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Want to use lead magnets to attract high-quality prospects into your sales funnel but don’t know where to start? You’re in the right spot. In this post, I’m going to share my exact step-by-step process to create a lead magnet so can you follow along and get it done in 4-5 hours!
How to Collect Emails
A decade ago when I was getting comfortable building websites – I could offer an email newsletter on my website that said “Sign Up For Our Newsletter” and it was an effective way to grow an email list.
But today… that’s not the case.
We are all busy and in front of thousands of marketing messages, every click we make. So you need to offer high-value to a reader to get them to hand over their email address.
To entice people to subscribe to your list, you must offer them something that delivers an immediate benefit. A transformation they can get without spending hours reading, watching, or listening to consume your solution.
In other words, solve a problem your ideal client has — fast.
Now don’t get me wrong… I love to produce free content inside my podcast and this blog. There’s not a lot of commitment on your part to flip a podcast on or read my blog, as a click isn’t a big commitment.
But when I ask you to sign up for my list… and hand over the keys to your inbox… that can feel like a huge commitment for some.
I’m asking you to trust me that I will deliver something in exchange that feels valuable to you for your email address.
I other words, I need to give you a compelling reason to hand your email over to me!
How to ask for emails addresses
So think of your business… how are you asking for emails from your readers? Are you still using the “sign up for my newsletter” strategy or have you toyed around with some lead magnet ideas?
A compelling reason for your reader to hand over their email to you is offering them a quick solution to their #1 problem = aka a lead magnet.
- “Lead” refers to someone who is representative of your ideal client avatar you’d like to attract to your business.
- “Magnet” refers to an irresistible piece of digital content — a workbook, community, checklist, or video tutorial — that solves an immediate problem of your ICA.
Think about your lead magnet as a quick solution to their #1 problem.
In exchange for a reader’s email address, you offer an article or service.
But in a very scaled-down form. Remember lead magnets are usually free or for a tiny $7 amount. So share only the WHAT and WHY – the complete HOW should be your larger paid items.
I like to think of your lead magnet as your first PRODUCT in the hands of your future paying client.
What’s their #1 problem that you could help solve for them with a lead magnet?
When done well… this lead magnet then converts your email subscriber into a warm prospect who is more apt to purchase your paid products.
Within my CORE Brand Marketing Group, we work 1:1 with female business builders to help build your lead magnet and connect it to your sales funnel and value ladder. When done right your new email subscribers from your lead magnet are introduced to your paid products and sales organically happen on automation.
11 Steps To Create A Lead Magnet In A Single Afternoon
1. Decide what lead magnet to create
For my paid clients we set up a 60-minute Strategy Call. I not only want to understand their ideal client – but learn about their ICA’s #1 problem.
Then you want to set out to create a solution for that problem. But it needs to make sense when placed in your overall value ladder.
Remember this lead magnet needs to be the BIG CARROT that officially brings a reader into your brand.
But after you solve this #1 problem with your lead magnet, what will be your ICA’s next #1 problem? That will be the next paid product on your value ladder. One should lead right into the other.
When you are strategic with having your lead magnet targeted toward a paid offer – you save yourself low-quality random leads who aren’t interested in paying for your next offer.
There is a lot of reverse engineering that goes into a lead magnet, so be clear about the transformation you will deliver – the WHAT and WHY… not the entire HOW! If you answer the “what” and the “why” with your lead magnet, then your next offer, which is your paid product where you can provide the “how.”
2. Do topic research
Do topic research and layout your thoughts, solution, steps, process, and outline in a google doc.
When I work with clients I have them create a step-by-step method they can term as their own.
So if your step-by-step method was the paid product you offered… your lead magnet could be at the very beginning of your value ladder as the prerequisite to prepare people for the transformation process in your paid product.
3. Choose your Lead Magnet format
Next is to determine if you will share your information in a workbook, quiz, masterclass webinar, free online community, or a printable?
Most of my beginner clients choose to create a PDF workbook for their first lead magnet attempt.
I prefer to use a few formats inside a PDF workbook. For instance, I’ll choose a few from this list to include in my lead magnet PDF workbook:
- a checklist,
- resource guide,
- swipe file,
- worksheet,
- short tutorial video,
- quiz or self-test,
- or recipes.
Keep in mind your lead magnet doesn’t’ have to be some elaborate design, but it is going to represent your brand so you want it polished and make a first great impression with it. I offer the exact Canva templates I’ve created for my clients in my online shop – simply swap out my brand colors for yours and insert your copy and you have a professional PDF ready to download! Get those templates at kristinkorn.com/shop
4. Create your lead magnet first draft
Taking all your research from step two – go out to solve one problem of your ICA. I like to write out my draft, then walk away…. Then come back to it the next day. I also send it to another business friend or have one of my staff look over it. I want to make sure it’s simple to consume and easy to follow.
PIN THIS IMAGE!
5. Download Your PDF
After you’ve made all your revisions and designed a front cover and decided on a fun name that clearly describes the transformation your ICA can expect by consuming your lead magnet – you want to download it as a PDF to your computer.
I prefer saving all my files inside Google One Drive. It syncs to my desktop and I can access files from the cloud no matter where I am.
Plus as I make edits to my original file – the share LINK never changes! This is a huge benefit when you have links inside your emails and marketing messages. Changing them is a huge pain – so this is your friendly heads up – use a shared online system that allows you to resave over the original without changing the SHARE LINK URL!
6. Write Your Marketing Copy
The next step is to write a few bullet points about your lead magnet that you will use in your email marketing, social media marketing, landing page, and online form box. This step is often overlooked but I spend an hour alone working up the perfect copy for my clients when it comes to marketing messages!!! I love to start laying out the features of the lead magnet, then explain what that means to them when it comes to benefits.
For example, here’s a couple of bullet points I recently created for a farm-to-table client who was sharing her Quick and Flavorful Whole Chicken Recipes…
- How To Easily Use A Whole Chicken: Save money by not buying individual cuts, which means enjoying a juicier, more flavorful meat without any waste.
- 3 Quick And Flavorful Whole Chicken Recipes: Feed your entire family food they will love … using your frozen and stored shredded chicken in a new flavor-filled way.
Just how I mentioned in Episode #57 I use keyword research for blog post topics – I do the same for a lead magnet. You want to use these keywords to get your landing page ranked.
7. Design Marketing Images
After you have your marketing copy completed, the next step is to create marketing images and product mockups for your lead magnet that you’ll use across your emails, website, social pages, blog, and Pinterest! I use Canva pro for this.
8. Create a signup form inside your email marketing platform
I use Active Campaign so I’ll create a LIST for my lead magnet subscribers and then create a form to capture their first name and email and embed it into my landing page.
9. Design Your Landing Page
When you have your marketing copy and images complete you can then create your landing page. For my clients, I build a custom WordPress website and host the landing page there. This keeps the URL easy to share – for instance – KristinKorn.com/brandquiz – it’s short, simple, and “brand quiz” is the name of the page.
10. Set Up Your Email Sequences
The next step is to create a welcome sequence that automatically delivers to the subscriber after they fill out the form on your landing page! I usually write 2-3 thank you emails that are sent over the first week. Then using the email platform I set up the automation so it adds them into an invite sequence for my paid offer next on my value ladder.
11. Launch
Lastly is to use a launch strategy to tease then promote your lead magnet across all media channels.
In Closing
My business lives and dies by my lead magnets. I’ve tweaked and swapped them out over the years but one thing is certain… they are effective when done right! Over the past year, I’ve grown my email list (after unsubscribes) by 4,123 new subscribers using lead magnets inside my CORE simplistic sales system.
So no excuse – as your business moves into 2021 – set aside an afternoon to create an effective lead magnet for your value ladder. And if you need help, I’m one strategy call away. You can learn more about my 1:1 CORE services at corebrandmarketing.com.
Or you can learn the CORE simplistic sales process on your own by participating in my Passive Paycheck Package: Digital Product Workshop – at kristinkorn.com/workshop
>> Ep 50: The Simplistic 5 Step Sales Process To Running An Automated Business
Above all, stay consistent with your content marketing, lead magnet promotions, and in no time you too will be attracting an audience of qualifying people who are interested in the offer you’ll sell them in the future!
Ep 44: 5 Ways To Make Sure Your Lead Magnet Isn’t A Big Fail
Since I share awe-inspiring resources and must-have products for business builders like you who want to streamline their business – my content may contain affiliate links for products I use and love. If you take action (i.e. subscribe, make a purchase) after clicking one of these links, I’ll earn a small commission. While it has no effect on your pricing, it’s my responsibility to let you know that an income (however small or large it may be) is made from recommending products I love, use, and share with other awesome people like yourself. With your support, I’m able to commit time to this blog and to each of you on your journey!
