By now you may have realised that the best way to grow your email list is to offer something valuable in exchange for subscribing. But deciding on what you will offer isn’t always easy. You must think about the kind of thing your target audience will benefit from and how you can provide enough value for them to see your list as worthwhile.
A lead magnet is an incentive offered to prospective clients in exchange for their contact information – in this instance, their email address. Most people would not hand over their email address for no reason, even if they like your brand. It is your job, therefore, to give them a good enough reason to do so. Your lead magnet should appeal to its intended audience and benefit them in a specific, substantial way.
There are several things you can do to help you decide on what to offer as your opt-in incentive. If you’re unsure, you can try out the techniques listed here. Remember, your lead magnet should:
- Solve a problem
- Be specific
- Benefit your target audience
- Be of high value
- Be instantly accessible
What is Your Mission?
Think back to what you are trying to achieve with your business. What do you do for your clients? Your lead magnet can act as a kind of taster of the work you do. For example, if you are a social media manager, you could offer a social media cheat sheet. Or if you are a marketing specialist, you could offer a video outlining some simple marketing techniques. Remember that the content you offer should solve a specific problem for the client.
What Do You Wish You Knew Back Then?
We all have to start somewhere. Think back to before you become a pro in your niche. What is the one thing you wish you had known back then? Imagine you are creating content for a past version of yourself, to help you get to where you are today more quickly and efficiently. What would you want? An eBook, a cheat sheet, something completely different? Consider the best way to teach beginners in your field to overcome this one problem.
How Do You Stay Organised?
I have an obsession with pen and paper lists to help me stay organised. I devised a number of worksheets that I use to keep various things in order. (Client lists, prospect trackers, planners etc.) A number of people have seen these and asked where they can get something similar. Cue the downloads. What system do you use to stay organised? Perhaps it’s something you can share – after all, if you find it useful and valuable, it’s likely others will too.
What Was the Last Thing You Learned?
Think about the last skill or strategy you learned. Would it also help your target audience and existing clients? Why not write a guide for beginners? Pull all of your knowledge on the subject and share it with others. Having a simple guide could save people a lot of time and energy.
Creating Lead Magnets & Sales Funnels
Once you’ve decided on your lead magnet(s), it’s time to start creating them. For content such as worksheets and eBooks, a PDF file is a sensible option. Not only is it easy to download, it is readable on most devices, making it accessible to a large number of people. If you are offering something a little different, such as a video, you should decide on how it will be delivered. Will you send the video file to subscribers, direct them to a page on your website, or embed the video into an email? Your delivery method could impact on the required file type.
Have you decided how you will set up your lead pages and sales funnel?
The most simple method is to have your capture page, with information about your lead magnet, where people enter their information to receive their freebie. This then leads to a thank you page, where they are met with an exclusive offer (perhaps you offer them 10% off your services as a thank you for subscribing, or a bundle discount). While they are taking a look at this deal, their free download is on its way to them via email.
Now, there are different ways you can set up this funnel. Of course, the first thing you will need is an email marketing platform. I use Mail Chimp, although there are many others you could take a look at, such as Aweber and Convert Kit.
Method 1: You can use a landing page builder such as Leadpages, which integrates with your mail provider to create your sales funnel automatically. You use a simple page builder to create a landing page that displays exactly what you want. This then links to your mail provider, so that anyone who enters their details on this page is added to your list. Once they have done this, they will be directed to another page that you create, with your exclusive offer.
Method 2: Alternatively, you can build your funnel manually through your own website. (Don’t worry – it’s easier than you might think.) You just need to create three pages: lead capture page, thank you page with exclusive offer, purchase page. With this method, there are a couple of things you need to set up in your email marketing platform. The first is the subscription confirmation. Instead of going to the default provider page, you will need to direct the confirmation to your thank you page. You should also make sure that your new subscribers receive their freebie as soon as they confirm their subscription to your list. (If you use Mail Chimp, you can use your ‘final welcome email’ to do this.)
When building the funnel pages on your website, you will need to include the following:
Page 1 – lead capture: information about your lead magnet. Why do your visitors need this content you have to offer? Make sure you are clear about how this will help them specifically. The other thing you need to include on this page is your opt-in form. Make it as simple as you can for someone to enter their details to get their freebie.
Page 2 – thank you page: okay, someone has signed up to your list – thank them for this. Now is your chance to move this lead further down your sales funnel. What is the exclusive deal you are offering? Be sure to let them know that this is a one-time offer, only available to people who have subscribed to your list. Create a sense of urgency. Provide specific details about what people will get when they make this purchase, and make your pricing clear (don’t make your reader search around to find out how much they need to pay). Finally, add a CTA for them to click through to the purchase page.
Page 3 – purchase page: continue to focus on simple, straightforward information. Make it easy for visitors to make their purchase. (If you are a WordPress user, there are literally hundreds of plugins available that will help you to set up a selling system.
