I love lead magnets!  It’s actually one of my favorite lead generating activities to play with.  I know everyone uses them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work. If you use lead magnets properly, they are actually quite effective in raising awareness for your brand, building your email list, and giving you new leads to market to.

However, gone are the days that you can write an eBook, put an opt-in box on your website and sit back and wait for people to sign up.  The online market is saturated with lead magnets and free information is everywhere. So you need to be very skilled at cutting through the noise and getting your lead magnet to convert.

Here is an effective strategy I have found works:

1) Create your strategy first.

I like to start with the end in mind.  What exactly do you want to achieve in your business?  Do you want more email subscribers? Do you want more paying customers?  Do you want to use the magnet to lead into a big event? Have you done the research necessary to be successful? Who exactly are you trying to attract?  Is there a particular problem you are trying to solve for your ideal market? How are you going to get your lead magnet in front of your ideal audience? What platforms and tools will you use? What is your budget for promoting your lead magnet? It’s important to ask yourself these important questions.  

2) Set your goals.

Goals provide your measurement stick.  Without them, you have no idea if you are successful with your lead magnet campaign.  One of the best strategies I’ve learned for setting goals is to set a “Good, Better, and Best” goal.  What is the absolute minimum goal you want to reach to consider your efforts a success? This is your “good” goal.  What numbers will make you feel ecstatic and jumping for joy? This is your “best” goal. Your “better” goal falls somewhere in between these two.

3) Be laser-focused on your target market.

If you don’t know exactly who your target market is, how can you find them?  How can you speak their language or understand what they are looking for right now?  Put together your ideal client avatar. Define their demographics and identify their interests.  Know the people and businesses they follow. Study this group and find out what they are struggling with.  What do they want? Trust me, this is probably one of the toughest steps to master.

4) Choose your lead magnet.

This is the fun part (for me, at least).  Identify a need or problem you can solve with your lead magnet.  Then determine the best format for you to use to deliver your content.  Here are some popular lead magnet ideas for you:

• Quizzes (these are hot right now!)
• eBooks
• Free Trials to a Membership
• Checklists
• Swipe files (365 social media posts for 2020)
• Video training series
• Mini e-Course
• Case Studies
• Cheat Sheets
• Free Consultations
• Templates (emails, blueprint, process)
• Intros to your work (1st chapter of book, meditation, food plans, audios from a course)
• Complete guides

5) Give your lead magnet a name that converts.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the name.  One of the lead magnets my client and I just came up with is “12 Mind-Blowing Facts About Crystals that Will Change Your Life.”  If you love crystals, this will intrigue you.  If you are at all skeptical about crystals, you might think twice if you have the opportunity to learn mind-blowing facts.  The point is that your lead magnet name needs to attract your ideal client and be unique enough to make them give up their email address.

6) Create your lead magnet.

Don’t be skimpy with your lead magnet.  Provide real, solid value. You want to wow your new lead with amazing content.  There is nothing more disappointing than giving someone your email address only to download crappy content that is not helpful.  Email addresses are valuable and the people who own them deserve your best. This is your opportunity to give them a taste of what it would be like to do more with you.  Make sure your lead magnet is professionally designed and branded so it is a positive reflection on your business.

7) Design a killer landing page.

Like I mentioned, for a successful lead magnet campaign, you have to do more than just place the opt-in on your home page.  I like to create a landing page that is dedicated to promoting the lead magnet. This is the page you will send traffic to. A compelling headline and text that speaks to your audience is key on this page.  Provide a graphic that represents your lead magnet and a simple opt-in box that is easy to use. Keep it short and sweet. Lengthy text can deter the user from staying on the page. This page has one job. To entice your user to sign up for your lead magnet.

8) Drive traffic to your landing page.

Somehow your ideal audience needs to find your lead magnet sign up page.  One of the fastest ways (but also more expensive) to drive traffic is through paid advertising.  I like to use FB ads because you can target your ads and reach a lot more people than you can organically.  LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest also offer paid advertising, depending on the social platform that works best for you.  There are other ways to get traffic to your landing page as well. Speaking live or on webinars, podcasts, videos, social media posts, and blogging are also great ways to gain exposure for your lead magnet.

9) Test your lead magnet.

You might get lucky and your first lead magnet is a huge success.  Your list grows like crazy and clients are breaking down your door to work with you.  However, if that doesn’t happen for you, then testing is in order. There are a lot of things that can cause a lead magnet to yield less than desirable results.  It could be the lead magnet itself – it doesn’t speak to your ideal market. Your lead magnet name and/or landing page text may need tweaking. You could be struggling to actually find your target audience.  Your ad copy may need some rewriting. It’s possible you aren’t getting enough traffic or exposure for it to make an impact. Pay attention to your metrics and be willing to go back to the drawing board and try again.

10) Use your lead magnet everywhere.

Once you know your lead magnet works, optimize it.  Make sure it’s everywhere on your website – on your home page, at the end of blog posts, popping up when people are exiting.  You can advertise it in social media posts and on your social profile headers. Mention it every opportunity you have. Advertise it in your email newsletter, at your speaking engagements, and when you are a guest on other people’s podcasts or FB Lives.  Consider cross-promoting your lead magnet by agreeing to promote someone else’s lead magnet in exchange for them promoting yours.

Eventually, your lead magnet will get stale and it will be time to create a new one.  Amy Porterfield, one of the biggest names in marketing, once mentioned that she has created over 100 lead magnets.  Keep things fresh and always evaluate your lead magnet strategy for generating new leads in your business.

Need some help strategizing, creating, executing, and testing your lead magnet idea?  Amazing OBM is a full-service boutique digital marketing agency and we are here to help.  Contact us today for a free 30-minute consultation to learn more.