What you’ll learn about in this article:
What is a lead magnet
Why they are important
What makes a good one
Different types of lead magnets
How to pick the best one for your business
Are you, as a business owner, interested in getting new clients? New customers? Having a fat pipeline of prospects interested in what you have to offer?
If so, a lead magnet is a simple, easy, and fantastic place to start. But what is a lead magnet, exactly? And how do you use one?
Below are five (5) things you need to know about lead magnets, so you can begin crafting your own and get more intentional about securing more clients & customers for your business.
What Is A Lead Magnet?
Put simply, a lead magnet is a marketing tool that generates leads by offering a resource in exchange for a prospective client or customer’s contact information. Basically, it’s any free downloadable or shareable piece of content that your prospective client or customer can use to learn more about your business, make their lives easier, or both.
They can be distributed in person, downloaded from a signup form on your landing page/website, or collected via social media.
Why Are They Important?
Now that we have a basic understanding of what a lead magnet is, the next step is to figure out why they’re important.
Why is it worth reading this article?
As a business owner, you know clients and customers don’t fall from the sky (oh how we all wish that were the case). It takes daily, concentrated effort on your part to get people into your marketing pipeline, show them what you can do, and (hopefully) begin building a business relationship with them that makes sense for both of you.
A simple concept, but at times very difficult to execute.
A value-packed, useful, and ultra-specific lead magnet can be a prospecting tool that makes it much easier.
But how?
Your lead magnet is a chance to show your audience you know what problems they have, and have solutions that will make their pain go away. It shows you understand them, and have the knowledge and authority to offer a solution.
If you’re armed with that, your pipeline filling is off to a great start.
What Makes a Good One
Not all lead magnets are created equal, and some of them certainly aren’t valuable. But what is “valuable” in your prospect’s eyes?
Another word you can use in its place is “useful”.
A good lead magnet will be useful to your prospective client. Meaning, they can implement it immediately and make their life easier. And if they associate you with getting useful information that saves them time, money, and hours of internet sleuthing?
Well, there’s a good chance you snagged some goodwill from a potential client – goodwill they’ll take with them as they slide into your marketing funnel.
Different Types of Lead Magnets
There are a few examples of what a lead magnet could look like. They can be promo driven (discounts), educational (Ebook), practical (checklist), or activity-driven (survey). A few examples:
- Tutorial
- Coupon or discount
- Ebook
- Checklist
- Template
- White paper
- Case study
- Survey
- Quiz
Whatever you end up using, the goal is the same; to create something that will add value (i.e. be useful) to their life.
How To Pick The Best One For Your Business
Ultimately, the best lead magnet is going to be the one that speaks to your target audience and ideal customer profile.
If you run an Ecom business and are looking to build brand loyalty, maybe it’s a coupon or free shipping.
If you own a plumbing company, maybe your lead magnet is more educational & authority building (ex. list of the top 10 ways to prevent water damage to your home).
If you run a consulting firm, perhaps you highlight your creative process with case study detailing a successful client transformation.
The key to picking the right one for your business is honing in on what type of content your audience currently consumes & craves. Of course, this take a bit of research and digging on your part, but the info you find will be worth it’s weight in (prospecting) gold.
Wrap Up
The future of your business depends on a constant pipeline of prospects. One tool that helps you fill that pipeline is a compelling & useful lead magnet. There are plenty to choose from, and finding one that makes sense for your business can take time to discover.
However, the work is worth the reward.
With a great lead magnet, you’ll foster trust, authority, and goodwill towards prospective clients & customers as they begin to interact with your business. When they need the service(s) you offer, your lead magnet may have them turning to you as their first option.
