Using Magnets to Grow Your Sales
I've been in sales for much of my career and have always been slightly offended by the stereotype of salespeople. Sure, some are aggressive and pushy, but that may be more a testament to their personality and less a statement about the job. Done properly, sales is a process that takes time because no one likes a hard pitch the moment they connect with a business.
Studies show that your prospective customers have done 53% of their research before they ever contact you. Much of this early research on you, your business, and your offers are from your website. This is why it's so important your website effectively addresses your ideal client's most significant problems and how you solve them. It also seizes the opportunity to capture a prospective client's email address allowing you to engage with them long after they've left your website.
Sales is a process that evolves over time, which is why lead magnets are so powerful.
Lead magnets can take on various forms, but the ultimate goal is to provide your ideal client with valuable content that positions you as a subject matter expert.
And hopefully, you create something so valuable that your ideal customers continue to refer back to it. Lead magnets have multiple benefits, including:
Attract an audience that grows your email list
Establishes you as an expert to your ideal customer
Because we're always focused on creating copy that increases your sales, we're particularly focused on the value of #2. Because let's face it, you probably have several competitors, and some of them are likely significant. And any opportunity you can take to position yourself above the competition increases your chances of winning the business. And a well-done lead magnet can do just that.
Here are some of my suggestions for creating a top-notch lead magnet:
It's not a sales pitch for your business but instead a gentle introduction. Lead magnets aren't an opportunity to be pitching your business all over the place. Instead, it's an information-rich tool that provides value. And because of the value you deliver, your ideal clients will start to be drawn to you and begin to trust you. And that's when sales happen.
Make sure the topic is one your ideal client cares about. For your lead magnet to be considered valuable, it needs to address a topic that your ideal client struggles with. If you can provide the answers or tips to issues that have frustrated them, they will seek your advice to solve other problems.
I love Canva for creating visually appealing lead-generating documents. I focus on creating helpful content, but I'm not a design expert. Canva is an outstanding (and free!) tool to create professional-looking documents without tons of effort. I know many incredible designers who can provide expert-looking documents, but Canva is an excellent option for those working on a shoestring budget.
Don't use company-specific photography because this isn't a sales pitch for your business. For example, when creating a lead magnet for my clients, I limit use of their company's photography. Back to tip #1 – this isn't a hard pitch for your business, so I use photos that are more industry-specific and less company-specific.
But DO make sure you place your contact information at the footer of every page. You want your presence to be subtle, not wholly void. I often put the company's name as a subheader to the title noted as "Compliments of [Company Name]" and place their contact information at the footer of each page.
Make it long enough to be credible, but not so long it overwhelms. I strive to create a document that is 4-7 pages long. The layout needs to be readable, so two to three pages of heavy text is hard to digest. And anything longer than seven pages is asking too much of your reader's time.
One of the best things about lead magnets is you can repurpose them in several ways. Not only can it be used to incentivize a potential customer to provide you with their email address, but you can also send in response to an inquiry or price quote. The goal is twofold – provide valuable information that always distinguishes you from your competition.
