As knowledgeable as today’s consumers are, it has become nearly impossible for marketers to persuade them to do something they don’t want to do. Banner ads, billboards, leaflets, brochures and what not; it seems the customers don’t want to look at them anymore. The best way to get the attention of the prospects is to offer them value. And marketers can offer value to potential leads in the form of a lead magnet.

What is a lead magnet?

A lead magnet is anything of value that you promise to give your customers when they agree to exchange their contact details with you. In short, it is one of the best ways to build an email list without annoying your customers. A lead magnet can be any freebie, e.g., an ebook, a free trial of some software, a product sample, a promotional coupon, etc. The best thing is that a customer is happy to provide their contact details because they know they are getting something of value in return.

What could cause your lead magnet to NOT work?

• You haven’t established authority

One of the ways for bloggers to get their readers’ email addresses is by offering them a guide on a particular subject. However, if you are a new blogger who the customers don’t think of as a thought leader, your guide might not be attractive to them.

• Your lead magnet doesn’t offer value

For a lead magnet to be productive, it has to offer some value. You have to find a genuine problem and then offer its solution. If you are offering a solution to a problem that does not exist, your lead magnet won’t attract subscribers.

• Your magnet’s title isn’t attractive

Sometimes, the problem is not with the content of your offer but its title. Let’s say you are offering your prospects an ebook titled “How to Cook an Egg Uniquely“. Do you think this title is appealing? How about rewording the title to something like “Five Ways to Cook an Egg That Even Gordon Ramsey Doesn’t Know”?

• Your CTA (call-to-action) is dull

You couldn’t confidently declare that lead generation isn’t some form of science. In fact, the more you work to generate leads the more you realize that it is like science. Sometimes, everything is right with your lead magnet but the call-to-action button. Your CTA button does not stick out, and the text on it is not inviting.

How to make your lead magnet powerful

• Be focused

The first thing you want to do is to have a focus. If you are offering an ebook that happens to be a guide, focus on one problem only. Do not touch on too many different topics in an attempt to make your ebook valuable and attractive.

• Know your target

Do not try to fix what’s not broken. Be wary that you look for a problem that’s specific to your target audience. If you wish to offer a coupon upon their signup, make it something valuable for them. If your main target audience is teenagers, give them a discount on shopping for clothes, shoes, beauty products, etc. A discount coupon for a car repair or tire alignment might not work for them.

• Make it unique

Even if you are offering something that almost everyone else is offering, try to be creative and make it unique. Try to introduce an element of uniqueness to something that’s common and repetitive. It is up to you to spend some time and make the content of your lead magnet unique or make it sound unique even if it is the same thing inside the guide.

• Explain your offer a little

It is common for people to ignore something as soon as it looks familiar and repetitive to them. However, offering them a glimpse of your offer can change their attitude. For example, if you are offering a coupon for 20% or 30% discount, it might appear just like any other coupon that users see on hundreds of websites every day. You could, however, get a screenshot of some popular product from a website and show its price after applying the discount. Similarly, if you are offering an ebook on signup, you could put a small snippet of what’s inside the book on one side of the email subscription form. Take a look at this example of a company offering an ebook and giving a glimpse of what the readers will find in it before they sign up.

• Create the right CTA

It is imperative to know here that CTA does not only refer to the call-to-action text. In fact, it also includes the look and overall feel of the button itself. First, you may want to work with a digital marketing firm. They have to conduct proper A/B testing to know the best combinations of the button and text.

Secondly, you want to know some basics so you can give your input about what will work and what won’t. The basic rule with CTA buttons is that you contrast them with their backgrounds, so they stick out. Then you make them big and conspicuous on the page. And don’t forget that the CTA text should also be attractive and attention-grabbing.

Lastly, your call-to-action should invite prospects specifically to the content of the lead magnet. For example, if your ebook title is “You Have Seen Paris If You Have Read This Book“, a CTA like “Register” won’t cut it. Instead, make your call to action something like “Take Me to Paris“.

Final word

Creating a lead magnet and making it attractive is like a science. Just because you are offering an ebook or a discount coupon to your prospects for signing up on your website does not mean they will sign up. Be sure to use the tips you have read above, and make your lead magnet stand out. In the end, A/B testing is your friend to know the combination that gets the best response from your website visitors.