Lead generators are a free, low-cost asset (like a PDF or webinar) that you can give to potential customers. They show your customers what you’re capable of and how you can help them. Moreover, they are probably the cheapest and fastest way to grow your business. Which makes them the perfect tool for every SMB, whether you’re a start-up or have been in business for 10+ years. In this post, we share some of our best tips to help you create awesome lead generators.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
An Effective Lead Generator Should…
Have an interesting title
In order to get a potential customer to click on that lead generator in the first place, it needs a great title. You want some catchy and bold, something that will entice people to click that Download button and submit their email. Generic titles like “Learn More About Us” or “Take Our Survey” don’t work because they don’t promise anything of value to the customer. Instead, go for something that showcases your expertise. Something that communicates what problems you can solve for your customers, like “5 Ways To Boost Your Daily Productivity” or “7 Mistakes To Avoid When Buying A Home“. The possibilities here are endless.
Ask for an email address
This tip is perhaps the most important and the most obvious. We’ve seen so many businesses out there just put up a lead generating PDF and leave it on their homepage. They don’t have any way to get email addresses, which means they have no idea who is accessing that PDF or how to get back in touch with them. You’re not being pushy by asking for this; not everyone will give up their email address. Only those customers who are really interested in your product or service will download that lead generator.
Be worth at least $15 – $20
An effective lead generator needs to provide value to your potential customers. That email address you’re asking for is worth between $15 – $20. That means someone gives up their email with about the same reluctance as they’d give up a $20 bill. If you don’t make the content worth at least that much, anyone who downloads it will feel like they’re getting ripped off. And that’s the last thing you want: a hot lead suddenly fizzling out because you didn’t deliver. Make the content worth giving up their contact information!
Target a specific audience
The purpose of a great lead generator is to gather contact information from people who are really interested in your products or services. If your lead generator is going to be effective, you need to know who those people are, so you can create content that is tailored specifically to them. Take some time to analyze and qualify your audience. Are they male or female? How old are they? Do they live in the suburbs or the city? What problem(s) do they have that your product can solve? Be as specific as you can, and use that information when deciding what content to create.
If your content is too generic, you run the risk of gathering prospects that aren’t really interested in buying your products. The more you tailor your content to your specific customer, the higher your lead generator’s chances of success.
Be Unique
Your lead generator is your opportunity to differentiate yourself and your business. Stake claim to your territory and share your expertise with the world. Try to avoid doing what everyone else in your industry is doing and think outside the box. Offer a new perspective. Think of a problem that your product or service solves for your customer, and use that as a springboard for ideas.
Read More: 8 Lead Generators You Can Create To Grow Your Business
Build trust in your brand
All relationships are built on trust, including your customer’s relationship with your company. You’ve sparked their curiosity with your website. And now your lead generator will continue to enlighten them and build their trust in you. But how do you build trust?
You create trust by creating quality content that solves problems your customers have. What are they struggling with? And what can you offer them that helps them overcome that problem? In the eyes of a customer, a solution to their problem is incredibly valuable. After all, they couldn’t fix things on their own. That’s why they took to the internet looking for someone who could help! If you can solve that problem, create content that illustrates this. Your customers will recognize your expertise when that problem is solved, and they will start to trust you. If they trust you, they are more likely to commit to a purchase in the future.
Position your business as the guide
One of the biggest mistakes people make in marketing is positioning their company as the hero. They talk so much about themselves that they completely forget about the customer. Instead, let your customer take the spotlight. Talk about the problem they need solved, and how you can help them do that. Make it all about them, not about you or your products.
Conclusion
If you want to create an effective lead generator, make sure you ask for an email address and have an enticing title and unique perspective. Target a specific audience and make it worth giving up an email address. Additionally, a great lead generator should build trust in your brand and position your business as the guide, not the hero. Now get to it – create that lead generator and start collecting those emails!