Tag Archives: magnet

The Six Essentials Of A Lead Magnet – Episode 197

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The Six Essentials Of A Lead Magnet – Episode 197

Powerful Lead Magnets
Copyright: alphaspirit / 123RF Stock Photo

Many of my clients and those that join Dave Jackson and me on the Podcast Review Show want to grow their e-mail list. Rather than offering a powerful lead magnet, many of them simply have a “subscribe to my newsletter” button. How often are you hoping somebody will send you another newsletter?

Let’s talk about building a powerful lead magnet that people will actually want. One that will drive your opt-ins.

What is a lead magnet?

Ryan Deiss at Digital Marketer defines a lead magnet as “a small chunk of value that solves a specific problem for a specific market that is offered in exchange for an opt-in.”

By that definition, “subscribe to our newsletter” is NOT a lead magnet.

Your lead magnet is the beginning of your relationship with your listener. Our intention is to eventually make them a customer. By having their e-mail address, you can provide them with some quick value and start building likability and trust.

I love Ryan’s definition, because you can look at your piece of content and know instantly if it is a true lead magnet.

Let’s look at each piece individually.

 

A SMALL CHUNK

A small chunk means your piece of content is easy to consume. It is small.

This should be a quick report and not a 148 page e-book. I can’t tell you how many free e-books I have saved on my computer that I intended to read, but never got around to it.

My quick count is 47. Very quick, but rough enough for you to get the idea.

I love the idea of getting an e-book. I just never set aside the time to read them. It takes too long. Therefore, I don’t move along the value ladder. The content doesn’t serve its purpose.

Create a lead magnet that offers quick results for one big thing. Give your listener results quickly that will move them along your value ladder and closer to becoming a paying customer.

When I first started creating lead magnets, I created 3 free videos. One is the power of one-to-one communication. One is the difference between marketing to men and women. The third is the power of theater of the mind.

Each video was 30-minutes of some of my strongest teaching. I saw Brendon Burchard release videos like this for his programs. I saw Jeff Walker release videos like this with Product Launch Formula.

What I didn’t realize was their videos were further up the value ladder. These videos were part of their launch sequence. I had already received their lead magnets. We had already started a digital relationship. Their videos were part of their training, not lead magnets.

My 30-minute videos were not successful in gaining opt-ins. I got a few, but nothing like my worksheets.

I offered a Show Prep Planning worksheet. It contains five questions that help you lay out your entire episode. This list is by far my largest list. 90 minutes of video training gets crushed by a checklist with five questions.

Make it easy and quick to consume.

 

OF VALUE

Do people actually want your piece of free content?

Not only does your lead magnet have value, your customers/listeners/tribe must be able to understand that value. Your lead magnet must have high perceived value.

If I tell you my list of 17 of the Most Powerful Podcast Interview Questions Ever will help you creating one-of-a-kind interviews without hours of preparation, you should be able to understand that it will save you hours of time.

My videos probably had trouble here as well. Long doesn’t necessarily mean valuable.

What will your piece of content do for your listener? Make that benefit and value clear to your listener.

 

THAT SOLVES A SPECIFIC PROBLEM

Your product will do one of two things. It will give your prospect pleasure or remove a pain. This is often referred to as vitamins or aspirin. When you look at marketing that usually works best, it contains a promise to solve a problem. Aspirin sells better than vitamins.

Your lead magnet should solve one problem. Not 17. One.

That problem should be specific, well-defined and easily understood by your audience.

Shave 3 hours off of your prep time.

Cut your post production in half.

Double your Facebook followers.

Lose 8 pounds in the first week.

Singular and specific.

When you get your listener quick results, you move your prospect up your value ladder. They experience the results quickly. This creates a niche that is very focused on a single problem you can now solve with the rest of your autoresponder series.

 

FOR A SPECIFIC MARKET

We know the problem. Now, we need to know that target audience. You cannot market your solution to an audience unless you have defined that specific audience with the specific problem.

When we know who they are, we know where to find them. We know what they want, need and desire. We know how to structure our communication. We know the pain points to address.

In radio, clients would often come to us to help create their marketing plan. I met with an owner of a local jewelry store. He was looking for ways to reach an audience he didn’t typically reach with his direct mail and newspaper campaigns.

My first question to radio clients is always, “Who is your target customer.”

This guy tells me, “Our customers are everybody, but mostly people 25- to 54-years-old.”

“Well,” I say, “that’s not a target customer. That is a family reunion.”

The 27-year-old male coming into the store is buying jewelry for a completely different reason than a 52-year-old female. He might be getting married for the first time. She may be looking for a college graduation gift for her daughter.

These two people probably have different budgets, different needs, different pain points, different language and a different sense of humor. You cannot communicate and persuade to both using the same message.

Define your target, so you can tailor your communication.

 

THAT IS OFFERED

People won’t know about your lead magnet unless you tell them. If you have a lead magnet, offer it to your audience in various ways.

“If you build it, they will come” only happens in the movies.

There are many ways you can get people to your lead magnet.

Tell your audience about your great piece of free content on your podcast.

Use your newsletter to spread the word.

Make sure it is prominent on your website.

When you are giving interviews, tailor the lead magnet to that specific audience.

Post the link on your social media.

If you have a few extra dollars, run some ads. However, only do this once you know the audience wants your lead magnet by testing it through the other methods.

 

IN EXCHANGE FOR AN OPT-IN

The whole reason we built the lead magnet is to get the e-mail address. Make sure you have set up your e-mail system to collect the addresses.

As you create your opt-in, make it easy. Reduce the number of hoops your listener needs to jump through. This is easier said than done.

When you build the steps, you add in their name and e-mail address and a bunch of other stuff. After the opt-in is complete, step back and look at the entire process. Do you really need all of it? Can you make it easier?

Only collect the necessary info. The easier you make the opt-in, the more success you will have.

 

LEAD MAGNET IDEAS

Resource kit/tool box.

Report or guide.

Free trial.

Cheat sheet.

Checklist.

 

Digital Marketer is a great membership. I get so much value from the Execution Plans. If you are looking for help in any aspect of your online business, chances are there is a course inside of Digital Marketer that can help.

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

How To Create An Effective Call-To-Action – Episode 194

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How To Create An Effective Call-To-Action – Episode 194

Action
Copyright: argus456 / 123RF Stock Photo

How many actions do you have in your call-to-action?

Dave Jackson and I do a show together called “The Podcast Review Show“. On each episode, a podcaster joins us to have his or her podcast reviewed. Pretty self-explanatory.

In nearly every episode we review, we need to get the host to focus their call-to-action. Podcasters tend to give their listeners a laundry list of things to do at the end of the show. Little do they realize, this list is actually hurting more than it is helping.

THE TO DO LIST

Let me give you an example.

In a recent interview, we reached the end of this particular podcast. The host closed with these requests:

  • E-mail us your events
  • Take our survey
  • Call the comment line
  • Join us on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram
  • Check out our Forum
  • Get our free app
  • Use our Amazon affiliate link
  • Give us interview guest suggestions
  • Visit our blog
  • Get voiceovers using our affiliate link
  • Check out the YouTube show
  • Follow us on Twitter (again)
  • Check out the website of our favorite non-profit

 

Did you count? Twelve … if you only count the double Twitter once.

Of those twelve, how many can you remember? How many will you actually do?

You can probably name a few of the easy ones. You will probably do zero. The list is just overwhelming. There are too many. Where do you start?

Here is the most important thing to realize. Their goal was to get people to come back and listen again. That is the one thing they told us they wanted their listener to do. Listen again.

Of the twelve, how many said “listen again”? Zero. They didn’t even tell us to subscribe or come back next week for some great piece of content.

Instead, they are asking us to use their affiliate link for voiceovers and visit the non-profit website. This isn’t even a podcast about podcasting. It is a podcast about outdoor activities. Why do I need a voiceover talent?

THE DECISION PROBLEM

Studies show when people are offered too many choices they will tend to make no choice rather than risk being wrong.

You are already asking your listener to make a decision to take action. By loading up the list with options, you are now asking your listener to make another choice of which action. More options mean more opportunities to choose to do nothing.

Have you ever been driving and you notice a pothole coming up. It is right there in your lane even with your driver’s side front tire. A slight shift to the left or right will cause you to completely miss hitting it.

All you need to do to miss the pothole is move the steering wheel one direction or the other. Pick one. Either one will work. Just move the wheel.

Suddenly, bam. You hit the pothole straight on. You froze and didn’t make a decision either way.

Why is that?

Either direction would have worked. But, your brain froze. You were too concerned about picking the best solution. Rather, you were more concerned about not picking the wrong solution. Your fear of being wrong delayed your action to being no action at all.

Why risk this with your listener? Don’t give them a choice. Pick the one thing you want them to do and make that your call-to-action. Don’t make them risk being wrong.

To create an effective call-to-action within your show, you need to stay focused on the task at hand. What is the one thing you want your listener to do at the end of your show?

MEASURE SUCCESS

How do we measure success? Measure what counts.

If we are trying to get our audience to do something by using a call-to-action (listen again, buy our product, visit our website, support our cause), measuring our call-to-action determines our success. Measure what counts.

When you create your podcast, you should measure your success not by the number of listeners or downloads, but by conversions to whatever you want them to do.

Let’s say your goal is to get people to visit the store on your website. If you have 1,000 people listening to your show, but you only get 2 of them to act and actually visit the site, you really haven’t been successful.

However, if you only have 200 listeners, but 100 love everything you do and visit your site regularly, I would consider that a success. Having 1,000 listeners may sound better than 200. By closer evaluation, I would much rather have 100 fans than 2.

STUDY THE JAM

WASHINGTON STUDY

In this study, shoppers of an upscale grocery store were given a choice to sample high quality jams. One group was offered 24 kinds. The second group was offered 6.

Of the customers who passed the table with an extensive selection of 24 jams, 60% stopped. Of the customers who passed the limited selection of 6 jams, only 40% stopped. On the surface, it would seem more options equals more success.

As you dig into the numbers you see that of those who stopped, those at the extensive selection sampled on average 1.5 jams and those at the limited selection sampled 1.38 jams. Not much variation there.

The big difference comes in buying. Of those who stopped at the extensive selection, only 3% made a purchase. In contrast, 30% of those at the limited selection made a purchase. That is a difference of 4 buyers compared to 31.

Consumers exposed to a limited number of choices proved considerably more likely to make a purchase than those initially exposed to a larger set of options.

Now, which should you be measuring? The number of people who stop at your store, or the number of people who actually make a purchase?

Do you want to count the number of downloads your podcast is receiving or the conversion into action? Here is a hint … just because people download your episode doesn’t mean they are listening.

Don’t get fooled by measuring the incorrect statistic. Measure what counts. Measure your call to action.

Do you want to know how to create an effective call-to-action and then measure it?

LET THEM BUY

You need to remember that people love to buy. They hate to be sold to. How many times have you said, “Let’s go get a used car salesman to sell me a car”? Probably not many.

“Let’s go see if the shoe salesman can sell me a pair of shoes.”. That probably doesn’t happen either.

You want to buy stuff you enjoy. Therefore, you need to create some desire with your call-to-action.

Your first step is to provide value. Give your listener something they can use. Make your content valuable. Then, make your call-to-action connect with the valuable content you just delivered.

Next, before you make your call-to-action, start with the “why”. Why is this content important? What will your call-to-action do for your listener? What is in it for them?

Then, intrigue your listener. Create some anticipation and curiosity. Make it exciting for them.

Finally, make sure you only have one measurable call-to-action.

 

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.