If you’re familiar with B2B marketing you’ve probably heard the term “lead magnet’. Lead magnets are a popular type of content that a company offers, usually a helpful infographic, checklist, or guide, in exchange for their leads’ contact information.
A lead magnet is a visually appealing, free download, or authoritative information piece. Lead magnets help you identify real people who visit your website and lets you know that your product or service is of some interest to them. Lead magnets also reinforce brand value, build industry authority, and position your business as a valuable resource during the purchase process.
When creating a lead magnet for your business, you need to first think about what your prospective buyers are searching for. Creating a piece of content around the needs of your ideal customers will increase your search results and brand awareness, and attract new leads and visitors to your website.
The content available in your lead magnet must be high-value content. It should be of higher value than the content you offer on your website.
The best lead magnets offer something useful, specific, accessible, and actionable, but they should also leave potential customers wanting more. Your prospective clients should still feel the need for your company’s service or product after viewing your lead magnet.
The most difficult part of implementing a lead magnet strategy into your marketing to gain leads is determining the best, most useful pieces of content your audience will value the most.
To start generating leads, a lead magnet needs to:
- Be impossible to say ‘no’ to
- Solve a pain point of your target audience
- Be valuable enough for someone to give up their contact information in exchange for
- Be instantly accessible
When deciding on the content for your lead magnet, you have to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What does my audience care about most?
- What does my audience struggle with?
- What could my audience benefit from?
- Is there anything trending or viral in my industry right now?
Whatever you decide the topic has to be tied back to your target audiences’ needs. For example, when Clubhouse became the talk of the marketing industry, we took advantage of the craze and created a Clubhouse Lead Magnet informing marketing directors and CEOs how they can use Clubhouse to generate real revenue.
A lead magnet is NOT a glorified brochure about your company or the services you offer. Yes, it should relate to what you offer in some way, shape, or form but the main goal is to provide value and educate to position your company for consideration.
The different types of lead magnets
Webinars
With video content on the rise, webinars make for great lead magnets. A webinar can be a live or pre-recorded presentation. They are an easy way to put out educational content without being boring. A live webinar helps connect you with real prospects in real time. Doing a live webinar also allows you to be more personable and connect with those in need of your service or product.
Guides
Guides are typically the most popular type of lead magnet because they are usually the easiest to produce. Using guides, eBooks, white-papers, etc is a low-risk way for a potential client to sample your content, brand experience, and value proposition. This is also a great technique to gain decision-makers trust before they even speak with you.
Templates & Checklists
PDF content in the form of a checklist or preparation guide tailored to your industry is another type of downloadable B2B lead magnet that does really well. Provide insights without giving too much away. When done correctly, it’s an effective technique to deliver a service or value to your customer that also helps them seize opportunities.
Free consultation
If you’re in the service industry, you can provide a free consultation as a lead magnet. For example, at Ajax Union we offer a free 15 minute strategy session for any company that is interested in working with an agency. We talk about their needs and determine the best plan of action in order for them to reach their goals without giving away our trade. If you need help with next steps for your business, feel free to schedule a meeting with one of our strategists today!
https://ajaxunion.com/strategysession
Once you’ve gathered contact information from your successful lead magnet campaign, it’s not guaranteed that your prospective clients will reach out to you. It’s up to you to follow-up. When someone downloads a lead magnet from the Ajax Union Resource Library, they are automatically entered into an email automation thanking them for their download along with another download link. After that they will continue to receive helpful resources from us, ending in an opportunity for them to schedule a consultation with our strategy team.
Lead magnets are important for any B2B business because they form a bridge from exposure or awareness, to trust and likability. They give people a stepping stone to stand on and make a decision if they want more of you before you expect them to give you their business.
Now that you know the importance of lead magnets, the different types, and how to effectively use them…it’s time to get started!
At Ajax Union we help clients of all types create lead-in products for their potential clients. If you need help executing your next lead magnet or would like to talk to one of our strategists to design a plan for your business, schedule a meeting today!
https://ajaxunion.com/strategysession
