Many of us want to incorporate an offer of a lead magnet (a freebie in exchange for someone’s email address) to attract interested parties to our websites and email lists, but it’s important to get the basics right before we plough ahead.
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of lead magnets, check out my previous article “An Introduction to Lead Magnets” and get up to speed if you are unfamiliar with these nifty little freebies. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.
All caught up? Awesome, let’s look at the practical side of implementing a lead magnet:
The Practicalities
Before all else, it’s important to make sure your current website setup is able to handle a lead magnet, and to discern the amount of work that would be needed in implementing the means of presenting and delivering it. Speak to your web developer or digital marketing consultant to discuss the practicalities of how a lead magnet (and its associated popups, landing pages, etc.) can be implemented on your website, as well as how you’re going to provide the lead magnet once the reader enters their email address, and any subsequent automated email content.
Last time we talked about deciding on a format (e.g., ebooks, templates, worksheets, etc.) and a topic (the subject, what you are looking to help the reader with) for your lead magnet. Carefully pair the topic and format to address the problem you are looking to solve as best as you can. If you had your heart set on writing an ebook but the problem would be better tackled with a checklist or template, always go for the format that fits best, and that is most practical for you to create.
For example, say you wanted to create an ebook, but the data you discuss would be better portrayed in an infographic or presentation. Those who are good at design should probably tackle it graphically, but those without a knack for design should probably stick to the ebook idea. Find that happy medium between the problem you are looking to solve; the best format for approaching that problem; and the formats that are easiest for you to produce to a high quality.
If you are in the enviable position of having more than one idea for a lead magnet, then don’t worry! You can totally have more than one – it’s literally a case of “the more the merrier!” You’ll most likely catch more people with more than one lead magnet anyway. It’s well worth mentioning any plans for multiple magnets in that chat with your web dev or digital marketing contact so they can address it in any changes that need to be made to your current site in advance.
Quality Control
The most important rule of thumb with regards to quality is to create something that’s good enough to charge for, even though you’re giving it away for free. People will feel swindled out of their email address if you provide something lacklustre, and will most likely unsubscribe immediately, so really make sure that you’re providing genuine worth.
Whatever kind of content you provide for your lead magnet, keep it clear, easily digestible and as concise as possible. This will partially come with successfully pairing the right content to the right format; but it’s important to focus on clarity, and not to ramble.
Don’t try to solve too many problems in one lead magnet as this can also detract from its clarity. Also remember that you can always provide more than one asset as a single lead magnet too as long as it focuses on one issue or topic – perhaps a PDF ebook “textbook” with questions and exercises and a spreadsheet as a workbook for the user to record their responses, supplied as a pair to address a single requirement.
Even if you’re not creating something that is particularly visual (like a template or ebook), you still have to focus on it looking professional and presentable, because poor presentation can also serve to make things unclear.
Promotion
It’s imperative that you promote your lead magnet throughout your online presence, including your website and social media feeds. Simply relying on the pop ups and landing pages on your own site will not get you the best results; so don’t be shy about promoting it over social media too. Link to the landing page on your social platforms once or twice a week; and don’t forget about including a link in the bio/about section of your profile.
If you already have an email list without using a lead magnet, let them know too! Yes, they’re already on your list, but they still deserve attention, and they can always forward your email on to someone else who really needs it. If you really want to push the boat out, you could also promote your lead magnet through paid Twitter, Facebook and Google ads. If all of this sounds like a foreign language, then ask your digital marketing contact.
The Afterparty
So you’ve created a quality freebie. You’ve promoted the heck out of it. Someone has kindly shared their email address with you, and you’ve granted them access to your lead magnet. Now what? It’s easy to rest on your laurels, but the exchange doesn’t end there.
Continue to add value to by following up with automated emails based around related tips, updates and related content. Even though these subscribers have shown an interest, don’t give them the hard sell straight out of the gate. The subsequent emails you provide don’t have to offer the same amount of information as your lead magnet, but need to provide enough value to keep the reader’s interest and keep your relationship relevant. You can keep people up to date on related blog posts, industry news or other products and services you offer. But don’t overwhelm your subscribers by emailing too frequently; opinion is divided on ideal email frequencies, but personally I’d stick to somewhere between two per week to one per fortnight.
Once you have drawn them in with a few subsequent emails, hit them with a special offer. One that’s reasonable for your business, but attractive to a prospect – unfortunately only you can work out what that is! Even something as simple as a 10% off or a free 20 minute phone consultation is worth considering.
I advise you to restrict any offer to a limited time – it adds a feeling of “buy it now” urgency whilst also meaning that somebody can’t try and claim your offer weeks/months/years down the line. You could even segment your subscriber lists by those who have opened your emails or clicked on your links; potentially making those people a slightly more attractive offer for showing that additional bit of interest.
So send a couple of emails, then suggest an offer, then repeat the process; but remember that you are repeating the process, not the content. If you parrot the same emails over and over, people will eventually get wise and unsubscribe. Focus on keeping your subscribers up to date, interested and engaged; but continue to tempt your subscribers with the occasional offer going forward.
One thing that people often forget is go back and tweak their lead magnet every so often. Revise the lead magnet itself, as well as your pop ups, landing pages and any automated emails to keep them fresh, and to ensure that they keep their value. I’m not saying tweak everything every week, but try to schedule in a refresh every 6 months to a year.
[bctt tweet=”Create awesome lead magnets with this handy guide.”]
So over to you. Are you going to create a lead magnet? What are you going to offer? What problems will you solve? Please share your thoughts down in the comments!
Graphic Attribution: Background – Jack Moreh at FreeRangeStock.com, Magnet Image: “OpenClipartVectors” at Pixabay.
