A “Lead Magnet” is a type of packaged information (free report, CD checklist) that you can offer in your advertising to generate leads (inquiries). Offering a “Lead Magnet” in your advertising will increase the number of inquiries you receive. In a test I conducted for my own business, the addition of a “Lead Magnet” increased my inquiries 45 times.
The key is not to get bogged down when creating your “Lead Magnet”. This is where most people fail. It takes weeks and months to create a simple “Lead Magnet” and hundreds (potentially thousands) of valuable leads (and sales) are lost.
“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries is a great book that I recommend to my clients. Talk about the importance of speed in business. If you have an idea, implement it immediately.
So when you are creating your “Lead Magnet”, don’t think it has to be perfect. Get it working for you.
If you create your “Lead Magnet” in 24 hours (instead of the 6 months it takes most people), you will be able to try 10, 20, 30 more ideas and enjoy the benefit of much greater results.
Accelerate your learning and achievement rate by implementing quickly.
Let’s take an example to show you how it can be done. I have a Yellow Pages directory in front of me. I’m turning to a page, any page, a bit like “Yellow Pages Roulette.” And the lucky page heads up: Landscaping.
A simple “Lead Magnet” for a landscaping company could be a free report called “How to Choose a Landscaping Company.”
“How to Choose …” is a great title for almost any industry.
“How to choose an insurance agent”
“How to choose someone to design your kitchen”
“How to choose an electrician”
To create an effective Lead Magnet, it’s critical to understand your prospects’ fears and desires. It’s about getting there and understanding your prospect better than they understand themselves.
Once you understand them, make a list of the things they will want to know before making a purchasing decision.
Dig deep. Think about what your client is trying to achieve.
For example, someone who wants to landscape their home may want to achieve several results. First of all, they may want to improve the appearance of their home so that they can enjoy barbecues during the summer months. They may want to be more proud of their home, especially when they receive guests (they receive compliments from the guests). Or maybe they want to improve the value of their home.
You can create (test) several different reports (“Lead Magnets”), or at least test several different titles (with different ‘hooks’). A title might be: “How to Add $ 50,000 to Your Home’s Value With Just $ 1,000 in Landscaping.”
Again, understanding the needs and wants of your target market is a really critical factor here. Another “lead magnet” (with a different “hook”) might be: “The best way to design houses if you live in the mountains.”
“How to design houses if you have a house in the city” would appeal to a completely different market. And then you can have special “Lead Magnets” focused on topics like …
• Landscape paving
• Laying landscape bricks and blocks
• Landscaping for terraces
• Landscaping for retaining walls
You can end up with many different reports. That’s a really powerful thing because you’re tapping into all the different potential niches of your customers. Remember, not everyone wants the same thing.
Once you’ve identified your “Lead Magnet” topic, ask yourself: What are the seven questions people ask about this particular topic?
It can be eight questions. Six questions. Just make a list of questions that your potential customers are most likely to be thinking about.
Let’s say the landscaper’s report is “How to choose a landscaper that will add value to your home.” Question number one might be: Why is landscaping important to your home price value?
And then just answer the question.
You can start by citing a study that shows how much landscaping can improve a property’s value.
And then you could tell a few stories about houses that have increased in value due to landscaping.
You could talk about the top three things people look for in a home.
We recently sold our house. When we met the owners (after the sale), they said they loved the garden. That’s what really got them hooked on loving the house.
One by one, continue to answer the questions that are on your potential customers’ minds.
You could talk about the different types of landscapers – some may be better suited for homes, while others specialize in resorts or businesses.
Another question is: What questions should you ask a landscaper before giving you your business? Perhaps there are critical questions that help the client judge the ability and experience of potential landscapers.
Another thing could be: How do you decide the landscaping approach? If you are landscaping your home, what is the design process? How is the approach different depending on the area? It may have different trees depending on the different climates: mountain or coast.
I know that I have focused on one particular industry (landscaping). But think about how this applies to you. No matter what type of business you own, this applies equally.
Let’s say you run a martial arts school. Your questions could be …
1. Why are martial arts important for children’s confidence?
2. What are the different types of martial arts?
3. What questions should you ask your martial arts school before getting on board with them?
4. How do you decide which school to send them to?
And then you end the “Lead Magnet” with a call to action that summarizes your points of difference and gives your contact details. You can also make a limited time offer on a consultation or a special bonus with the purchase.
Follow this simple process and create a “Lead Magnet” that will attract new customers to your business like bees to a honeypot.
