The lead generation model isn't flashy. It isn't even close to being risky. It's a pay-for-performance engine that puts an offer in front of a desired audience in a highly organized and, dare I say it, boring fashion.

IAC, NPD, Johnson and Johnson and Procter & Gamble are just a few of the companies that have embraced the magic of teen lead generation marketing. Teen advertisers that are still struggling to harness the power of social media might be missing the opportunity right in front of them.

The social space is messy. MySpace is chaotic, the online equivalent of the wild, tattooed cousin you'd rather not leave your kids alone with. Facebook may have a tidier hairdo and a clean, pressed shirt, but its priority is still to please the teens first and the "parents" (brands and businesses) second. At first glance, it might look like the right fit, but it's not a guaranteed way to bring your desired teen audience and your brand together in a happy relationship. And these are just the market leaders. There are hundreds of other sites vying for teens' attention and cycling through millions of unique visitors daily.

Lead generation, on the other hand, is the vehicle that organizes those millions of daily uniques and offers satisfaction for both sides.

Why couldn't brands big and small benefit from this organized pipeline into the throngs of teens in social media? You don't have to offer a download or a product sample to play in lead generation. If there's a direct-response element to your sponsorship campaign (i.e., a coupon distribution, an insider community to join), wouldn't it make sense to take a small chunk of dollars to see how the CPA model performs against that same audience?

The existing lead generation model is a potential winner for a wide range of teen advertisers, but the next question to ask is, does it go far enough? More and more teens are making social sites their anchor online experience and finding new ways to tune out everything else. Will lead-gen's ubiquitous page of offers continue to keep them from hitting "skip" before realizing that there's something in it for them?

There is innovation at play, and there's a chance to really take this from "lead generation" to "performance marketing." In future I'll explore other ways of tapping into the power of all those millions of teens online in social media, all bored and looking for something fun to do.