Irresistible
How many types of irresistible Lead Magnets are you offered via your Facebook Feed from other businesses? Based on the number of Pages you “Like”, that could add up to more than “Oh, just a few”, right?
How many of these Lead Magnets do you click on and give your email address to in order to get the free content? Now – how many of these “irresistible” Lead Magnets end up being truly useful to your story – whether that story is business or personal? Maybe not quite as much as you hoped.
Well, done right, a Lead Magnet is actually a terrific way to offer customers something useful. It also happens to be a great way to grow your email list with subscribers who are genuinely interested in what you have to say, teach, or sell. (And always make certain that every subscriber has the option to remove her name from your list via the unsubscribe button.)
We talk about the importance of storytelling as marketing for small business owners and entrepreneurs. And a Lead Magnet done right is an opportunity to do a little bit of storytelling in reverse. Instead of making the focus of the Lead Magnet all about your expertise and your knowledge – try making it all about the customer’s story instead. This makes your Lead Magnet more desirable, and for customers, far more effective.
Change Your Perspective
It’s not a huge shift in perspective – just a way of showing customers that why you do what you do is beneficial to why they do what they do.
When you offer a Lead Magnet, frame it around the customer’s needs first, rather than focusing so much on the story of how you achieved the knowledge you are sharing.
Remember – having someone offer you their email address is a big deal. Don’t use a Lead Magnet to build a massive email list. That’s a proven solution for ending up with folks who mark your messages as spam.
Use a Lead Magnet to earn trust – “Here is what I want to offer you for free – I think it can help you learn a new skill, solve a problem or simply motivate you to keep working for what you want.” Helping people helps them build their story – and you don’t have to “sell” them – you just have to let them know it’s available and you’d love for them to try it. If they give you access to their email you can send them more information that they might also find helpful.
Lead Magnets are a positive way to connect with people you want a long-term relationship with – repeat customers who value your products and services, use them regularly and then encourage their friends, family, and coworkers to do the same. Grow your email list the smart way – people can always refuse to take you up on your offer. And they can also opt-out if they decide “You know what? That offer wasn’t right for me.” If you have taken the time to make it about their story, they won’t be the ones who ding you as “spam” and get you in a sticky wicket with your email service provider.
Helping the Customer Craft Their Story
Here are 3 quick examples of companies that help people tell their own stories, whether professional or personal, by offering a Lead Magnet – some aspect of their service people can use for free indefinitely or blog posts filled with actionable information that won’t waste anyone’s time. All of these are Lead Magnets, some in a more non-traditional format, but all of them help customers curate their own stories – and keep them coming back for more – because these companies have earned their trust.
Canva
Canva supports customer stories by letting people start getting their feet wet in graphic design. Anyone can create a free account and start receiving emails about ways to learn and do graphic design. Customers can craft anything from a Blog Graphic to a Facebook Page Cover out of the the many pre-designed templates and come away with something professional looking that they can be proud of.
Canva knows that most of their target audience comes to them with limited design skills but a willingness to learn – so their blog posts dish out solid advice and tips and their free Design School Tutorials help anyone be a better designer regardless of experience level. Canva is helping their customers learn how to create the “branding” they want for their business and personal story, how to keep it fresh and how to carry it throughout their entire online presence.
Skillcrush
Skillcrush often offers a free download when they send out their blog posts via email – Like “41 High-Paying Tech Jobs for Career Changers” that comes with a free downloadable guide. They know their target audience is comprised of people from all walks of life who want to switch career gears and land a creative and fulfilling job in the tech field – but are uncertain how to get started.
Their blog is loaded with down-to-earth, real-life advice and examples. They strive to maintain a positive you-can-absolutely-do-this attitude that is a refreshing welcome to folks who always thought they had to have a 4-year degree to learn coding and work in website design or development. Skillcrush is supporting a “storytelling rewrite” for many people who then grow that story into a new career and life.
Pinterest is a social platform that is all about the customer’s story. How wonderful to be able to log onto Pinterest and create Boards to use as To-Do Lists or Project Goals – or even just an Imagination Board to let oneself run a little wild.
Pinterest serves up a free, ongoing feast of creativity and new ideas for people who can then put all of that to good use in the way they design both their personal and business lives.
Pinterest isn’t offering free downloads but they do serve up emails that come loaded with new Pins to explore – and many of those Pins ARE free downloads from other Pinners in the form of worksheets, calendars, gift cards, wrapping paper and recipes, etc. Pinterest is all about helping the customer fill out the rich, stylish “narrative” of their story and adapting it to real life.
Next Steps
Obviously there are many more businesses out there who are using some form of Lead Magnet via email to help customers create their professional and personal stories. This just gives three examples of companies that each focus on a slightly different aspect of the customer’s storytelling.
So take some time to think about your customers and prospects. What are some Lead Magnets you can offer that will help them build stories they love? And how can you offer them so that your audience trusts you enough to give you their email and allows you to continue the conversation away from their Facebook and Twitter feeds?
Storytelling for business is amazing when you realize it is a conversation that travels in more than one direction and Lead Magnets, done right, can help with some of the steering.
