I talk about the benefits of building an email list in many of my articles. And the reason why is that email is one of the most profitable marketing channels available today.
But how do you increase the size of your email list?
How do you get more email subscribers that are interested in reading and clicking the links in your emails?
To build your email list, you need to create something of value and give it away in exchange for the person’s name and email address. The item you are giving away is known as a Lead Magnet.
Lead Magnets are invaluable because it is one of the first steps of a person getting to know, like, and trust you while learning about your business.
Lead Magnets need to provide value to the subscriber.
The good news is Lead Magnets can be easy to create and can be videos, audios, pdfs, or images.
Examples of lead magnets that you can create to build an email list.
| • Infographic
• eBooks • Course • Email course • Webinar registration • Contest registration • Spreadsheet • Templates • Answer a question • Survey | • Software trial
• Product catalog • Free coaching call • Free mini-course • Checklists • A Case Study • A Free Guide/Report/Whitepaper • A Process Map • Free video • Free consultation |
(Article Continues Below)
As you can see, you are only limited by your imagination as far as what you can offer as a Lead Magnet.
But how do you create a lead magnet that is almost guaranteed to generate interest and build your email list?
Here are 4 advanced strategies when creating your lead magnet.
- Make sure your lead magnet provides value to your ideal customer.
This seems obvious. You need to make sure that the lead magnet is fulfilling a want, need, or desire of whom you are serving. Plus, you want to make sure that the person can take action with the content in the lead magnet.
Now, the lead magnet may not share everything about a topic, but it should provide value in addressing one specific aspect of the topic.
For instance, creating a lead magnet on 7 Ways to Prevent Pet Odor could lead to a more general book about caring for a dog. Plus, the weekly email newsletters could include products about how to remove pet odor. The links to the actual product could be Amazon affiliate links, where you would earn a commission for each product sold.
- Quick and easy to consume
Another tip is to make sure your Lead Magnet is easy to consume. The purpose of a lead magnet is to help people solve a specific problem plus build rapport with the new person on your email list.
Once the person consumes a lead magnet, they may be more likely to move to the next step of solving their problem. The next step could be your product or service.
So, if you design a lead magnet that is a 300-page book, it may take a long time for the person to read the book. The lead magnet can become a barrier to the person purchasing your product if they need to consume the entire book before buying.
But if the lead magnet is quick to consume and sets the expectations for the next step, then more people may take the next step of purchasing your product or service.
One final thought is not everyone who downloads a lead magnet must consume the entire lead magnet before they purchase your product or service.
But often, if the person does consume the lead magnet, it builds rapport and starts to establish a relationship. Building a relationship with prospects and customers is always the most important aspect of any marketing. The relationship is what drives your email open rates and click-through rates.
- Specificity vs. General information
Next, make sure the Lead Magnet solves one specific problem.
You want to identify and then offer solutions to your potential customers’ wants, needs, and desires. Often people will opt in for specific information more than general information.
An example would be a report on 3 Often Overlooked Secrets To Increase Email Open Rates versus A Simple Guide To Explore Email Marketing.
The first email is far more specific and would attract people who are already using email marketing. The second example may bring people to your list who are interested in email marketing but may not be actually emailing on a regular basis.
This is where knowing whom you are attracting and why it is important. All things considered, the first lead magnet would most likely generate more clicks and a higher opt-in rate than the second.
- Make sure your lead magnet is relevant to what you are selling.
How can you create a lead magnet that encourages people to take the next step in your buying process?
For this, you need to start with the end and then work backward. Start with whom you are selling to and why, and then your product or service.
Answering these questions can help you develop your lead magnet, so it leads people to the next step in the customer journey.
Whom do you want to attract?
Why do you want to attract this type of person?
How do your products or services provide value to the person?
What are you selling and why?
Once you know what products and services you are offering, then ask this question?
What is one specific topic or problem that a lead magnet can address that will naturally lead people to the next step of purchasing my product or service?
Once the person downloads the lead magnet, what is the next step?
How can the person learn more about the topic? Often I think of this in terms of how you can provide more value to the person once they consume the lead magnet.
What is the next step for the person to take to learn more? At a minimum, this can be receiving weekly newsletters from you or upgrading to a product that will help implement what you are teaching.
Answering these questions will help you identify whom you want to attract and why? It will help you think through the customer journey for your business. And it will also help you develop a plan that attracts the right type of people who will opt-in to your list and purchase your products and services.
There you have it!
You just discovered how to create a lead magnet to build your email list.
However, a word of warning – just knowing how to create a lead magnet isn’t going to build your email list.
That’s because the key is that you need to take action on what you just learned. And that’s why I encourage you to review the steps and then start implementing them right away. Because the sooner you do, the sooner you’ll start enjoying the benefits of your own email list!
Leave a Reply