What are lead magnets (opt-in, ethical bribe)? Why are they important for fantastic business growth?
A lead magnet is an irresistible offer given in exchange for a website visitor’s information. Usually their email address.
It is an integral part of a sales funnel and provides an opportunity for future engagement. Lead magnets introduce prospects to your sales funnel. Recipients then move closer to becoming a buyer. These ethical bribes are an important part of a successful internet marketing strategy. They are an element of an effective sales funnel.
Just as important, businesses use them because they are proof that you can deliver.
Easy to create lead magnets
Creating lead magnets is relatively easy. But, creating lead magnets that get well-qualified, targeted leads is challenging. You must give prospects a solid reason to provide their contact information.
It’s important to know what you want your lead magnet to do and why you want people to subscribe BEFORE creating it. Will it promote a service, lead to purchasing a product, etc.
Whatever the reason, the lead magnet should contain the following elements. It should lead the subscriber to the next logical step in your sales funnel process.
- Solves a real problem
- Promises and delivers one quick win
- Super specific
- Quick to digest
- High value
- Instantly accessible
- Demonstrates your expertise or UVP
Filtering through the lead magnet noise
People are so inundated with messages in their inboxes that your lead magnet must be stellar.
Therefore, your giveaway must provide one of the following: A much-needed service, important information, can solve a problem; and is very specific.
Instead of “Your Guide to Gardening,” a lead magnet can focus on “Your Guide to Growing Tulips,” or “Your Guide to Growing Tulips that Bloom Three Times a Year.” Each book discusses gardening. But, the latter two are so specific that they will attract a very specific gardener to the list.
The purpose of the lead magnet
- Immediate Satisfaction.The lead magnet doesn’t need to be evergreen… good forever. It only needs to excite the prospect. It should also give them immediate satisfaction and get them to give you their email address.
- Instant Trust Building. Your lead magnet should consist of valuable information that the recipient can trust. If it does what you say it should, the recipient will think of you as a subject matter expert. They will trust what you offer and spread the word to their associates.
- Looking Forward to More. Once the recipient starts valuing your offerings they will be open to receiving more. At some point, they may open their purses to buy from you.
Characteristics of the lead magnet
Don’t be an extra in the movies, be a player. Level up your awesomeness by creating the perfect lead magnet. Here are the top 3 characteristics:
1. Share a Snack, not a Meal. The internet is action-packed with information. If you decide you want to give away a long-winded e-book, you’ll get conversions. But, not as much as if you gave away a free report. Offer something readable in 5 minutes or less.
2. Digital. This may sound like a given, but you don’t ask for money in exchange for a book that I won’t receive for four to six weeks. It’s like putting my 9-second attention span on pause without instant satisfaction. By the time I receive the book I may have lost interest in the subject matter.
3. The Perfect Lead Magnet is Specific. By specific, It means that your lead magnet should solve a targeted problem. Don’t try and cover so many bases that your lead magnet starts to break rule #1. Instead, keep it specific. Then you’ll be able to create more than one magnet that can fix several different problems in your market.
Popular lead magnets
Here are 11 examples of lead magnets you can create to get people to pay attention to your fantastic offer.
Your lead magnet doesn’t have to be as basic as those listed above. Consider these other examples of successful lead magnets:
- Access to premium training videos
- Whitepapers
- Fill-in-the-blank templates (letters, plans, financial documents)
- Checklists (breaking a process down into a step-by-step guide)
- Downloadable audio program
- One free issue of a premium newsletter
- Access to a 30-minute coaching call
- 7, 14, or 30-day free trials of software
or…one of our favorites:
- A “kit” consisting of multiple items above all focused around the same topic
Once you have figured out what you want to promote, review the giveaway. Also, mention it once or twice within the content. Then finish the lead magnet with a strong call to action to buy your product/service.
If you can offer them an exclusive, a time-sensitive deal, even better. If it’s your own product, set up a special coupon. If you’re promoting an affiliate product, talk to the product creator and see if you can work out some sort of coupon or special deal. It’ll be well worth it since this is something every single new subscriber will get to see.
Which brings up a good point. The reason it’s so profitable and important to promote a quality product in your lead magnet is that you have your subscribers’ full attention. They signed up. They are very interested in what you have to say and actually take the time to download and read your report. No better time to get in front of them with a good offer.
These are a few reasons why lead magnets are important for fantastic business growth.
CALL TO ACTION
Don’t forget to grab your copy of 69 Irresistible Lead Magnet Ideas. If you have a unique lead magnet idea, share it with us below.
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