A lead magnet, or lead generator, is a freebie you can use to consistently grow your email list and find marketing qualified leads (MQLs) like a funnel. An email list creates so much more visibility for your business, so this is a really powerful tool you can use.
Using a lead magnet also weeds out people who aren’t interested in what you have to offer. Gone are the days of cold emailing to everyone and getting extremely low open and click rates, which leads to your emails going to spam. Instead, you get to create targeted campaigns for people who were interested enough to download your lead magnet. And if your lead magnet’s content relates directly to your business offerings, you’ll start to build a list of hundreds or thousands of people who may convert pretty easily.
Sounds wonderful, right? But first, you need a valuable piece of content people will want to download!
Growth using lead magnets can be slow, especially in the beginning, but stick with it and the more awareness you get, you’ll find your email list growing at an astonishing rate.
Types of Lead Magnet
There are several ways you can deliver your lead magnet. You should choose whichever method fits best with your skill-set, your target market, and the knowledge you plan to share.
One-time downloadable content: Create a downloadable e-book or white paper. The viewer will enter their email address then receive their free digital booklet right away.
PROS: You only have to create it once then use it for years; allows you to give readers a lot of valuable information
CONS: Can take considerable time and thought to develop
Create an informational video: The viewer will enter their email address then be re-directed to watch your video. For best results, film using the best quality equipment you can find, and DO plan your video out thoroughly.
PROS: Allows viewers to connect with you and get to know you and your company’s personality
CONS: Requires filming equipment like a video camera (or even a nice quality phone camera) and microphone
Promised monthly value: Promise your viewers monthly content when they sign up for your email list. Then, send out high-quality, valuable content every month.
PROS: This allows you to space out your content development and to build customer relationships over long periods of time
CONS: Requires a monthly commitment, can be time-consuming to stay on top of it
Whichever format you choose, (1) it has to help them overcome challenges and move them towards their goals/aspirations, and it (2) needs to be simple. Do not give them a 50-page workbook that is overwhelming, or a 2-hour video. Who has time for that? Give them the condensed version; lots of value with little effort on their end.
Let’s dive a little further into each type of lead magnet:
1. Downloadable Information as a Lead Magnet
(i.e. E-Books, White Papers)
This delivery method allows you to pack in a lot of value. You’ll be developing a high-quality e-booklet or white paper that you can continue using as a lead generator for a very long time: months or even years.
If you’re not particularly tech-savvy or don’t have time to spend creating your own booklet, you can hire a graphic designer to handle this. But with some basic digital skills, you can develop it yourself.
The important part is that the booklet represents you as (1) professional and (2) as an expert in your field.
Structure The Content
- Decide on your topic
- Outline each chapter or section
- Title each section
- Write the content for each section
Don’t worry about the design while you write your content. Simply open up a Word Document and write. You can then use that content to create your e-booklet later on.
Once you’re happy with the content, it’s time to create your e-booklet using an application such as Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Powerpoint (resize as 8.5×11), Microsoft Word, Open Office, Sway, etc. My personal favorites are InDesign and Illustrator.
Your e-booklet’s content AND appearance both need to represent you as professional and credible. This makes it much more likely that the reader will trust you.
High-quality design includes:
– Colors that match your business’s visual identity
– Titles for each section
– Some “white space” (don’t cram everything together)
– A maximum of one or two fonts (one for paragraphs, one for titles)
– Appropriately sized fonts (10-12 pt. font for paragraphs, with larger titles)
– Plenty of visuals (see below)
Don’t just present viewers with a wall of text. Instead, include some visual elements like photographs. There are tons of free photo stock websites out there, and many others that you can pay for. Don’t use low-quality phone images or blurry pictures, as that will represent you very poorly.
Bad Page Design: Wall of text, no subheadings, no images, very overwhelming to look at.
Good Page Design: Title and subtitles, images, brand colors, white space, the same font found everywhere, business name at bottom of each page.
2. Video-Style Lead Magnets
This lead magnet style allows for greater personal connection. You’ll create a video anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes (or more), teaching the viewer about something they’re very interested in. This method allows the viewers to get to know you, building a personal connection with your business.
(Note: Upload the video to YouTube or Vimeo as an unlisted video, meaning only people who have the link can watch it! You don’t want people to be able to find it and bypass your opt-in.)
What You’ll Need
– Video camera or high-quality phone camera (preferably 4K video capabilities)
– Tripod for your filming device
– Microphone (such as a boom mic or lavalier mic)
– Basic video editing software (e.g. Adobe Premiere, iMovie, Davinci Resolve)
– Bright, clutter-free space such as an office or living room (not in direct sunlight)
– Additional lighting, depending on how bright your space is. There are plenty of resources online for how to light an at-home video to look like studio quality. For cinematic lighting, try a 3-point setup.
Tips for Filming
- Film in a quiet, bright, uncluttered space. Turn off fans or air conditioners to reduce noise (especially if you’re using a boom mic). Natural light is great, and more lights can be added to the space to brighten any harsh shadows on your face.
- Mention your value proposition within the first 30 seconds of your video. (Tell them what they’re going to get if they continue watching).
- Speak as if you’re talking to just one person. Use “you” and “your” pronouns.
- Add “calls-to-action” in your video (e.g. tell them to go to your website, to contact you, or register for your services).
3. Monthly Value as a Lead Magnet
This delivery method means you get to create a regular connection with viewers. You’ll need one topic that can be stretched over many months.
For example, a health coach might share in-depth information about a different supplement every month or every week. Make sure that if you select this delivery method, you’re prepared for the commitment. You could also prepare several months or even years in advance, making it far easier on you.
You can send out your content in many different ways;
- A “tip” or inspirational email
- A short monthly video
- A free digital magazine each month
Monitor your monthly interactions: When you deliver monthly content using a mass emailing system like Constant Contact, Hubspot, or MailerLite, you’ll be able to monitor which specific people are consistently opening your emails and clicking on links within the emails.
How to Gain Visibility and Get Downloads!
Once you have your lead magnet created, how do you go about getting people to find it and download it? Here are several ways to make it as visible as possible:
- Create a website page and add an enticing description and a download form
- Do keyword research and optimize the webpage for SEO
- Create a pop-up on your website (also with a compelling description and download form)
- Get active in social media groups like Facebook, LinkedIn, or even Reddit groups
- Create paid ads on Google or social media channels
Read more about setting up your website for a new lead generator in our previous article!
Reach out to us with any questions or if you need help creating a lead generator so you can start benefiting from this powerful marketing strategy.
(Note, we are not affiliates with the email marketing platforms above, we simply enjoy working with these companies.)
