how-to Build a Mighty List With Attractive Lead Magnets guide MARKETING How-to

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1 how-to MARKETING guide How-to Build a Mighty List With Attractive Lead Magnets

2 INTRODUCTION 1 HI. BYE. (WHY YOU NEED TO BUILD AN LIST) 2 IDENTIFYING A GREAT TOPIC FOR YOUR LEAD MAGNET 4 CONTENTS AT A GLANCE FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR CREATING AN EFFECTIVE LEAD MAGNET 6 25 TYPES OF HIGH-CONVERTING LEAD MAGNETS 8 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO COLLECT ADDRESSES 19 CREATE A LANDING PAGE THAT CONVERTS 25 MAXIMIZE CONVERSION WITH STRONG CALLS TO ACTION WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR LEAD MAGNETS 32 CONCLUSION: ONE SHORT FAQ 34 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 35 ABOUT MARKETINGPROFS MARKETINGPROFS LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I 2

3 Hello, stranger; please give me your address. What kind of request is that? It s not a very compelling one, is it? INTRODUCTION I d like to offer you massively helpful advice to solve a problem that s killing you. All I need is your address. Now that s more like it. That s a lead magnet, which is the subject of this MarketingProfs How-To Guide. Offering lead magnets is a vital part of the content marketing formula that builds your list and, in turn, effectively builds your business. Let s make your marketing more magnetic, here and now MARKETINGPROFS LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I 1

4 FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR CREATING AN EFFECTIVE LEAD MAGNET In the previous section, we talked about where to find topics for your lead magnet. In the section that follows this one, we ll get into ways to deliver your lead magnet (that is, form factors or types). Now, let s zoom in on the elements that will make it ultra-magnetic. Your audience has a problem they want to solve; to help them, and to build your list of highly targeted prospects, apply the following five principles MARKETINGPROFS LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I 6

5 Five Principles for Creating an Effective Lead Magnet 1. Be specific Tell your audience exactly what they re going to get. There s nothing compelling about a vague offer. Be ultra-clear about the benefit of opting in for your free content. This title is vague: Easy Weight Loss Program This one s specific: Lose 7 Pounds In 9 Days Without Starving or Killing Yourself at the Gym The best lead magnets offer a specific magic bullet. 2. Deliver a desired result Capture the attention of your prospects with a lead magnet promising to move them closer to a desired result. The weight loss example above was conceived to appeal to someone who wants to shed pounds, but doesn t want to hit the gym hard. 3. Provide instant gratification Everyone wants shortcuts. They want the fast track lessons they can apply immediately. Video and courses or newsletters are examples of lead magnets where the gratification comes slowly. They lack immediacy. If you choose to make an offer with a drip strategy (where your content is delivered gradually in a sequence), highlight the benefit of the first segment. For instance, you might offer a series on increasing your rankings in search while showcasing how your first 3-minute video will reveal how to earn high authority links today. 4. Be the authority A lead magnet is usually the entry point of your marketing funnel. The subscriber is likely to be interacting with your business for the first time. Does your offer show your prospect you re the expert? Will it make them want more from you? Can you deliver on your promise? A great lead magnet advances the relationship by increasing trust. Create it with the idea in mind you re proving you re the best person or company to help with the problem. Don t be afraid to give away your top tips. 5. Make it worth money Free or not, the content you create that will help you realize your lead generation goals should be valuable. It should be valuable to the point where people would pay for it if asked. Don t compromise on presentation. Invest the time or money it takes to create a handsome design and attractive page. It won t be long before you ll be asking to be paid for your solution. Blow your subscribers away with an immensely valuable freebie and they ll be more receptive to paying for subsequent offers MARKETINGPROFS LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I 7

6 25 TYPES OF HIGH-CONVERTING LEAD MAGNETS What do you say we have a look at ideas, tips, and examples of effective lead magnets? It s a fairly long list, but not complete by any stretch. You can mix n match, expand and contract, and simply use your imagination to conceive your lead magnet. Of course, you ll make better choices by understanding the pain points of your customers. And after launch, you ll review and refine the decisions you ve made and resources you offer based on your results. Here we go: 25 strong contenders for your first (or next) lead magnet MARKETINGPROFS LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I 8

7 25 Types of High-Converting Lead Magnets Publishing original and insightful research positions your company as an authority. As a result, you re likely to field offers to present your findings with other companies via webinars, interviews, and more. Tip sheets Checklist Think of a checklist as a variation of the tip sheet. Make it very clear how your checklist is a timesaving device, and it will be well received. The general idea at work here is that people like order and simplicity, so lists are highly magnetic. In recent years, especially when content marketers discuss blogging tactics, conversations about lead magnets have introduced the term content upgrade. The idea is that a downloadable bonus is offered within an article or blog post. The content upgrade can be a PDF version of the post, a video, or any related media; however, readers seem to favor quickies, such as summaries or tip sheets. The lead generation specialists at Petovera use a popup on their website to offer a handy checklist. Here s a double-whammy lead magnet: a research report and cheat sheet. Resource guides Resources guides are another form of shortcut that readers respond to. What s a resource guide? 2016 MARKETINGPROFS LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I 10

8 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO COLLECT ADDRESSES So you have a lead magnet. Or several. But they don t sell themselves... In this section we ll look at effective ways to showcase your offer and succeed with your list-building efforts MARKETINGPROFS LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I 19

9 Effective Ways to Collect Addresses Landing page The most effective way to capture leads with a lead magnet is with a landing page that showcases your free resource. For optimum conversion, your landing pages should have a singular focus and not include navigational elements that could act as escape routes for the reader. Make your form fast and easy to complete by requesting only the data you need. Ask only for an address, and you ll likely enjoy far higher conversion than you would with a fussy form. (Landing page creation is covered in more detail in the next chapter.) Pop-ups Pop-ups have become popular and less repulsive to users in recent years. They re offered by a slew of services, paid and free, in a variety of forms (light box, slide-ins, scroll-induced, exitinduced, etc.) with various features. Don t knock em. They work. You probably recognize this technique: the lightbox pop-up. The reader s attention is drawn to the offer as the rest of the page is grayed-ouy and unavailable until an action is taken. Feature box or banner A less intrusive alternative to the pop-up is the feature box. It s basically a row on your website generally on the home page which functions like a pop-up, but is a permanent fixture. This offer slides into the page on a CrazyEgg blog post. It s programmed to appear after the reader proceeds to a specific depth on the page MARKETINGPROFS LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I 20

10 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Barry Feldman is the author of SEO Simplified for Short Attention Spans. Barry operates Feldman Creative and provides content marketing consulting, copywriting, and creative direction services. He contributes to top marketing sites and was named one of 25 Social Media Marketing Experts You Need to Know by LinkedIn. To get a piece of his mind, visit his blog, The Point. LinkedIn: Barry Feldman 2016 MARKETINGPROFS LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I 35

11 ABOUT MarketingProfs is a rich and trusted resource that offers actionable know-how designed to make you a smarter marketer from social media and content marketing to lead generation and online conversions. Nearly 600,000 MarketingProfs members rely on our free daily publications, virtual conferences, and more to stay up-to-date on the most important trends in marketing and how to apply them to their businesses. Plus, MarketingProfs delivers enhanced professional development training through online seminars and short webcasts, in-depth how-to reports, research, interactive planning tools, online courses, and in-person events. MarketingProfs helps the smartest marketers worldwide turn even the toughest marketing challenges into success stories. Follow MarketingProfs on Social Media: 2016 MARKETINGPROFS LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I 36