What is an opt-in/lead magnet?
A lead magnet is anything that attracts your potential clients/customers (aka a lead) towards your business. Most commonly, lead magnets are used to get leads to opt-in to your email list where you can then nurture and convert them with a series of emails.
When designed right, an opt-in is your ideal clients telling you they need your products/services rather than you having to go out and find potential clients.
Do I need an opt-in?
Before we jump into how you can create the perfect lead magnet I want you to ask yourself a very important question. Do I actually need one? Your resources are limited. There are only so many hours in the day, only so much creative energy you have, and the only way to overcome those limitations is with money. So as a small business, you have to be intentional about where you spend your time, energy, and money.
It is essential that you have a strategy to attach potential clients but make sure that whatever op-in you choose to create, you can commit the resources to need and you have a strong strategy to nurture and convert them. It’s always a good idea with any potential new strategy you are implementing in your business to ask, is this the best use of my limited resources? When asking this question consider your long term business and lifestyle goals.
How to create the perfect opt-in for your business
Align the opt-in topic with your products and services
The goal of your opt-in is to move a potential client closer to you. If the opt-in topic and your offer aren’t aligned then you will be attracting people that aren’t in need of your services. If you are an email marketing consultant you don’t want to be offering a hashtag research guide as your opt-in. To make sure you are aligning your opt-in ask why your clients hire your/buy from you? Where are they currently? What steps are in between your services/products and where they currently are? Then create an opt-in around one of those steps that gets them closer to where they want to be while also showcasing you as someone who can help get them there.
Solve a real problem
You want to create an irresistible offer. Something your ideal client say yes I nee this right now. To do that your opt-in needs to solve a real problem they are experiencing. Something that will provide them with a small transformation, or move forward in their business, life, family, career, etc.
Instant gratification
The transformation needs to give your leads a quick win. Make them feel like the bigger problem that they have is solve-able.
Provide huge value
If you think your lead magnet is so good you should charge for it then your value is good. I’m a follower of inbound marketing strategy which is all about giving clients a real taste of your skills, knowledge and ability to help them. When they can’t believe it’s actually free it makes them wonder how much value they’ll get when they work with you.
Instantly accessible
As soon as I sign up for something I go straight to my email and expect it to have already landed there. With today’s technology, there is no reason you can’t set up an automation to deliver the opt-in the instant they sign up. If not the chances of that person even opening your opt-in is gone because life is busy and something else will always come up. You want them to be able to take action on the transformation when they are actively trying to solve it.
Promote it
After spending all the time and energy on creating your opt-in don’t forget to promote it. Include a call to action in social media posts, add a hero image to your webpage (above the fold on your homepage), add a call to action to your blog posts, and/or a pop up on exit intent.
Check in after average time to implement
This one is a bonus tip that will help move your potential client closer again to purchasing from you. Check in with them after the amount of time it would take to implement and see results from your opt-in. You can ask how it went and if there is anything more you can support them. You could also offer them another resoruce that is the next step towards solving the problem they have.
So there you have it. My guide on how you can create the perfect opt-in for you business.
