7 Ways to Increase Your Digital Magnetism

Lead magnets are a tried and true method for securing a tiny commitment from a prospect and furthering them along their walk down the path toward an eventual purchase. The idea is to use an incentive to encourage a prospect to supply an email address, so you can start a conversation.

Many times a free white paper, cheat sheet, case study, or checklist is enough to engage a prospect. Also effective are email courses, which are simple to automate and provide multiple opportunities to communicate over time.

A great lead magnet fills up the top of that sales funnel we were just talking about. Unfortunately, the tactic can be so effective that it’s being used all over the place online. Does every website hock a newsletter these days? That means it’s getting harder to stand out and earn a prospect’s real contact information.

Don’t let the challenge stop you, though. A great lead magnet is worth the time it takes to brainstorm in the car, on the treadmill, or while walking around the grocery store—wherever you can fit some creative thinking in. What works as a lead magnet depends on the industry, of course, but experts suggest there are rules of thumb that can increase your attractiveness—and who doesn’t want that?!

1. Problem-solving. Customers need to know they’ll get something out of the content you’re offering. Having an answer to an immediate issue they’re facing is strong motivation to sign up, download, or enroll.
2. A believable promise. Most customers are too savvy to respond if you say you can make them millions overnight. But for a newbie in professional photography, as an example, a checklist of shots to help their first wedding gig go more smoothly, that’s worth a look.
3. Specificity.  Most general topics are covered to death online. Getting down to the nitty gritty on a more focused issue makes it more likely the prospect will need—and therefore register to receive—the information. If it’s hard to find the answer they’ve been seeking, an email address is a small price to pay for it.
4. Expert input. Related to the specificity point, a lead magnet needs to focus on a topic you or your business knows well. Only then can you provide the type of insight customers really want. Plus, your expertise will position you as a resource worthy of a sale down the road. Here at 3Leaf, we can’t tell you much about baking, sad to say, but on CRM systems, we know our stuff!
5. Instant gratification. Make the content, or at least the first installment, immediately accessible. If a site visitor signs up for a monthly newsletter, send the last issue right away to build the relationship before they half-forget you exist.
6. Trusted.  Assuring prospects they won’t get bombarded with spam is essential. Be clear about how you will—and won’t—use their email address. All the better if you can make the statement sound direct and personal, not like standard language.
7. Differentiated.  If everyone in your industry is doing a PDF report, try something else. The possibilities are endless—videos, apps, toolkits, or attractive forms, calendars, or templates prospects would have difficulty laying out themselves. Leverage any skill you have. I’ve registered to get Excel trackers because I’m just that bad at setting up the equations myself!

Not sure how to get started? One of the best tips we’ve found is to tackle something timely. Is there a new regulation the types of companies you work with must know about? An analysis or compliance checklist could find some takers. In the wine business (oh, how we wish)? How about a 4^th of July menu with recipes and pairings to make last-minute party planning a cinch?

And don’t forget, if you need help on the CRM front, we’re here. We’d be happy to develop custom reports to track your lead magnet split tests, set you up to efficiently load and code the new flood of prospect information, or tackle any other challenge you may have. So don’t be a stranger!