I have no idea about your personal life.
So please don’t take offence – this is just a hypothetical situation.
But let’s imagine you decide to do some online dating.
Most likely you’d be looking for someone of a certain age, with certain interests and a certain type of appearance.
For instance…
• A curvy, fun loving woman 45-55, who likes jazz, dining out and cats
• A tall, bearded man who enjoys outdoor sports and doesn’t mind dogs
They don’t have to be EXACTLY that… but this is a target for the type of person you’re looking for.
Now, you only have a bit of free time to go dating, so you really don’t want your time wasted with someone unsuitable who is never going to like you.
For example, if you love cats there’s not much point meeting someone who’s allergic to cats and dislikes them.
If you’re 5 ft 7, there’s no point in dating someone who specifically wants a tall man.
So you need to be honest about who you are as well.
To have a lovely evening with great potential for a future relationship, you need to get the best ‘match’ right up front.
Better to miss out on 100 dates and get 2 or 3 fantastic matches, than waste your time with embarrassing, awkward, dispiriting dates that lead nowhere.
The same goes for your email marketing.
You’re looking to attract only those people who will like your message, your values and your products. People who will actually read your content and eventually buy from you.
This is why you should have a lead magnet on your website
A lead magnet is something that attracts qualified prospects – subscribers who like you and may even fall in love with your business and products.
It usually takes the form of a free product or download.
It could be anything from a list of resources to a useful video to a white paper or report.
The key thing is this…
It must have a clear benefit to the precise sort of person you want to attract.
It should aim to deliver a specific result that will improve their life. For instance, it could:
• Promise a single solution that helps achieve a small goal, or solves a common problem
• Offer a specific case study, example or story.
• Reveal a shortcut, hack or time-saving solution.
• Answer a pressing question
Here’s a very basic old school example…
As you can see, this is a free report on getting better sleep, designed specifically to attract a poor sleeper who seeks someone who can help!
Here’s another one that offers a free video to help website marketers avoid problem on Google.
The key is to think about a single small goal that your ideal prospect will have.
How can you help them in a way that makes them find you more attractive?
Ideally what you offer should have a high-perceived value, but not cost you anything (or very little) to create and send – for instance a PDF, ebook, video, audio file/podcast, ecourse, webinar.
10 proven lead magnet ideas you can copy and use right away
Options include…
• A list of resources (links, reading suggestions, contacts) – e.g. 29 Low Price Wholesalers to Boost Your Amazon Profits
• A blueprint (a set of instructions) – e.g. A Window-Box Gardener’s Guide to Perfect Tomatoes
• A series of tips (however they must all help reach a single goal) – e.g. 49 Proven Conversation Ice Breakers for First Dates
• A ‘Cheat Sheet’ that gives all the basic essential details that someone needs to know about a topic or activity. Perhaps write down a list of time and money saving techniques or tips. The beauty of cheat sheets is that they’re supposed to be short – often just a couple of pages. – e.g. Your ONE Page Blog Writing Cheatsheet
• A white paper or report (a mini report into a subject, detailing a problem and solving it) – e.g. Model Train Layouts: The 17 Most Common (and Expensive) Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
• A review – e.g. The 11 Best Novels for Teenage Boys
• A recipe – e.g. How to Make the Perfect Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
• A ‘how to’ video (show someone a practical way to solve a problem – e.g. 7-Minute Fat Burning Workout For Men Who Hate Exercise
• A swipe file, case studies or examples (these could be your own or examples you’ve found online) – e.g. 100 Great Subject Lines for High Converting Emails
• An Interview – this could be an audio or an interview that you’ve transcribed into a document – e.g. A Conversation With a CEO: How to Write the Perfect CV
To offer your lead magnet on your website, try this…
Tool Recommendation
With Leadpages you can choose from hundreds of templates designed to offer your lead magnet and get customers to join your email list.
You can integrate your chosen template into your website using their WordPress plugin. They’ll offer help and support to do this, so don’t worry about your technical skills.
You will have to pay for a subscription, but bear in mind that this is going to help build a powerful high response email list, plus you can build other sales pages on their system. Worth checking out, here.
Members can see a full list of our recommended Lead Magnet page building tools in the members section. These include page builders that can be purchased for a one-off lifetime fee (much cheaper than you’d think) and even tools that you can use for free.
If you’ve not signed up yet you can start your risk free trial here.
Whatever page builder you choose, it’s always worth offering a lead magnet with your email service if you want to pull the right kind of customers.