Chapter 9
Creating a Lead Magnet
In a future lesson I will show you how to get visitors to your site. But once they are there you need to be able to capture their email address so you can continue to engage them in the future and eventually offer them your products or services.
You do this by creating a ‘lead magnet’. Here’s how you do that:
You want to pick ONE serious problem or concern that your target audience has and then design a ‘guide’ that gives them a way to solve that problem immediately.
It is extremely important that you follow this formula. You want your offer to be so compelling that they will gladly give you their email address in exchange for this information.
If you have been studying the ‘lead magnets’ of the blog sites you have visited, it should give you a few ideas.
By studying the other sites, you will notice that the ‘headline’ or ‘title’ of their ‘lead magnets’ is vitally important. It has to be compelling. It has to let them know clearly what problem it will solve.
You don’t have to write a lengthy eBook, just a short; 5- 15 page guide that will explain how to solve their problem and/or deliver something of value. (I will explain how to deliver this to them in the next lesson.)
Creating a professional looking eGuide
It should be fairly obvious how to ‘lay out’ the material in your eGuide. Just by looking around at other guides or books should give you some clues.
You want to create a title page that also includes your name. PLUS, at the bottom of the page be sure and write your website address. This way they will always have it. Plus if they pass it along to someone else, they will have it too.
As you write your information make sure you create some bold headings and spaces between paragraphs. It makes it easier to read.
At the end of the guide you want to write your name and a short bio. And then, once again, write your website address.
You are now going to turn your document into a PDF file. One of the reasons you want to send out your guide as a PDF file is because that way it cannot be altered or changed. Plus, in a minute, I am going to show you how to add a cool, professional looking cover for only $5 bucks. (Certainly not needed, but for $5 bucks you can’t beat it).
I am going to be assuming that you are working in Microsoft Word. (If not, you are going to have to ask someone to assist you with turning your document into a PDF file). First you are going to ‘save’ your document as a ‘Word Document’. That way if you want to make changes or additions later you can do that. (You can’t make changes to a PDF file).
Once your document is complete, you are going to go to the upper left hand corner of your screen you are going to click on ‘file’. When the drop down box opens you want to click on ‘save as’. That will open a window. Near the bottom of that window will be a bar that reads, ‘Save as type’ and in the bar it should say, ‘word document’.
Click on the drop down arrow at the end of that bar and it will open a small window with more choices. Click on ‘PDF’ and then at the bottom click ‘save’. You have just created a PDF file. Now when you go into your saved documents you will see the ‘Word Document’ version as well as the ‘PDF’ file version of your eGuide.
For my own ‘lead magnet’; The 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Starting an Online Business and How to Avoid Them; I created it on PowerPoint slides first, and then saved it as a PDF.
How to add a cool, professional looking cover to your eGuide for $5 bucks
Here is a website that is an internet marketers dream:
At this site you will find hundreds of services that people will produce for you for only $5.00. It’s amazing! Choose the drop down box or do a ‘search’ for ‘design eBook cover’ and dozens of choices will pop up. From there, just follow the instructions.
If you look around that site you will see that they can also help you create a logo, banner ads, as well as most anything created by graphic designers.
Most of the sidebar images on my website were created using Fiverr services.
You can add that cover to your eGuide, plus you can add that image of your cover to your ‘lead magnet’ ad. (Called an opt-in box)