For Your Lead Magnet to Work, Visitors Have to Want to Opt-In

We’ve already looked at what needs to go into a quality lead magnet. Lead magnets are extremely important because they are responsible for getting your foot in the door of a potential client.

But, as the saying goes, people can’t know how valuable your offers are until after they buy them. Until then, they only know how valuable your marketing is.

Before people are able to consume your lead magnet—and thus receive a great big win by working with you—they must first be willing to download it.

That’s why we business owners often offer them for free. After all, if it’s free, shouldn’t everybody want it?

This is where I have some bad news to share…

“Free” Isn’t Enough.

People who land on your website and see your free offer know no that you’re not really offering it to them for “free”. Sure, you’re not asking for any money from them, but you are expecting something in return. They have to give you their email address in order to receive the “free” gift.

Think about this for a moment. How often have you gone to a website, seen an offer to download a free PDF, and skipped right over it? If you’re like most people, you do that most of the time. I know I do.

Just because it’s free doesn’t mean that people consider it worth their email address. You need to do more than just stick the word “free” on something.

This brings us to…

Optimizing Your Opt-In Form

Your opt-in form is your opportunity to let others know that your lead magnet is worth far more than just their email address. So, you want to make sure you have the most converting opt-in form you can create.

Let’s look at a few key features that you want to refine so your form can attract your ideal client and sell your lead magnet for you.

Use Language That Connects with Your Ideal Client

Something Heather talks about all the time is the importance of having a clear understanding of who your ideal client is.

Part of understanding your ideal client is knowing what language your ideal client uses. What kinds of “insider language” do they throw around? What are the words that are most likely to catch their attention? What values might they uphold? The more you use their language, the better you will connect with them. 

Focus on Benefits

Is your opt-in form highlighting the benefits of your offer? If you’re offering a free sample of a window cleaner, you’re not really offering free window cleaner. You’re offering the ability to let the greenery outside their picture window enhance the beauty of their living room. You’re not offering a free recipe for brownies. You’re offering a surefire way to win a blue ribbon in a baking contest. Whatever PDF you’re using for your lead magnet, it’s not a free PDF. Rather, it’s a gateway for them to reach an irresistible benefit. 

Write Irresistible Titles

Now, let’s look at that title. This is what they will read first. Which of the following would you be more likely to download?:

• Free printable organizer with detailed instructions

or…

• A 5-Minute Read that Will Change the Way You Think about the Value of Your Time

Remember, the main job of the title is to get a reader’s attention and make them want to read more. 

Keep It Clean

Have you ever tried to find a pen on a cluttered desk? That’s the kind of experience you don’t want people to have on your opt-in form. But, it happens all the time. 

Keep your forms as clean as possible. When it comes to words on an opt-in form, more is not better. Be concise and use as few words as possible, while still communicating everything you need to. And, make sure your images reinforce your message and avoid using images that distract. 

Have a Clear Call-to-Action

Make sure the CTA is obvious. A button that stands out is better than linked text. And don’t be afraid to refer again to a benefit on the button. Why say “Download Now” when you can say “Download Now and Start Living the Dream”?

Have a High-Quality Context

Your opt-in form does not exist in a vacuum. It’s common for people to land on a website, read about the business, and then decide to check out the free offer. The lesson here…

Context matters. 

Part of the goal of your website as a whole is to get people interested enough in you and what you do to want to go to your opt-in form and check out your lead magnet. Once they have given you their email address, they have entered your sales funnel as a lead. 

Having a high-quality website that is designed to make that happen can increase the number of leads you get, which in turn can increase the number of clients you get. 

The quality of your website truly matters when it comes to getting leads and clients. We know this because websites are our specialty. We see the impact they make all the time.

Case in point, Lucy. She wanted to grow her business, and she knew she couldn’t do it by herself. So, she contacted us, and we helped make that happen. When we were done, she excitedly reported, “I almost doubled my audience in a week! How did that happen?”

You want to have a high-quality context—website—for your opt-in form to work best. If you want to find out how we can help you go to the next level sooner rather than later, contact us. Get on our calendar for a free 15-minute Clarity Call. And on that call, we’ll discuss what we can do for you. 

https://wiseowlmarketing.com/clarity/