Are you a successful blogger and publisher at the same time? Or maybe you are thinking about collecting a database of email addresses and then monetizing the traffic by sending a newsletter? If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, we have some good news for you. In this article, you will learn how to take your blogging to the next level thanks to lead magnets and a unique tool - Content Lockers from MyLead.
What is a lead magnet and what is it for?
Lead magnet is a free value for your audience. They can receive it, most often in exchange for providing an email address, which then goes to your mailing list. Obtaining an email address from a potential customer is not critical, but it is useful for your future marketing goals. You could say it's a signal that your content is of interest to your audience.
Additionally, lead magnet filters your audience and models various sales channels. Your blog has a diverse and unstable audience, while your mailing list has leads that are interested in your offer and ready to get to know you better.
Lead-magnet is not the only purpose of the mailing list. Even if you don't plan to get traffic through mailing lists, i.e. buy domains and sign up for an email marketing service, you can still create your lead magnet and earn money thanks to it. In this case, instead of providing an email address, the user will take action aimed at the offer you are promoting. The action is, for example, filling out a contact form. Nothing hard. You can set the configured lead magnet in the MyLead publisher's panel by selecting one of the Content Lockers. To learn more, read the whole article.
Types of lead magnets
For your convenience, we have divided lead magnets into three main categories: practical, educational and entertainment. In fact, your niche does not play a special role when choosing a specific type of lead magnet. You are only limited by your imagination.
Practical lead magnet
Here are some examples of lead magnets for people who value time and prefer to use proven schemes that bring 100% results.
Checklist
Let's say you run a blog for aspiring YouTubers. A great idea for a lead magnet would be a checklist of the necessary sequences to create a new video or a list of ideas for videos. But if you are a lifestyle blogger, you can create checklists of basic wardrobe items.
Cheat Sheet
It is a very versatile format that can be used in any field. As part of the cheat sheet, you can prepare a script for a successful presentation or scripts for creative posts for social networks, a list of catchy headlines, an infographic with a combination of colors of clothes, a vegetable planting calendar, etc. There are many possibilities.
Toolkit
Toolkit is a set of useful online resources, tools or services. It could be anything. We advise you to take a closer look at this format, because it can contain several affiliate links at the same time, e.g. to online services with a specific topic.
Template
As part of the template, you can provide an empty checklist for any use, task planner, training plan, shopping, menu, etc.
Membership in an exclusive community on Facebook or Telegram
As the saying goes, forbidden fruit is the sweetest. In return for performing a targeted action, you can invite recipients to a closed group where you share very valuable content.
Discount on products/services
If you have any other products or services that you sell online, you can offer a small discount to them in exchange for sharing your email address.
Quick Tip: There are hundreds of free lead-magnet templates in the online Canva tool. Just enter the template you are interested in (e.g. a checklist) in the search bar and fill it with your content.
Educational lead magnet
This type of lead magnet is ideal for audiences who just want to know more. Of course, this method will take more time than checklists and blank templates, but for niches where blogger expertise is at a premium, a well-made educational lead magnet is a great idea to generate interest in your work.
Ebooks
Don't run away! An ebook does not have to be 200 pages long. The optimal number of ebook pages is 15-20. Here it is quality that counts, not quantity. So choose a narrow and niche topic that will fit into 20 pages. Canva will help you find free ebook templates to create it. Are you ready for this challenge?
A small email course
This is a great way to prove your expertise and generate more interest. Imagine that your audience is interested in the first part of your mini-course that solves a problem, they will look forward to the next part. Also, if your mini-course consists of, say, five separate emails, you can include different affiliate links in each of them.
Tutorial videos
Video format is much more effective than ebooks. But take it easy, you don't need to sit in front of the camera, practice diction, or memorize any text. You can create your tutorial video using a screen recording and use a speech synthesizer for voiceover. Screen recording can be done e.g. with OBS Studio or ActivePresenter, and overdubbing with the Narakeet tool.
Podcasts
Not so obvious, but a much more universal format for generating leads, because your audience have even more opportunities to study the material in audio format. You can record a podcast absolutely for free using Audacity, and then share it on soundcloud or YouTube.
Entertainment lead magnet
Not all users read blogs to learn new things. Many do it just to relax, and reading is just another chance to relax. These people are unlikely to be interested in your video tutorials, but will be happy to leave their email address for entertainment. Fortunately, we know exactly what to offer in this case:
Wallpapers for your desktop
Seems boring? Not really. This is a real chance to get stuck in your audience's heads for a long time. You can download ready-made photos from free stock sites such as Pexels or Unsplash, edit them, add some text and you're done.
Comics
You might wonder what's so catchy and useful about a comic book. But there are millions of people for whom comics are a serious hobby and a way of life. You can publish 2 or 3 frames as a lead magnet. If your audience wants to get more, they have to subscribe to a newsletter. Learn how to create a simple comic here.
Quiz
In our opinion, this is the best lead magnet in this category, because it literally pulls the user into the sales funnel. A well-designed, relaxing quiz is interesting and attracts the user's attention. Obtaining the result depends directly on whether the user provides their email address. There are many websites such as Qzzr and Marquiz that allow you to create your own unique quiz.
What is a good lead magnet?
You've already chosen your lead magnet type? Great! Let's move on to creating it then. At the beginning, remember a few important rules that will help you create an effective lead magnet.
Lead magnet must be useful and solve a specific problem
Otherwise, it simply won't interest your audience. Make sure it is well described.
The description must match the actual content
Avoid using phrases like "you won't find something like this anywhere else" or "VIP only" - attract with usability, otherwise you will easily lose credibility in the eyes of your audience.
Lead magnet should be simple
Your audience shouldn't spend too much time learning about or using your lead magnet in practice. Your potential customer should quickly "digest" your free product and use it so that they don't lose interest in your other content. A lead magnet that is too difficult to understand will leave unpleasant memories.
Always provide instant access
You cannot promise that you will "send the download in the next three business days". Your potential customer will simply close the page. This will give the impression of a lack of professionalism, and the user themselves will look for similar, faster available information in other places. That is why it is so important to prepare a lead magnet in advance and have it at hand.
How to monetize lead magnets?
Let's say that your idea for a lead magnet is a checklist for aspiring YouTubers containing a couple of affiliate links, e.g. to a tech store or an editing course.
Now go to the MyLead publisher panel. You're not with us yet? Create a free account. In the publisher's panel you will have access to 4 types of lockers: CPA Locker, Captcha Locker, File Locker and Mobile Rewards. In the panel, you will also find a list of available offers for which you can block content. You probably already know that lead magnet will work great paired with File Locker, which is exactly what blocks downloading files. Unlike standard lead magnets, which are obtained in exchange for contact details, File Locker unlocks access to the file after the user performs a specific action. What's more, the locker gives you an additional opportunity to earn "here and now", without the need to build an address database or set up email campaigns. In this video, we go over in detail how to set up this tool.
Why is your lead magnet not converting?
What can also happen is when theoretically everything has been done perfectly and your lead magnet is not bringing results. Why? Here are 6 options.
Too many questions
To get a lead magnet, the user usually has to perform some action on the website. Providing an email address is not difficult, but the problem arises when you ask for too much data. Note that users have already learned why you are preparing free materials. So when such a user signs up for a free quiz and has to fill out a form stating the size of the company, position, industry, etc., it's no wonder that they quit the entire campaign. The question is how to avoid this situation? The answer is, the less the better. No one really likes to share their phone number, so if you don't need it - skip it.
Data worth asking about:
- industry,
- company name,
- email address,
- name (if necessary).
Poor design
Design is about the first impression, which everyone knows is crucial. Remember that there are plenty of free (including valuable) materials. It is true that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but even if your content is the best in the world, it won't do anything if it doesn't reach the audience. And it will go there thanks to good design. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
Boring format
Do you want to promote another ebook on the Internet? There is a good chance that your information will largely coincide with those offered by the competition. The format in which you submit your content is very important (but not more important than the content itself) because it sets your content apart from the competition.
This means that sometimes it is better to provide the same content in a different way. Here are some examples:
- YouTube video,
- mini-training on a topic known to the user,
- mini-course on a given topic,
- podcast.
The length and quality of the material
Staying on the topic of format, consider whether your material is sufficiently engaging and interesting for the recipient. The best lead magnets use checklists or mini-guides made of several points that are designed to tell you how to do a given thing. They are very short, but this makes them easy to remember. However, before you sit down and start making a dozen or so checklists, it is better to spend this time to prepare longer and more substantive material that will involve your audience more and make you stand out from the rest.
No mobilization to act
Take a moment to think how much free content you already have on your hard drive? The truth is, such content is just like books. Before you start reading one, you buy another and seemingly more interesting one. These lead magnets only take up space on your disk and will never be opened. The question is: how to avoid it.
You can use the restricted access policy. Let's assume that the user signed up for your checklist, enters the email, and is welcomed by the information that these templates will be available for X days, they will be deleted later. In order to reassure the recipient that you are not joking, the material should really be unavailable after some time.
No unique value
Your offer is no different from your competition. You offer the same content in the same way. If you do everything like everyone else, why do you expect good results? Lead magnet is a place where you have to demonstrate uniqueness, professionalism and above-average knowledge on a given topic. Let people see what you've got!
Lead magnet in affiliate marketing - conclusion
Creativity, quality and determination are the three key features needed to make a great lead magnet. We hope you will use the full potential of this article and in no time reach the next level as a publisher with the money you earn online.