The 3 best lead magnets that will launch your email list with a bang
Lead magnets are the not-so-secret ingredient that your list-building strategy is lacking. This article will explain why they are important and how you can start using them now.
After a few minutes, listening to those marketers and small business leaders talk about the value of their email list begins to look like that particular scene, and its accompanying music from The Lion King.
It's almost like it's too good to be true. Average ROI of 3800% ? It's not possible. 99% of professional claim they prefer email to generate leads? That's a bit much.
However, there's a rationale behind it. Email marketing is not an exclusive affair for businesses and consumers. Much like The Lion King, email is adored by everyone in the commerce kingdom.
In actual fact, 73% of people rate email as their top-choice channel to receive communications from marketers and to interact with them.
It's not the problem you're struggling with.
The problem you face is much simpler in the sense that you understand that you need an email list But how are you supposed to build it from scratch?
And moreover, how do create a quick list without compromising on quality?
The solution, dear reader, is easy:
You need a lead magnet.
That's what we'll address this morning. In the beginning, we'll discuss why and then demonstrate how, and finally top everything off with a done-for-you lead magnet solution to energize your list building in as little as ten minutes.
Let's get started.
What exactly is an effective lead magnet?
One of the main differences that separates lead magnets from any other form of content marketing - more on this later -the fact that lead magnets come with a specific reward that is contingent upon the user taking an step (e.g., joining your email list).
This subscription box that is located on Backlinko's homepage does not not a lead magnet. The tips and tricks may indeed be exclusive for Brian Dean, they are not offered an exclusive resource, in exchange for the user sign-up.
Conversely, this example study that is located at the bottom of the same page can be considered a lead magnet as the content is hidden through an email address block. Users only have to complete the required action and become subscribers they will be able to access this case study.
Both of the buttons will take users to the same location that Brian's list of email addresses -- but it's only the second that incentives new subscribers to sign up with an event-based incentive.
In general one of the best ways to keep track of what is a lead magnet, and the ones that are not is to apply the "if, and then" formula.
If the user completes the action they want to take The user will get the xyz as a reward.
If the user doesn't perform the action desired, the user will not be able to exchange xyz.
However, that's enough to get you started on the right path. Beyond that, how (and why) are lead magnets effective?
Lead magnets' process usually looks as follows:
The process can be differentUsers may be able to start at the lead magnet's landing page however the connection between action and reward remains the same.
That brings us back to the "why" behind the lead magnets.
They offer your users an incentive, right there and there, to give over their contact information and turn into leads in a matter of minutes. (The are really good lead magnets are, in fact. Further details on this will be discussed later, as well.)
These lead magnets address the biggest marketing problem faced by more than 61% of professional across the globe by driving the necessary traffic as well as prospects in one fell one swoop.
Another way to think of this is to think of it in terms of the differences between messaging someone on the dating site and getting them excited with clever humorous messages or requesting the same person to have dinner together when you're already in the restaurant.
If you do it correctly, you'll have an email subscriber in just a tiny small fraction of the time is required to complete the formal plan for content. Do it wrong and the users will immediately flinch, just so, and never return.
It's not a stretch It's true, in fact.
A minimum of 70 percent of visitors who leave your site on the first visit never make their way back again.
So getting the lead magnet perfect isn't about just generating more leads, it's about making the strongest impression that visitors can make when they actually turn into leads.
Short answer: By leveraging the right touches at the right time with those who are in the right place at the right time.
For more information for the long answer, continue reading.
The best lead magnets are targeted and address issues
Before you dive into an endless hole of despair, trying to determine when, where, and how you'll create an effective lead magnet that will entice people, be encouraged.
The thing that lead magnets with high-quality performance have in common isn't just the amount of time required to make them, or the budgets behind them or the expertise of the designer that's the issue: their target.
Simply put The more focused and pertinent the content of your lead magnet to the audience you're trying to connect with, the more effective your lead magnet will perform for both your company and your customers.
Remember, your goal with any type of content -regardless of whether it's an ad, blog article, or even a webinar -- shouldn't be to appeal to large majority of the population.
Instead, your golden principle should be to appeal to your specific target audience.
In the end, 71.7 percent of those that rated information as being irrelevant flagged it as being not sufficiently general.
Comparatively, only 2.9 percentage of this users believed that the content was irrelevant because it was not sufficiently complex or in-depth.
If you can take anything else away from this article this moment, it should be this:
Whatever product you choose to sell that is lead magnets or any other type of product designed to please everybody is likely to please a few but be forgotten by many.
Now, with that soapbox removed How do you make sure that your lead magnet is pertinent to your target audience? After nailing your customer research down, you should evaluate your users' pain points.
The term "pain points," if you've never come across the phrase previously, refer specifically to issues the users of your business are having that are relevant to the business you run. They are not the solutions to those difficulties.
This comic from Ceralytics beautifully illustrates the distinction between pain points and solutions .
Potential problems could be
I need to compress my files without loss of quality.
I'm in need of a memorable logo for my client.
I'm trying to cut back the time I spend between pitching and deliverable.
However, they would not, constitute:
I want to save my files with .PNG format.
I need a color palette for my customer.
I need an automated process.
Why? because the first half is problems that don't yet have solutions. The second half are the (possible) possible solutions.
However, while they can be a useful method to focus the attention of your lead magnet, they are not the only ones that make good content.
There's an array of problems that users can experience throughout the day. And if it's not ones that people are passionate about working on -or i.e. active in seeking solutions for -- even if they are important the lead magnet you've chosen won't get the attention you're hoping to achieve.
A good lead magnet must be both profitable and fueled by passion.
So if it's a pain point that people are passionate to address --- i.e. it's possible to find Reddit threads asking for help, and there's already an industry for similar high-end products -- it fits into the top right quadrant and can result in an engaging and relevant lead attraction.
If however, it's a pain point that users aren't already keen to solve or willing to spend money to make go away, then it would fall into the left part of the matrix and probably shouldn't be your next lead magnet.
In this case, it is the way I would sort out my readers' problems in the context of content strategy:
Otherwise, this is what is at stake:
Lead magnets that are successful are relevant to their intended users and target specific issues.
(Coincidence? Most likely not.)
So if you prefer to take things easy, I recommend opening our download generator in a new tab and following along. However, no matter how you create your lead magnet use these guidelines and tricks to make it shine above the rest.
Three simple lead magnets you can design and get them to pop
This post will focus on three formats today -- our favorite types of lead magnets as well as those that have been most successful for us. But should you be interested in investigating alternative types, Blogging Wizard has an comprehensive guide to lead magnets I would strongly recommend.
Otherwise, these are the types we'll be dealing with for the remainder of this article:
Sound good? Then without further ado, let's dive in.
#1. Give your checklists visual accents to leave a lasting impression
The checklists should be pretty easy to understand and contain anything which users are able to interact with by checking off items, either on a computer or with the pen. They're usually less visual-heavy as other types of formats.
Be aware that I'm saying less visual-heavy and not visual-free. In general, those employed in the field of content marketing favor material which incorporates aesthetic appeal This is the case with checklists.
Why? There are many reasons why checklists need to incorporate visuals, but the most notable is the effect that it can have on the perception of a brand. After three days of exposure, users can retain up to 65percent of what they see when it is paired with a photo.
In some more pragmatic terms, including images to your checklists make them distinguishable and memorable and keeps your business top-of-mind while users put your checklist to work.
However, you don't must have an incredibly visual design to be able to create an impact with the checklist. Even just small visual touches can go a long way.
For instance, take an look at this (abbreviated) blog writing checklist from CoSchedule.
Evaluated objectively, it's not a particularly sophisticated graphic yet it incorporates icons, colors and visual hierarchy to make the content itself such as the 21-item list is distinct to other products and enhance the perceived worth of the product.
The same approach can be seen in this editor's checklist of content through Vertical Measures.
Is the actual content of this checklist relevant and helpful for readers? Absolutely. However, would anyone remember it was from Vertical Measures or turn to them as an authoritative source on blog posts if the content didn't feature branded colors and an image?
Possibly, but not likely, and not easily.
And easy, no matter the type of marketing that your company is doing, it's always the goal.
Final word:
Checklists must incorporate color and your logo for branding for them to be memorable and increase their appeal overall. The meat of the content may be the copy, but even a great steak benefits from a well-placed accessory.
#2. Give your numbered lists large margins and lines
Sequential lists, whether they're indented or numbered by bullet points, meet similar requirements to checklists, however there's one element they must have above all other things:
Blank empty space.
Also referred to as negative or white space, adding sufficient margins and spacing between items in your list enhances reading as well as comprehension. It also makes it easier to understand the relationship between items.
The differences between lists with spacing and one without could seem minor however the effect on user engagement -- and overall usability -- isn't subtle at all.
Here's an example of what I'm referring to:
When the list is only four-items long as in the previous example, the small margins and a tight structure might be acceptable However, think of the same spacing in an array of 20 items.
Or better yet, check it out to see it yourself.
There is only one difference between these two lists is one 0.20 increase in lines, however the capability to scan and absorb the data is a world of distinction.
And if your numbered list is leading an individual through a procedure that isn't a big difference, you can afford to skip.
Actually, I mean "afford" in the literal sense, by the way.
Increasing white space between items will boost conversion rates during the checkout process by as much as 33% like it did for Xerox in addition to enhancing an improved user experience as well as user engagement level overall.
This improvement in conversion and comprehension has been demonstrated repeatedly by various research teams and there's no aspect of your online presence or product- that won't benefit from well-applied spaces , including numbered lists.
The gist of the matter:
The lists with numbers need to have a visual balance between their components to ensure their value to users. If your user has to squint to read through your lead magnet, you're not going to create a compelling user experience or prove the importance of your company's brand.
This makes it an effective lead-generator that draws traffic in and is then lost in a single breath. Ouch.
#3. Limit lead magnet ebooks to 2,000 words or lesser
If the header above seems strangely unique for you, there's a reason: this tip only applies when you're creating ebooks as a form of an attention-grabbing lead magnet.
For an ebook formatted as leadsetters -- whether it's a case study, a short story, or a chapter snippet in a bigger bookit's best to limit it to around seven minutes worth of reading, or 2,000 characters.
This number comes from research conducted by the blog platform Medium regarding the best length of long-form posts.
The vertical Axis (the bar that runs from top to bottom) represents the total amount of time that users spent reading the post; the horizontal axis (the bar from right to left) indicates how long the blog post will take readers to go through at a normal pace.
As you can see, viewers' interest is highest around the 7 minute mark and then begins to decrease with the length of the article. While the data is applicable to blog content and not lead magnets in particular it is a simple connection to establish, and further, the takeaway is clear:
People don't want to invest hours on a resource, even a great one.
As a company, it isn't beneficial for the company if employees devote hours to it either: even if the 50,000 words guide is the best ebook on how to crochet cute sea creatures, it's not digestible, and users will not be able to read the entire book or peruse the other offerings in the near future.
After all the pleasure of reading is at an all-time low in the US .
It is probably due to the reality that Americans most of all other people anywhere in the world, spend their weekends working.
The whole thing brings us to the main point of this: people aren't able to afford a lot of time.
The purpose of the prospector is to incentivize customers to sign up for your email list so you can nurture them for buying, a book that requires them to wait a time to go through (assuming they get that far) doesn't do either your business or your lead any good.
Keep it brief and direct. Everyone wins.
How do lead magnets grow up big and sturdy
In essence, consider lead magnets as multivitamins. They won't cure your problems with email marketing in a matter of hours, but they will give you -- as well as the individuals who sign-up for your mailing list the boost you require to get where you want to be more quickly.
In the same vein of brevity, here's the brief summary of the topics we've covered in the past:
Lead magnets are offers that are usually made in the form of downloadable resources, that give users an incentive to sign up for your mailing subscriber list.
The top lead magnets are designed to their intended audiences. The more broad your lead magnet's content is less specific, the lower the response will be.
Lead magnets may be in any form, however the most straightforward to start using are checklists, numbers list, and ebooks.
While you're making your checklists, make sure you include small visual elements. Without them, your brand regardless of whether the list is amazing -- is forgettable.
The lists that are numbered benefit from images and also have visuals, but they require space between elements to make them usable. A crowded list does not improve its appearance but it does make it less understandable.
Ebooks that have been packaged as lead magnets should follow the same rule of thumb as long-form posts -- keep it short and straight to the point. About 2,000 words or a 7 minutes reading time is optimal.
But you know, maybe you're interested in line spacing as well as character count. I'm not going to judge.