Lead Magnets and Lead Capture for Beginners

It is what they say,

The Internet is full of “window shoppers”.

96% of the people who come to your website are not ready to buy anything. People jump from blog to blog pursuing different products and services at their comfort. If you own an online business and use your website to sell products then it’s very important to have a blog that covers every topic related to your business. Not just this, you should also make sure that every visitor that leaves your website becomes aware of what your website was all about at least.

Even if you can’t do so, make sure that you gather some info about your visitor even if he or she is even a tad-bit interested in your products. Lead capture is what it is called. It is an essential process that online marketers use to gain leads.

A lead is someone who is interested in the products or services your online business offers.

In this article you’re going to learn exactly how to capture your site visitors’ attention and gather their information so you can communicate with them as you are turning your website into a robust fortress of information.

Understanding Lead Capture and Lead Magnets

How do I get people back to my website after they leave? Well, I try to lure them into my lead magnets. See, different websites can have different lead capture methods. Some offer newsletters while others gain Twitter or Facebook followers.

My lead capture process involves getting people to contact me through various contact forms on this blog/website.

So, different business → different lead captures.

To do this lead capture, we use a psychological setup — called lead magnets in digital marketing. You may have seen people offering free books, or some 70% off etc, right? These are the lead magnets that I am talking about.

The purpose of lead magnets is to offer the visitor something that is irresistible in exchange for getting their contact information, especially emails and phone numbers.

This appears like a gray area — an unethical process, doesn’t it? But this is not the case in reality. I use the following definition of lead magnets whenever I explain it to my clients:

Lead magnets are tools that help befriend unknown visitors by offering them freebies.

A little sunshine.

Giving away something for free is how you gain trust online. Once you get their email addresses, it is your responsibility to keep them interacting with your followup emails.

How to create good Lead Magnets?

If you are just starting out, email capturing can be the best way to start. I have already written a guide on email marketing for beginners under the title of how to build your first email list.

In short, sign up for an email subscription service like ConstantContact, Mailchimp or Aweber. These email marketing tools have email capture forms and email auto-responders. An email auto-responder immediately emails your visitors and specifically addresses an issue, gives a freebie or offers a solution that makes them excited to give you their information.

Here are some points that you should apply while creating good lead magnets:

• Using a service like Canva to create a graphic that is eye-catching and professional will take your lead magnet to the next level.
• I use the Marketers Delight WordPress theme that has various email magnets inbuilt. I suggest you use a similar template that can help you jump start with beautiful lead capture forms.
• You can also use a plugin like OptinMonster to create eye-catching lead magnets.
• The ideal way to utilize a lead magnet is to make sure that it relates to the content of your website or blog article. For example, if your website is an e-commerce store, a great lead magnet would offer a discount coupon to 1st time subscribers. If you provide a service, a how-to guide related to the top 10 issues people in your market struggle with would be an enticing lead magnet.
• Understanding the goals of the people who visit your website will help you decide what lead magnet would perform best for your business. It’s best to be creative but not to the point where it sounds like a gimmick. Offering true value is the only way to earn the trust of your website visitors.

Lead Capture is successful. What to do next?

What should I do if someone has opted for my lead magnet and I have their email address now?

There are hundreds of strategies people use to keep in touch with their subscribers. Once someone has opted into your email list through your lead magnet, you can do 1 of 2 things:

1. Only email them whenever you have a sale or special offer to promote.
2. Email them more frequently with blog updates and tips that might help them.

When starting out, you need to really build a loyal base of subscribers and begin creating some brand recognition.

For this reason, I suggest going with option number 2 for as long as you can.

Sending your subscribers a daily email or emailing them 3-4 times a week will help them to begin trusting that you’re a consistent brand that is constantly creating value in the marketplace. This is how you turn a subscriber into a raving fan.

Even if you’re brand new to blogging or online marketing, keeping your subscribers informed with new blog posts or simply sharing a strategy you picked up from a webinar will bring them back to your website and begin branding you as an authority.

But this has a risk.

If you are emailing someone this frequently, there is a high chance that they can unsubscribe to your emails. But this risk is worth trying. If they are unsubscribing to your email pitch, it means they don’t like your sales pitch — and that means that they are no way going to buy/use your products. (I am saying all this considering you are doing your job right and not spamming your email subscribers.)

Once you’ve established that relationship, it’s very easy to promote an affiliate offer or a product to your list.

My Final Inputs

Anytime someone visits your blog or website and gives you their email address, they are immediately considered a lead.

Your email list is an incredible asset. Be sure to use it wisely. Once you have your lead magnet and email marketing tool in place, you can then focus on creating high-quality, informative newsletters, content promos and blog content for your visitors to read daily. Your list will magically begin to grow and so will your income.

A good lead magnet can turn your website into a juggernaut overnight. It is a great weapon but like every weapon be sure to use it wisely.