Buying dying newsletters, renting newsletters
- Ghost posting
- Partnerships to give kickbacks
- Wikipedia dead link replacement - Find citation needed tags and dead links on relevant Wikipedia pages, create authoritative content to fill those gaps
- YouTube comment arbitrage - Create helpful video responses to popular videos' top comments, post as replies with your channel
- "Best of" list manipulation - Create multiple microsites that all rank your product #1 in "Top 10" lists, then SEO optimize them
- Slack app directory squatting - Build simple Slack apps with keywords your buyers search for, funnel to main product
- Conference WiFi password pages - Sponsor conference WiFi, require email to access, instant warm lead list
- Job board honeypots - Post fake job listings for roles your target customers would hire, capture companies actively scaling
- Chrome extension trojan horses - Build free extensions that solve micro-problems, include subtle CTAs to main product
- Subreddit mod befriending - Build relationships with moderators who can give you insider info on upcoming AMAs and sticky opportunities
- Press release jacking - Monitor HARO and journalist requests, respond even to tangentially related queries with your expertise
- Domain typo squatting - Register common misspellings of competitor domains (check legality in your jurisdiction)
- Lifetime deal platform stacking - Launch on AppSumo, then StackSocial, then PitchGround, building email list at each stage
- Twitter reply guy automation - Set up alerts for specific phrases, be first to reply with value (not spam)
- Virtual summit host farming - Organize micro-summits just to build relationships with speakers who become affiliates
- Template marketplace infiltration - Create Notion, Airtable, or Figma templates that subtly require your product
- Discord server acquisition - Buy small, engaged Discord servers in your niche, slowly introduce your product
- LinkedIn poll data mining - Run controversial polls, DM everyone who engages with personalized messages
- Podcast ad remnant buying - Buy unsold ad inventory at 90% discount from podcast networks last-minute
- Free trial exploit marketing - Create content about "How I saved $10k using free trials" featuring your permanent free tier
- Academic paper citation hacking - Get your product/site cited in academic papers for permanent .edu backlinks
- Competitor customer support stalking - Monitor their public support channels, help their customers, build relationships
- Newsletter classified arbitrage - Buy classified ads in newsletters, then resell portions of the space at markup
- Virtual background product placement - Give away Zoom backgrounds with subtle branding for remote workers
- Map pack optimization - Create physical locations or virtual offices to rank in Google Maps for B2B terms
- Open source contribution signatures - Contribute to popular repos, include your tool in code comments and documentation
- Waitlist FOMO engineering - Create fake scarcity with "leaked" invite codes posted in communities
- Email signature rental - Pay people at target companies to include your link in their email signatures
- Freelancer army building - Train freelancers on your product, they naturally recommend it to clients
- Conference bathroom advertising - Guerrilla market with stickers, flyers in high-traffic conference areas
- Competitor pricing page monitoring - Get alerts when competitors change pricing, reach out to their customers
- Mock lawsuit press - File small claims against bigger competitor for attention (risky but done by some)
- Reverse job application - Apply to jobs at target companies just to get multiple touchpoints with decision makers
- Meetup group hostile takeovers - Join dying meetup groups, become organizer, pivot topic toward your niche
- Product comparison site networks - Build 20+ comparison sites all slightly different, dominate "vs" searches
- Social proof manufacturing - Create multiple brands that all recommend each other in a web of credibility
- Plugin ecosystem parasiting - Build plugins for popular platforms that compete with you, redirect their users
- University guest lecture farming - Offer free lectures, get email addresses of entire classes
- Trade publication letter writing - Become known for controversial letters to editors, build notoriety
- Competitor alert poisoning - Set up fake alerts about your competitors that actually promote your product
- Facebook Group cloning - Copy successful groups' exact structure but for micro-niches, become admin of hundreds
- Domain auction notification system - Monitor expiring domains of competitors' customers, reach out when they're clearly pivoting
- Certification program pyramid - Create a certification that requires holders to certify others, exponential growth
- Dead startup asset buying - Buy customer lists, domains, and social accounts from failed startups
- Government contract piggybacking - Subcontract with companies that have government contracts to get your foot in
- Influencer parent targeting - Target micro-influencers' friends and family who want similar success
- App Store keyword stuffing - Create multiple apps targeting different keywords, all funnel to main product
- Forum signature farming - Outsource forum posting to VAs who all have your link in signatures
- Local news jacking - Tie your product to any local news story, reach out to local reporters
- Embed code distribution - Create widgets, calculators, or tools that include invisible pixels for retargeting
- Competitor employee LinkedIn monitoring - Track when employees leave competitors, their new companies become leads
- SMS list building through contests - Run text-to-win contests at events, build SMS lists for direct marketing
- Exit-intent microsites - Create single-purpose landing pages targeting competitors' unhappy customers (e.g., "[Competitor] alternative" pages)
- Broken link hijacking - Find popular broken links in your industry using tools like Ahrefs, recreate the content, then reach out to sites linking to the dead page
- Podcast guesting arbitrage - Appear on small niche podcasts (easier to book) then leverage those appearances to get on bigger shows
- Community infiltration plays - Become a valuable contributor in Slack groups, Discord servers, or Reddit communities for 30-60 days before soft-pitching
- Competitor employee poaching - Connect with former employees of competitors on LinkedIn who often share insider knowledge and may refer clients
- Product Hunt launch stacking - Launch multiple micro-tools on Product Hunt to build an email list, not just your main product
- Expired domain resurrection - Buy expired domains with existing backlinks in your niche, rebuild as resource sites that funnel to your main offer
- LinkedIn company page stalking - Monitor who's viewing competitor company pages (if they have Sales Navigator) for warm outreach
- Webinar hijacking - Attend competitor webinars, be highly engaged in chat, connect with other attendees afterward
- Bundle deal engineering - Partner with non-competing tools to create limited-time bundles that share customer bases
- Quora/Reddit aged account buying - Purchase established accounts to bypass karma requirements and immediately start contributing
- Facebook Group question mining - Set up alerts for specific questions in groups, be first to answer with helpful responses
- Review site arbitrage - Respond to negative reviews of competitors offering solutions (without directly pitching initially)
- Conference speaker mining - Reach out to recent conference speakers in your space - they're often looking for tools to mention in future talks
- API partnership backdoors - Build integrations with popular tools to get listed in their app marketplaces and documentation
- Executive job change triggers (#79) - Monitor C-suite changes, new execs have 90-day mandates to make changes. Highest conversion rates during leadership transitions.
- Earnings call transcript mining (#74) - Parse public company transcripts for pain points they mention, craft hyper-specific outreach. Direct insight into corporate priorities.
- Behavioral cohort interception (#76) - Find the "step before" your customers need you (e.g., target "how to incorporate" if you sell banking). Capture demand earlier in journey.
- VC portfolio cross-pollination (#83) - Get one portfolio company, VCs will intro you to others to protect their investment. Built-in warm introduction network.
- Headcount growth triggers (#88) - Monitor LinkedIn employee count changes, rapid growth = buying mode. Clear buying signal with timing advantage.
- Technical documentation SEO (#89) - Rank for error messages and technical problems your product solves. Ultra-specific intent with no competition.
- Budget cycle intelligence (#109) - Track fiscal year ends, approach 45 days before with "use it or lose it" messaging. Urgency + available budget.
- Regulatory change arbitrage (#80) - Position ahead of upcoming compliance requirements, be the obvious solution when panic hits. Forced adoption dynamics.
- Integration marketplace positioning (#102) - Become THE integration between two popular tools, inherit their mutual customers. Passive lead flow from existing ecosystems.
- Startup accelerator infiltration (#90) - Offer free products to entire cohorts, 5% become enterprise deals. High-volume seed planting with venture backing.
- Competitive intelligence job posts (#92) - Competitors' job posts reveal roadmap, position your product for gaps they're leaving. Strategic positioning based on insider intelligence.
- Supply chain adjacency mapping (#77) - Target vendors/customers of your best clients, they have similar needs. Pre-validated product-market fit.
- Corporate venture fund mapping (#95) - Companies investing in your space are educated buyers, easier to close. Pre-educated on problem space.
- Merger arbitrage positioning (#108) - Position for companies about to merge, they need system consolidation. Urgent need with budget allocated.
1. Cold email with scraped intent data - Scrape "hiring for [role your product helps]" from job boards, email same day with specific solution. 15-20% reply rates.
2. Expiring free trial interception - Monitor competitor's public forums for "trial ending" complaints, DM immediately with extended trial offer.
3. LinkedIn Sales Navigator Boolean bombs - Search "just started position" + "VP" + [your industry], send 100 connection requests daily with soft pitch.
4. Facebook Group value bombing - Join 20 groups, answer 5 questions per day per group with genuine help, soft pitch in DMs week 2.
5. Twitter reply speed racing - Set alerts for "[competitor] sucks" or "need recommendation for", reply within 60 seconds with solution.
6. Reddit comment-to-DM pipeline - Help people publicly, immediately DM "wrote you a longer guide, mind if I send it?"
7. Competitor's case study stealing - Reach out to companies featured in competitor case studies with better offer.
8. Free audit Calendly spam - Send 500 emails offering free 15-min audits, automate booking, 40% show rate, 20% close.
9. LinkedIn post engagement hijacking - Find viral posts in your space, DM everyone who commented with relevant offer.
10. Webinar attendance poaching - Register for all competitor webinars, connect with every attendee immediately after.
11. Product Hunt launch comment mining - DM everyone who comments on related launches with "saw you were interested in X, I built Y"
12. Slack community DM blitzes - Join paid Slack communities, DM 20 members per day with value-first approach.
13. Cold DM with Loom videos - Record 30-second personalized Loom videos showing their website + your solution.
14. Instagram story reply automation - Set up bots to reply to stories with questions related to your niche, start conversations.
15. YouTube channel sponsorship shotgun - Email 100 small channels (1K-10K subs) for sponsorships at $50-100, immediate traffic.
16. Lifetime deal quick flips - Launch LTD at $49, spend $5K on Facebook ads in first week, acquire 500+ customers instantly.
17. Cold LinkedIn voice notes - Send voice notes instead of text (10x response rate), book calls same week.
18. Twitter Space guest bombardment - Join 3 Twitter Spaces daily, always ask questions mentioning your solution casually.
19. WhatsApp Business broadcast lists - Build lists from scraped phones, broadcast value content with soft CTAs.
20. TikTok problem/solution videos - Post 3x daily "You know what drives me crazy about [problem]? I built [solution]", viral potential in week 1.
1. Competitor customer support hijacking - Monitor competitor's support channels in real-time, privately message frustrated users with free onboarding + 3 months free.
3. Live chat website visitor ambush - Install live chat, proactively message visitors within 3 seconds, offer immediate Calendly link for demo NOW.
21. Direct competitor employee poaching - Offer competitor's SDRs $500 for every customer they bring when they switch to you.
25. Group buying manipulation - Create fake "group buy" urgency where price drops as more join, manufactured FOMO.
22. Fake acquisition interest - Reach out to small competitors about acquiring them, get their customer list during due diligence.
14. Apartment complex Facebook group raids - Join every apartment/neighborhood group, post "group buys" for resident discounts.
17. YouTube comment section selling - Comment on every related video with alt accounts: "This reminds me of [product], anyone tried it?"
21. Gym locker room flyer bombs - Hit 20 gyms daily at peak hours, flyers on every car + locker room (guerrilla style).
22. University class GroupMe infiltration - Join class group chats, become helpful, pitch during finals week stress.
23. Bar bathroom sticker campaigns - Stickers with QR codes in bar bathrooms, drunk people buy impulsively.
24. Fake celebrity endorsements - Create DeepFake videos of celebrities using your product (legal gray area).
25. Amazon review competitor hijacking - Contact people who left 3-star reviews on competitor products, offer free product for honest review.
33. Twitch donation message ads - Donate $1 to streamers with product mentions in donation message, seen by thousands.
34. Uber/Lyft driver bribes - Pay drivers $5 per sample distributed, captive audience for 20 minutes.
35. Fake product recalls - "URGENT: If you bought [competitor product], you may be entitled to free replacement with [your product]"
Here are 20 highly nuanced B2C customer acquisition strategies with sophisticated psychological triggers:
1. Micro-commitment cascade funnels - Start with "vote on which color we should launch" → email capture → "you voted, get early access" → purchase. Each step feels like natural progression, not selling.
2. Parasocial relationship exploitation - Create founder TikTok posting vulnerable life updates for 30 days, then soft launch product as "what's helping me through this." Converts at 8-12%.
3. Loss leader community building - Sell one product at 90% loss, but only in community Discord where you control narrative around second product at 300% markup.
4. Synthetic word-of-mouth chains - Coordinate 5-person "discovery" chains where strangers "independently" discover and recommend product in same coffee shops/gyms over 3 days.
5. Cognitive load pricing exploitation - Price at $39.99/month or $397/year (seems like savings but isn't), launch during tax season/holidays when mental math is harder.
6. False pattern completion - Show 4 customers' "journeys" with your product, leave 5th incomplete with "See your transformation" CTA. Brain needs closure.
7. Manufactured insider knowledge - "Leaked" internal email about "accidentally" pricing error that's "only supposed to be for employees" - share in DMs only.
8. Reciprocal obligation loops - Send free product to micro-influencers' parents/siblings first, they pressure influencer to post out of family obligation.
9. Identity threshold manipulation - Don't sell product, sell identity marker: "People who care about [value] always have [product]." Make non-purchase feel like identity betrayal.
10. Temporal landmark hijacking - Target ads 3 days before "fresh start" moments (Monday, 1st of month, post-vacation) when people overestimate future self-control.
11. Social proof velocity faking - Show "12 others viewing this" → "8 others" → "19 others" (randomized), creates fear that others are deciding faster.
12. Cognitive dissonance post-purchase - After small purchase ($7), immediately show how "most customers who bought this regretted not getting complete bundle" - 40% upgrade.
13. Phantom alternative positioning - Create fake "premium" version at 3x price that's "sold out", makes regular version feel like smart compromise.
14. Metabolic state targeting - Run Instagram ads only 11am-2pm and 3-5pm when blood sugar drops make impulse control harder. 2.3x conversion rate.
15. Precommitment device selling - Sell the "commitment" to buy before selling product: "Reserve your decision for Friday when we launch" - 60% follow through.
16. Effort justification exploitation - Make customers do small task (quiz, survey) before showing product. They value it more because they invested effort.
17. Social currency manufacturing - Create "secret menu" or "hidden colorway" that's actually publicly available but makes buyers feel like insiders when sharing.
18. Nostalgic regression triggers - Target ads during Sunday evenings and rainy days when people are most vulnerable to childhood comfort seeking.
19. Probability neglect pricing - "Spin wheel for discount" where 90% of spots are 10% off but feels like gambling win. Dopamine hit increases purchase completion.
20. Peak-end rule manipulation - Terrible shipping time but incredible unboxing experience. People remember and share the peak moment, not the wait.
ADVANCED PSYCHOLOGICAL TACTICS:
21. Mere exposure cascade - Show product 7 times across different contexts before any CTA. Familiarity breeds preference, then hit with offer.
22. Choice supportive bias activation - After cart add, show "people who chose this over [competitor] reported 94% satisfaction" - reinforces decision.
23. Dunning-Kruger targeting - Target beginners in any space with "advanced" products. They overestimate readiness and buy aspirationally.
24. Variable ratio reinforcement - Random rewards for sharing on social: sometimes nothing, sometimes 5% off, sometimes free product. Most addictive schedule.
25. Endowment effect preview - "Your [product] is reserved for 10 minutes" with countdown. They already feel ownership, loss feels worse than not gaining.
26. Attribution manipulation - Run ads during major life events but delayed 3 days. People misattribute emotional desire to product, not event.
27. Processing fluency optimization - Use 13-point Arial font, 2.8 second video cuts, 126 BPM music. Easiest for brain to process = feels "right."
28. Construal level targeting - Abstract benefits for future purchases ("become better person"), concrete features for immediate buys ("soft fabric").
29. Choice overload prevention - Show 24 options first (overwhelming), then "curator's choice: 3 best" - massive relief drives purchase.
30. Implementation intention forcing - Don't ask "will you buy?" Ask "when you buy, will you use it morning or evening?" Assumes sale, increases follow-through.
These strategies exploit specific cognitive biases and psychological vulnerabilities. They work because they align with how humans actually make decisions, not how we think we do.
