Are you using a lead magnet in your wedding business? You should be. We’re covering everything you need to know about lead magnets (including how they help you grow your business) and give you a list of fail-proof ideas to get you started!
WHAT IS A LEAD MAGNET
Lead magnet — or lead mag — may sound like a highly technical term, but truthfully, it’s simple. This is a tool to help you attract new or return customers to your business. We can almost guarantee you’ve interacted with a lead magnet before. Have you ever given your email for a downloadable PDF or exclusive access to something? That’s a lead magnet.
A lead magnet is —
- A marketing tool to get potential customers (leads) to give you their contact information.
- A free item or resource such as a downloadable PDF, free consultation, or e-newsletter, etc.
The goal is to provide value to a potential customer — or lead — in exchange for their contact information and then use that opportunity to convert that lead into a paying customer. This is a great tool because it allows you to see what your potential customers value. Then, you are able to use this as part of an entire marketing strategy that can speak to the pain points or interests of your target audience.
The best case scenario is when wedding pros are able to add value in a way that also communicates the benefits of their services — by helping solve a problem or answer a question for their target audience. In turn, this brings your business a better quality lead from your marketing efforts — which means they are more likely to buy or share your services.
What a Great Lead Magnet Should Do
Not all lead magnets are created equal. Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean it’s going to bring in good leads, so here is a quick outline of what a great lead magnet should do —
- It solves a problem. (This is where value is added. Show customers how you will solve problems for them.)
- It is a high-value piece of information. (Unless your email newsletter is amazing, it’s not enough to promise generic help in an email blast from time to time as a lead mag.)
- It’s immediately accessible or available. (You don’t want to make customers work hard for this.)
- It gives customers a quick win.
- It is easy to digest. (Don’t overwhelm people with information.)
Ultimately, a great lead magnet grows your email list, so you can reach out to groups of customers you know are already interested in a certain topic. This increases your sales success rate!
What a Lead Magnet Funnel Looks Like
Now you know what a lead magnet is and what yours should do for your potential customers. Now, let’s talk about what happens next. It’s exciting when the contact information submissions start rolling in, but it’s important to know what to do with them so you can turn them into paying customers.
(The goal is to find people who genuinely need/value your service and give them every opportunity to pay for that service.)
Lead Magnet Funnel Example —
- Launch Lead Magnet — The Lead Magnet lives on your website and/or social media. (On social, this can include paid ads that direct customers to your website’s landing page.)
- Collect Contact Information + Immediately Deliver Lead Mag — Potential Customers submit their contact information in exchange for the lead magnet.
- Send Automated Email Series to the Contact Information — Business owners use that to drip a relevant email or email series to them. (This is where email automation really does the heavy lifting!) This is where you introduce more of your product/service to them and eventually give them steps to purchase from you.
15 EVERGREEN LEAD MAGNET IDEAS
- Checklists | Plan Your Dream Wedding Menu with Our Easy, Expert Checklist
2. Cheatsheet | These can be lists of looks, products, ideas, etc.
3. Resource List | Something like — The 10 Best Outdoor Wedding Venues in Austin
4. Inspiration File | 10 Ways to Decorate Your Floral Arch or 5 Romantic Floral Designs for 2022 Weddings — These can often be a round-up of your favorite blog posts or weddings that you’ve done and create a downloadable PDF that has looks they might not see a lot.
5. Spreadsheet Templates | Planning couples especially love spreadsheet templates and this could be an easy resource to create.
6. Trend Reports or Style Forecasting | Lead magnets that showcase what’s hot in wedding trends can be great. Couples are always looking for ideas and themes, etc.
7. Guide or Tutorial | This can be video, PDF, email, or all of the above.
8. Premium Content | Such as a wedding pro giving them insider tips to help them plan the wedding of their dreams or save money.
9. Infographic
10. Webinar
11. Email Course | Do you have some common F.A.Qs from current clients? Use those as a way to create a basic three-part or even 5-part email series. This gets leads used to expecting valuable content in your emails and encourages them to get excited when your name comes up in their inbox. And don’t believe the myth that email is outdated when it comes to young couples. Gen Z and Millennials are highly engaged with their email content.
12. Discount or Special Offer | This can be a one-time discount or special offer on a product or service. And it doesn’t always have to be a discount. Often, a perk or additional service is enough to entice customers.
13. Challenge | Depending on your type of service, a challenge can be a fun way to engage potential clients, add value, and find out more about your core audience while encouraging them to become paying customers.
14. Quiz | Quizzes can be great lead magnets because they can begin to segment your audience by interest which helps you market to them even better!
15. Free Sample or Free Shipping
Bonus: Waiting list | Don’t overlook the appeal of exclusivity. People are often willing to exchange email and contact information to be added to exclusive lists to be first for a new service or offer.
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL LEAD MAG LAUNCH
Before you start creating or updating your lead magnets, it’s important to know a few quick tips that will help you avoid the common pitfalls and have a successful lead mag launch.
Pro Tips To Know Before Creating Your Lead Magnet
Lead magnets don’t have to be elaborate, but business owner be ware of a few things —
- Lead magnets can be pricey or time-consuming. Launch with an evergreen topic if you can and consider getting professional help to make the process faster and get a higher quality result that will last longer for you. (Our sister company, Brandlink Media, specializes in helping wedding pros with strategy and design for marketing tools like lead magnets and email automation.)
- Don’t be deceptive about how you’re going to use their contact information or the resource your customer is getting. That tactic never yields good leads and breaks down the trust factor.
- Just start somewhere. Don’t wait to have the perfect lead magnet.
- Use what you already have. For instance, do you already give free tips to your potential customers through blogs or your email? Make that a PDF download and let that be your lead mag. Do you give your couples a checklist of things to do? That’s a great resource too!
Successful Launch Checklist
- Make sure you have your email responses in place, such as your automations set up before the launch.
- Test your lead magnet process and make sure all the confirmations and delivery of the lead magnet work correctly.
- Be sure your lead magnet is visible such as in a prominent place of the homepage. Additionally, consider testing social media ads with your lead mag.
Additional Resources
- Take a deeper dive into Lead magnet strategy — How to Create and Execute a Successful Lead Mag Generation Strategy
- Do you still have questions about creating a lead magnet or even what strategy to use? Brandlink Media offers free consultations and can help answer some of your most pressing questions.
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Written by Corrie McGee
