Trending
One important tool in every marketer’s toolbox is lead magnets. Offer prospective clients something of value for free, and, in theory, you will generate lots of leads.
They can be of any medium – video or print. They can be checklists, tutorials, ebooks, worksheets, etc. But if you’re busy, this is probably at the bottom of your to do list.
If you’re going to spend time doing this, you might as well do it right. Hence, this blog post.
I’m not taking full credit for all the ideas in here. I did some research on the topic, because I am fully aware that I don’t know everything. I found a fantastic article by Neil Patel on the topic (he’s awesome – follow him), and I combined his tips with mine.
So if you asked me how to create a lead magnet or two that your prospects will love, here’s what I’d say.
Lead magnets must be aligned with your offerings
Visit my website, and you’ll find several lead magnets. Each is aligned with one service I offer.
You’ll see a guide to blogging, a guide on social media marketing, and a guide on keeping up with marketing. I offer an email newsletter checklist, and a one-pager on writing website content.
Could I write an ebook on building your personal brand? Or maximizing your profile on LinkedIn? Sure thing! But those are not services I specifically offer.
If I wrote ebooks on those topics, all I would do is confuse people. “But you taught me how to start building my personal brand! Can’t I hire you to do more?”
Don’t confuse people. Stick to your lane.
Research what people are paying for
I LOVED this tip from Neil. So brilliant.
As he wrote, if people are willing to pay money to learn more about a topic, they are definitely going to be interested in free content on the same topic. (Gosh I wish I had thought of this!)
Take your ideas and head over to Amazon or the Kindle marketplace. What books already exist on the topic that you could also write about?
Start reading the reviews. What do people specifically say they like about the book? (If they don’t like it – next!) Those are the topics you will want to include in your lead magnet – or it could be THE topic you write about.
This little bit of research could yield a lot of ideas – or hopefully one BIG idea.
Research what people are looking for on your website
Head on over to your Google Analytics dashboard. In the left side menu, click on Reports > Engagement > Pages and Screens. On the upper right corner you’ll see a date range. Click the down button and change the date to the last 12 months.
Now you can see which website pages and blog posts have performed best over the past year. You’ll want to look at the number of page visits AND engagement time. (If people are visiting but not staying, that’s not a good sign.)
This may spark new ideas, as well.
In fact, I am looking at my top performing blog posts right now, and I’m like – huh. Maybe there’s something here for a new lead magnet!
Write actionable content for your lead magnet
When a prospect hands over their email address to you, you better deliver – or they’ll never become a lead (or client)! Pack your lead magnet full of actionable tips and ideas.
Make sure some of those tips can be done right now. The sooner they can see results, the sooner they’ll trust you. And once they trust you, they will be more likely to buy whatever you’re selling.
Now, speaking of sales, make sure you end every lead magnet with a conclusion that explains what to do next.
Maybe you have a course they could take or a worksheet they can download. Or maybe you offer a “small” service, like a one-hour (paid) consultation or audit of an asset (marketing, operations, accounting – whatever).
The point is, don’t just conclude and part ways. Give them a way to stay engaged.
Update lead magnets on the regular
Just like a website or any other marketing collateral, a lead magnet is not a one-and-done.
Every year, look at your download and lead conversion numbers. Are your lead magnets generated clients? If not, go back through the four steps listed above:
- Make sure they are aligned with your offerings
- Research what people are paying for
- Research the pages and blog posts people are visiting on your website
- Make sure the content is actionable
There will always be room for improvement!
Two other tips
Invest in design
Work with a graphic designer on a cover, icons, images and graphics, different font sizes, colors, etc. to ensure your lead magnets look great AND look like the rest of your brand.
This is not the time to skimp and just throw stuff into a Word doc.
You need all your lead magnets to look professional – like you invested a lot of time in creating them.
It’s like the difference between wrapping a wedding gift in newspaper versus beautiful wrapping paper from Paper Source. What’s inside is the same, but you might wonder how much time, money, and effort the giver actually put into the gift selection.
Be specific with your marketing copy
My friend Maggy and I have been talking about this a lot lately: Whenever it comes to marketing, you MUST be specific.
Tell your prospects exactly what they will learn and get in the lead magnet.
For example, here’s an excerpt from landing page copy I wrote to promote the book, Know Your Options, that I co-authored with my options trader client Bob Lang:
The second edition of Know Your Options contains 27 new charts, three new case studies, and two new chapters. You will learn:
- Six ways to ensure you’re prepared for whatever the stock market throws at you
- Strategies to help you manage your emotions so you can stay in the game long-term
- Detailed explanations of how to read charts and find technical patterns
- Three risk management strategies you must follow to be successful
- How to trade a bear market
See how specific each bullet is? Just saying, “Learn how to trade options!” – too vague!
And don’t forget to use language that will inspire fear of missing out (FOMO). If you are a B2B business, your clients want to make money. That’s the end goal. If you are B2C, you are tapping into a need or want.
Either way, your prospects are emotionally connected to the outcome you can deliver. Tap into those emotions!
Related: Streamlining Data Extraction for Efficient Client Onboarding and Analysis