How a good lead magnet can be designed and examples

One of the toughest struggles in the online environment is the generation of leads or qualified contacts with purchase intent. That’s why we’re going to take a closer look at the tool par excellence for capturing them: we’ll tell you how to design a good lead magnet.

What are lead magnets?

It is advisable to start at the beginning in order to progress later in the strategy. Lead magnets are a type of content that provides value to the target audience of our business but, unlike a blog post, it is private.

In order to access it, the only requirement is that the interested user provides us with certain information such as an email address and/or telephone number. In this way they become part of our database and, by accepting the conditions, we can begin to include them in actions such as email marketing campaigns.

What should a lead magnet look like?

For actions like this it is particularly interesting to use buyer personas or customer archetypes. Thanks to them it will be much easier to find the correct pitch, the type of content and the strategy in general.

Keep in mind that you have to present an offer that is able to persuade the user and remove the brakes (privacy, fear of spam…). This is why a customer centric approach will be very useful.

Regardless of whether you use a pop-up window or any other format, there are some key elements:

• Catchy title: highlight the advantage of what we are offering (course valued at €200, diagnosis of your business, trial product).
• Development of the value proposition: what and how exactly the customer is going to receive.
• Call to action: it is important to motivate the user with the right words and resources. Tell them directly what you want them to do “download, register, get your discount, sign up…”.

It also helps to introduce a sense of urgency – although it may surprise you, it works very well to create a sense of scarcity even in digital goods. Try “only available to the first 50 users” or something similar.

Types of lead magnet

Obviously, for the strategy to work, it is essential that they are aligned with the interests of your audience and that the perceived value is really high. People have learned that their data is valuable to companies and they don’t give it away in exchange for just anything.

Let’s look at some alternatives and formats beyond the content itself.

#1 – Reports or white papers

As we said, this is a more in-depth and detailed type of analysis than a post. It is important to choose the subject and the title very well (this has to be the magnetic part of the subject).

It is a meticulous work to obtain that extensive and well-documented report for which one is willing to pay (even if it is with data).

In addition, indirectly, it helps us to position ourselves as experts in the minds of potential clients, so that we begin to accelerate decision-making in the near future.

#2 – Ebook

Same philosophy but with a higher development. It is true that you will have to write a lot more, that you will need to layout texts and images and that it will take you a lot of time. Even so, you should see it as an investment.

For clients, someone with the ability to write a book is, necessarily, a professional with experience and knowledge. Also, when we talk about perceived value, an eBook is a resource that is usually bought or, at least, we all know that it has a commercial value.

#3 – Webinars and courses

An online chat is another interesting resource. It continues along the lines of positioning ourselves as experts but in an audiovisual format that is more convenient to consume. Video is always more relevant in the eyes of the user and if it is a streaming talk we can allow them to interact, which enriches the experience even more.

Another very good solution is to further develop the content to the point of making small videos, pills that deal with specific topics and that, as a whole, form an interesting base of knowledge. In a way it is similar to the leap from report to eBook.

#4 – Product samples or demonstrations

If you have an eCommerce business, how would you like to send product samples through your lead magnet?

This fulfils two important premises of what a lead magnet should be: perceived value and data collection without generating friction. Why do we say that it does not generate friction? Simply because the user understands that it is a necessary part of the buying process, how will they get to their destination if they do not enter their personal data?

If you sell a digital product or some kind of SaaS (Software as a Service) tool, logically you don’t have the physical asset. This does not prevent you from offering a product demonstration to the customer in exchange for a registration.

When you trust in what you sell, you know that a trial is the best way to get in touch with the user. It also has the advantage that, if they don’t like it, it won’t lead to criticism or returns.

#5 – Surveys

“Let’s talk about you”, that premise is always interesting to anyone and, in a way, it is also disruptive. We are turning the basic selling premise on its head by not talking about ourselves as a brand.

If we do it in a smart and strategic way, the survey can end up being a kind of recommender and, at the end of the process, offer a product from our catalogue with its corresponding link.

If you follow this structure and advice, you will be able to design a good lead magnet.