HOW TO CREATE A LEAD MAGNET FOR YOUR BUSINESS
In Part 1 of my Lead Generation Series we talked lead magnet definition and lead magnet ideas. Hopefully you’ve done some research on your audience, what they would value, and have decided what your business can offer them. In this article we’ll go over how to create a lead magnet for your business and how to get it in front of your audience.
Six Steps to Create a Lead Magnet For Your Business
- Lead Magnet Ideation
- Create the Content for Your Lead Magnet
- Designing Your Lead Magnet
- Create Your Lead Page
- Create Your Workflow
- Promote Your Lead Magnet
STEP 1: LEAD MAGNET IDEATION
Find the best value-add you can offer your ideal customer. What can you offer them that is unique, showcases your strengths, but still aligns with their needs? Don’t hesitate to look to your competitors for inspiration, but look for ways you can leverage your uniqueness and be original.
Read Part 1 of the Lead Generation Series for Lead Magnet Ideas
STEP 2: CREATE THE CONTENT FOR YOUR LEAD MAGNET
Once you’ve decided which direction you’ll go with your lead magnet, you need to create the content. Maybe you’re repurposing one of your top blogs as an ebook or are creating a How To Guide for a relevant service you offer. Whatever it is, be prepared to spend some time at this stage.
One piece of advice: keep it simple. Sometimes we can get caught up in the writing that it becomes extremely dense and overly wordy. Depending on the type of lead magnet you’re creating, you may want to scale it back.
One piece of advice: Keep it Simple.
Have you ever opted in for an ebook that was cover to cover text and been excited to dive in? I doubt it. You want to create content that is informative but easy to digest. Think headlines to highlight content, bullet points and listicles. Consider hiring a writer to help you structure it.
If you decide to write it yourself, be sure to have friend or two give you feedback. You know, the friend that will give you the cold honest truth.
STEP 3: DESIGNING YOUR LEAD MAGNET
With the content polished and ready to go, it’s time to design your ebook. This is where I would encourage you to hire a designer. If you are striving to impress your audience, having a professional work their magic with your content is a great investment.
If it’s your first time creating a lead magnet, a designer will also be able to establish a style for any future marketing materials. If hiring a designer is not in your budget, there are also lots of lead magnet designs you can buy online.
Knowing how important this can be for start-ups, I’ve created a free lead magnet template for you to create your own ebook through Canva. Get yours here!
STEP 4: CREATE YOUR LEAD PAGE
For people to opt-in to your lead magnet, you’ll need to create a lead page (or landing page) for it. Before you start creating the page, work out your sales copy with a captivating call-to-action (CTA). How do you create a strong CTA?
The best CTAs provoke emotion and a desire in your audience. What problem are you solving for them? How will your lead magnet benefit them? Use these anecdotes to craft your copy and try to keep it short and sweet.
Keep your form fields to a minimum: name and email should be all you need — maybe a phone number if it’s actually pertinent to your lead magnet funnel. You’ll also want to use more action-oriented verbiage on your form button. Rather than “Submit” try “Send Me My Guide” or “Let’s Do This”.
Structure your lead page so that your call-to-action and opt-in form are above the fold. You’ll also want to use either a photo mock up of your ebook or, if you’re the face of the brand, use your own image to connect with your audience.
Below the main CTA banner, create a bullet list that highlights what they’ll get inside the ebook and include a testimonial to the bottom of your page.
Tracking Your Conversions
If you’re tracking your goal conversions through Google Analytics, it is best to also create a “Thank You” page where users will be redirected after they submit the form. If you’re not well versed in Google Analytics, I highly recommend this Skillshare class.
STEP 5: CREATE YOUR WORKFLOW
Most lead magnet funnels will use a welcome email to deliver their product to their opt-ins. I use Flodesk for my email marketing, but MailChimp and Convert Kit are also popular.
Ensure you have a great subject line, make the copy reflect your personality, and include your lead magnet access link.
Be sure to test all facets of your workflow before launching any campaign!
If you have a relevant blog or other resource that they might find useful, consider including this in your welcome email too. Or better yet, save it for a second email in your workflow.
For the series of emails that follow, don’t rush to sell your services. It’s best to send two to three emails that continue to offer valuable insights and solutions relevant to your audience so they come to affiliate you with high value. This shows you’re still eager to help them and they’ll appreciate the influx of value. On the fourth email, try pitching your services as they relate to the needs of your audience.
Read the Brand Messaging Framework Series for help in crafting efficient copy that converts!
STEP 6: PROMOTE YOUR LEAD MAGNET
You can create a lead magnet but if you don’t promote it, did it ever really get created in the first place? How you choose to promote your lead magnet is up to you.
Start with your free marketing options:
- create various Pinterest graphics
- promote it on your Facebook and Instagram accounts
- create a banner for your website to use in blogs or on your homepage
- write a blog surrounding a topic that can use your lead magnet as the main CTA
At the end of the day, you’ll likely see the best results by paid ads. Facebook and Instagram are great for promoting your content and getting it in front of a custom audience. Start with a small budget and see how it performs.
How do you create a lead magnet ad on Facebook? You can simply boost an existing Facebook post you created or create an original ad campaign for it. There are pros and cons to both approaches. Check out Facebook Blueprint to learn more on Facebook ads.
As you get more opt-ins for your lead magnet, your mailing list will grow. How will you continue to offer your subscribers useful content and keep you top of mind? Create an action plan for your lead magnet funnel. Opt-in for other lead magnets to see how others are structuring their workflows. Make note of what works and what doesn’t work for you and tweak your workflow as needed. Your lead magnet campaign has the power to change your business for the better.
Download my FREE lead magnet template with 30 page layouts in Canva!
