When we first start to discuss the differences between sales and marketing, we like to keep it simple. In a nutshell, marketing attracts customers while sales close deals and turn those contacts into conversions. Marketing works with sales to understand who is a qualified contact likely to convert into a customer, and what makes them so. They also have a goal to come up with ways to attract those ideal customers to your company. That attraction enables your sales team a chance to engage with them.
In the era of robocalls, spam, and other types of harassment on the phone and online, Americans hold their personal data close to them. They are not as willing to hand it out as they once were a decade or two ago. With this new generation of consumers, marketing must be persuasive in order to compel a customer to give up their contact information. Enter the lead magnet, a technique that has evolved for this new generation of customers.
What exactly is a Lead Magnet?
A lead magnet is something helpful to your customers that they can download in exchange for their contact information. We’ll go more into the different types of lead magnets below. Essentially, they are a currency that we use to buy a potential customer’s contact information so our sales team can have an opportunity to convert them. Think of it this way: we buy from them so they can buy from us. Lead magnets are also an excellent way to set the first impression for prospective customers before the first contact is made. If your lead magnet really impresses them with your knowledge of their needs and helps provide a solution to meet them, they may be the ones to make the next move.
Think of lead magnets as a free offer that is inexpensive to you to provide, but has great value to your prospective customer. You can place lead magnets on your landing pages, social media posts, websites, and paid advertising.
They should help your customers solve a problem associated with your type of business. It must be attractive enough to persuade a visitor to surrender their anonymity and provide their contact information (email, phone number) so that they may get it.
Prime examples of lead magnets include:
Checklists, guides, cheatsheets, and hacks
These options are popular because they are condensed and easily consumable tidbits of information relevant to your line of business. These are short documents on a topic with abbreviated information.
Infographic
Similar to checklists, guides, and cheatsheets, but displayed using in graphics and charts. If a picture is worth a thousand words, an infographic is ten times better, as it converts an entire story into an easily digestible image.
Reports and white papers
White papers and reports are where you can be more technical. They provide an opportunity for your company to showcase in-depth knowledge on a topic and how you can add value or solve a problem.
E-book, videos, and webinars
Similar to a white paper, ebooks and webinars are for those prospects that are ready to take a deeper dive into their learning and research. These will address broader topics than a white paper and be more entertaining. Establish your company’s authority on the subject, but keep the tone light and entertaining, without getting too technical.
Quizzes and surveys
You see these all over because people love them. Quizzes and surveys make great lead magnets and can also be a fantastic tool for qualifying your leads through the types of questions asked and the answers received.
Comparisons
It’s a given that a savvy customer will compare you to your competitors before they make a purchase. Why not seize the opportunity to provide key comparisons as a way to feature all of the ways your company excels when compared against the others?
What is the purpose of a lead magnet?
Consider the top of your sales funnel. You want to engage with your prospective customers before they leave your site. A lead magnet is a great chance to catch that engagement before they click away.
Lead magnets can provide an excellent first impression of your company and enable follow-up with potential customers. The benefit to the sales team is that the prospective client already has familiarity with your company and brand.
What can a lead magnet do for you?
Your goal is to gain more qualified leads and, of course, increase your conversion rate. Triggering a lead magnet on your site at just the right time can raise your conversion rate anywhere from three to forty percent. That’s a wide variance, but expect an average conversion increase of ten to twenty percent.
Which kind of lead magnet is best?
The answer to such a question is dependent on your type of business. It is also an excellent opportunity for your sales and marketing teams to get together and brainstorm. You want these teams to work together, discussing each perspective of who the target market is, their interests, challenges, and what compels them to buy.
Your lead magnet does not have to be complicated but must hold value to your targeted customer. A good lead magnet reaches and attracts those in your ideal market, compelling prospective customers to reveal their identity and open themselves to new opportunities. These opportunities are what your company is about to provide!
Call Motivated Sellers takes the next step
Call Motivated Sellers is here to bring new qualified contacts to your sales team that are ready and waiting to experience a great business experience and ongoing relationship with your organization. We take care of all of the details in finding you dedicated professionals to focus on building your business. Our pros act as a critical link between your targeted marketing, and your sales team is ready to close the deal. Take a look at our testimonials and imagine what we can do for your sales team. What are you waiting for? Let’s get started!