Creating a lead magnet, an offer intended to incentivise someone to sign up to your mailing list, is easy enough to do - so they say. Wave your magic wand at any old blog post and abracadabra! Instant: vanilla magnet. The problem is no one is ‘wowed’ or has any illusion about why you’re offering it. It’s plain you want their email address so you can try and sell them stuff. 

Fair enough.

But that also means - competition for subscribers and inbox attention being what it is - any lame old vanilla magnet will no longer do.

Truth is, average catch-all vanilla magnets lead to bad-fit subscribers, bad-fit subscribers lead to low engagement and low engagement, of course, leads to less sales. Upshot being, if the first few email’s you send don’t immediately grab attention and float your new subscriber’s boat - what you follow-up with, will likely be ignored, they'll probably unsubscribe and take a slice of your marketing budget with them as they go. 

Theres that. But there's also this...

To help you more effectively, efficiently and consistently create the kind of opt-in offers, that do deliver more opens, engagement and actual sales, this action guide will aim to persuade you how a process orientated lead magnet, focussed on solving a specific problem for a specific audience, which is also strategically aligned with something you're looking to sell is more likely to leave subscribers…

• With a highly positive first impression
• More motivated to open your emails and engage with your content
• Open to taking the next natural steps on the path to a sale

It's time to put the lame magnets to bed and develop strategic lead magnets instead.

A Complete Waste Of Time?

So then, in your own experience, just how many lead magnets that promised so much, were never to be seen of again? Nobody is counting of course, but if the basic premise rings true, the obvious question is - why?

It might be because lead magnet’s are free, there’s little to lose, so not a lot of consideration may go into whether subscribing, downloading and consuming makes sense for you. 

It might be, because lead magnet’s are free, the general perception of value is low, making them somewhat of a throwaway thing.

It might also be, that once you’ve subscribed to a list and downloaded a lead magnet, the first few emails received in your overflowing inbox failed to remind you, or persuade you, that consuming that lead magnet (and opening future emails) could, in fact, add value to your life.

See >>Welcome Email Action Guide

Which means, you then…

• Mostly, ignore follow-up emails
• Usually, ask who? What? And why did I subscribe?  
• Often, mark it as spam or simply unsubscribe

Making it all just big fat waste of time.

No Great Loss Anyway

True, if you’re building your own list, there’s always going to be a significant proportion of subscribers that are indifferent to what you have to say. But they’re never going to be buyers and so are probably no great loss anyway. But if you have made the effort to specifically target a good-fit audience (as outlined in a previous section of this action guide). And you have - theoretically - managed to attract the kind of subscribers you’re in a position to help (if only they’d listen to you!) a failure to provide anything that sparks real interest and sense of value from the get-go is an opportunity you may never get again. 

At least not with them.

And so while casting a wide net with a 'catch-all' mentality may help you grow your list faster, the question you need to ask is…

What kind of list will it be?

A list built on the back of a catch-all lead magnet that doesn’t deliver a positive first impression in the form of a tangible outcome (and isn’t a natural step on a path to something you’re looking to sell), means you can end up with a bloated list of aimless tiddlers that you’re just not able to serve that well.

Tiddlers are not that invested, they’re not that engaged, they don’t open, they don’t buy, they simply slip the net and go on their merry way.

And the pain doesn’t end there.

In your rush to build a big fat list, you may also find that…

• The lower your open rate is, the lower your reputation/trust score is, and so the more of your emails end up in spam folders and the worse your delivery rate will be.
• The lower your subscriber to customer ratio is, the higher your mailing list costs will be (most providers pricing is based on number of subscribers)

And the only way to fix this, is to take those sunk costs on the chin, clean up your list and let those tiddlers go, because, you have…

Bigger Fish To Fry

And that’s because while tiddlers translate to…

Lower open rates, lower engagement rates, lower sales-to-subscriber ratios and so higher customer acquisition costs.

Bigger fish can translate to…

Higher open rates rates, better engagement rates, higher sales-to-subscriber ratios and so lower customer acquisition costs.

A much more bountiful catch I’m sure you’ll agree.

Bottom line, if you don’t focus on attracting the right kind of leads; the quality leads; the good-fit leads; the BIG fish, then…

Your email list can end up a fat, lazy disinterested drain on your resources and you’ll have to work twice as hard to get half the results.

To land yourself the right kind of audience; an audience that will last, you need to focus on creating the kind of magnet that not only attracts, but also delivers the kind of actionable, process-orientated value that can be put to use again and again. Simply because, if your lead magnet is something that’s actually consumed and does actually add value, then its intended audience will be much more likely to open their emails, engage with your content and take the next step forward (with a lot less friction along the way). 

And so…

First Impressions & Missed Opportunities

What if instead of throwing together some random lame magnet, your lead magnet was to build on the foundational work of your customer avatar to provide something of value your target audience can use to propel themselves forward instead?

What if, you provided a process, a tool or a strategy that was easily actionable and could deliver an actual outcome, which would in turn provide a good experience and a positive feeling about you and your business instead?

And what if, you also strategically aligned the value you provide upfront and for free as a strategic gateway to something specific you want to sell?

The offer of a lead magnet designed to deliver an outcome, by engaging a subscriber in a productive process, that also moves them closer to where they want to be, is an opportunity to make a positive first impression (that most list-builders seem to miss).

But when you provide a subscriber with a positive and engaging first experience, an experience that actually helps them make progress…

Doesn’t it make logical sense that as they scroll through their crowded inbox your email would have an edge ?

Wouldn’t there be a better chance that among the also-rans seeking attention, they’d choose to open your email and engage with your content, curious about what else you have to say?

I know which side of that bet I’d prefer to be on.

Why A Strategic Lead Magnet Is Worth The Extra Effort

A strategic Lead Magnet that delivers real value by empowering actions that yield results while also offering a through-line to something you’re actually looking to sell is well worth the effort if you want to…

• Appeal to an audience that are actively seeking an actionable solution, a solution that looks a lot like something you have to sell.
• Attract subscribers that are more likely to actually consume your lead magnet, action your advice and engage with your emails to see what else you have to say.
• Set a tone of quality and competency leading the way to trust and credibility, which in turn delivers more perception of value, more engagement with your content and more sales success.
• Attract less wrong-fit subscribers so you can enjoy higher open and engagement rates, better deliverability, less unsubscribes or spam complaints and more sales per subscriber with less hard-sell, time, effort and cost along the way.
• Get your relationship - with your prospective customer - off to the most positive of starts by providing a positive first interaction where they get a feel for what you're all about and recognise - you actually did help them move forward, solve a problem and get a result. 
• Create a natural strategic first step on a path to a product or service to deliver higher sales per subscriber, so you can afford a higher acquisition cost per subscriber and give yourself an edge in a highly competitive game.

What and why done and dusted, now it’s time for the how, in the sharp of a simple process that can help you put the vanilla magnets to bed and efficiently, effectively and consistently create killer magnets that deliver more opens, more engagement and more actual sales instead.

We’ll do this by…

• Identifying your audiences ‘before and after’ stages of awareness, so you can develop a Lead Magnet that smooths the journey from A to B
• Addressing your audience’s specific problems with potential solutions to ensure your Lead Magnet delivers a quick win in the form of a tangible outcome
• Ensuring your Lead Magnet gives a firm nod towards your process, while also creating a strategic step towards something you’re looking to sell.

The Strategic Lead Magnet Process

When you boil it down, it’s really not hard to avoid the trap of a vanilla magnet as long as you make sure your lead magnet…

• Can fix a specific problem or deliver a tangible outcome
• Provides an insight, taste or example of your process
• Is a logical first step on the journey to a core product or service you’re looking to sell

And for bonus points…

Is easily consumable, so it has more chance of actually being actioned or consumed (so no epic e-books, that no one actually reads then thank you).

These keys elements in mind, your killer magnet idea will appear as the result of brainstorming ideas that may fit the bill, before narrowing them down to the one that ticks the most boxes.

Speaking of which, you can download the free Lead Magnet Action Guide (with free points-based checklist) here. But, we’ll go through some of the basics here, to give yo a sense of the direction of travel  first.

Beginning with…

The Audience-Problem-Solution Process

You will find this process a lot easier to do, if you’ve completed the avatar process first. That assumed - because I know you’re smart like that - with the core problem previously identified (during the avatar process), the focus should now be on your core solution. Your lead magnet - if it does nothing else - should address a core problem of your audience. It doesn’t have to solve the whole problem, but it should lead the way. And if it’s a logical first step on a journey to a product or service (your ultimate solution), then once again it’s…

Bonus time.

Here’s how you can get to that in 3 simple steps…

1. Ask yourself: what information/education/tools does your prospect need to move them from a problem mindset to a solution scenario?

That in mind…

2. What concepts/ideas/strategies can you introduce that could help get them closer to where they ned to be?

Now take a look at your core product (the thing you’re ultimately looking to sell)…

3. Are there any aspects, features, parts, processes, tools, checklists or templates (the insight to your process bit) you could utilise for quick consumption?

List the ideas that can most effectively address the core problem while also ideally, providing a tangible outcome.

Once you’ve narrowed your ideas down, you should then run them through the 18-point lead magnet checklist to see which scores best. Not to say you have to go for the top score every time, but it can be a useful process if you’re undecided.

If you don’t have a perfect fit for the core problem within your core product, that could indicate you have the wrong core problem or the wrong core product (or the wrong core audience). Ultimately to have an effective opt-in offer, you do need an effective audience-problem-solution fit, so you may need to pivot your product or the problem (or your audience). 

But getting this fit is the best approach if you really want to provide your audience with something useful, valuable and actionable. Something, that will prompt them to think “this is just what I need” (just when they need it); put the squeeze page you create - action guide for that coming up next -  in pole position for success. And most-importantly of all: have your new best-fit subscriber feel positive enough that they’re open to hearing from you again.

The Free Lead Magnet Checklist

So remember, whereas average vanilla magnets lead to average conversions, lower quality subscribers and ultimately less sales, a process-orientated lead magnet strategically aligned with something you're looking to sell - can provide subscribers with a more positive and engaging first experience with you. Which in turn puts you in a much better position to get yourself a sale. 

Speaking of which, of course I’m sharing this processes with you for free (along with all the other key list building foundational process), because of course I do want you to subscribe to my mailing list (in the hope I can sell you even more useful stuff down the line). But to have even half-a-chance of doing that - I need to provide you with one of those solid solution orientated actionable lead magnets I’ve been banging on about right?

Quite.

It just so happens that this lead magnet is also one that can help you avoid the pitfall of casting too wide a net and land a quality over quantity catch instead. And when you have a smaller but more engaged mailing list of ‘bigger fish’ subscribers, the kind of subscribers actively seeking a solution that - as luck would have it - you can provide, you open the door to more repeat sales down the line.

Ultimately, anyone can choose to build a quality over quantity mailing list over playing a numbers game, as long as they have the desire to…

• Find a good audience-problem-solution fit
• Credit their audience with good sense and discernment (hello!)
• Not add more derivative, shallow - been there, seen-that - crap to the interweb
• Create value for their audience in the form of quality, actionable useful content

So, could downloading and actioning the free killer lead magnet checklist be a good fit for you?

Crunch Time

If you want to do good work, if you want to do things right, and if you want to ensure your lead magnet not only does its job of growing your email list, but also helps you create a leaner, meaner, selling machin-er then…

Download The Free 3 Steps To A Killer Lead Magnet Action Guide & Checklist Now

And if you do action the process; if you are interested in what else I can help you with on your list building quest;

And if you do action the process; if you are interested in what else I might help you with; if you do open my emails (more free action guides on the way), then I’m sure we’ll both be happy with the outcome.

Win/Win, right?

But of course, only if we begin…

This Free Lead Magnet Action Guide Checklist has been designed to help me get our relationship off to a flying start, by helping you get your quality-over-quantity list building strategy off on the right foot. 

And even if time is tight, a quick scan can help you visualise the kind of lead magnet that gives insight to your process, while developing the kind of trust needed to begin building your own mutually beneficial relationships.

Which would be nice, right?

And then you can…

Click Here For The Squeeze Page Action Guide

Or if you skipped it (bad idea)…

Click Here For The Customer Avatar Action Guide