Are you trying to build and grow an email list to market and bring in additional revenue for the chamber? Lead magnets are a great way to do it and now is the ideal time to do it because people are dedicating more time to professional development due to COVID.
But even if you agree that nurturing a prospective member through the sales funnel is a good idea, you may be at a loss on how to get them on to your email marketing list. Sure, you can beg and plead with people to sign up for a newsletter but unless you’re offering something in that newsletter they want, they likely won’t sign up. If they do sign up, they may end up unsubscribing if your content doesn’t meet their expectations.
That’s why you need a lead magnet… and great lead magnet ideas.
What is a Lead Magnet?
A lead magnet is valued content that people are willing to exchange their contact information for. Some people are hesitant to create lead magnets because they think the magnets require a lot of work. They don’t have to. You can create a one-page lead magnet that can be just as effective as an e-book or white paper.
Effective lead magnets do the following:
- Solve the problem for your target audience whether that’s members or potential members.
- Promises a quick solution. The person who downloads your content wants to feel like you’re going to help them fix the problem immediately. They want to believe this content is the solution they’ve been looking for.
- Provide easy absorption of important info. Think of a lead magnet as a delicious appetizer. It should be designed to make people want more but yet also make them feel like they had a good experience. It should not take them hours to understand or enjoy. People download a lead magnet because they want to take action immediately. It’s likely if they want something that will take longer they will turn to something like a book or reference material.
- Arrive immediately. Don’t make people wait for a lead magnet. Those who provide their information should receive the lead magnet instantaneously or nearly so. If people have to wait they will assume your delivery system is broken.
Lead magnets should also be targeted and specific to a distinct audience. If you’ve created a piece of content that targets salespeople, for instance, be clear about that in the description and the title. You don’t want anyone guessing on whether this lead magnet can help them. When they press that download button you want them to feel sure they found what they’re looking for.
The key here is to produce something of value that your audience wants. Think about your chamber membership and those in the community who may be considering joining the chamber.
Start off creating one lead magnet but don’t stop there. Your members and potential members have different needs. You can create lead magnets for all of them.
There is no easier way to get emails on your email list. Now all you need is valuable content. Here are some ideas for you to consider.
Lead Magnet Formats
Before we get into the lead magnet ideas, it’s important to talk about format. Lead magnets can be constructed in several formats including:
- Checklists. This is an easy series of statements or steps that people should consider or undertake in a process. For instance, an upsell checklist would provide suggestions on how to upsell a product or service.
- Workbooks. This item is a little longer but it allows the recipient to fill out their answers as they’re analyzing or going over the topic at hand. An example would be a financial planning workbook.
- Recorded or live webinars. Do you have something to teach? If so, you can walk your audience through the information over a webinar. Once it’s recorded, you can continue to offer it to a fresh audience.
- Cheatsheet or how-to docs. This document provides tips or hacks on a theme. For example, you might produce a cheat sheet on how to modernize your website.
- The “ultimate” guide or e-book. This is a deep dive into the material you’re offering. If you label something The Ultimate Guide, it better be a “one-stop-shop” to all the information they need on that subject. An ebook can be as short as several pages or as long as a traditional book. You might produce an ebook entitled “Basic Social Media Tactics You Wish You Knew Yesterday” or anything else that you are knowledgeable about.
- Podcast episode. If you don’t have time to create an ongoing podcast, you can create periodic episodes around important themes. For instance, you might create a podcast episode around everything you need to know about applying for a small business loan.
- Scripts or templates. If you are skilled at business communications, you may consider providing your community with scripts or templates around common business topics. For instance, an email template to increase sales.
Finally, it’s important to know that although you don’t have to spend a lot of time on this content, it does make a good impression when it’s designed out nicely. Make sure it’s in keeping with your branding and that your information is included on the piece somewhere. After all, if someone forwards it to a friend you want to make sure they know who was behind the content and who they can contact if they enjoyed it.
50+ Highly Effective Ideas for Chambers
Remember you can use these lead magnet ideas in any of the formats listed above. For instance, the topic of “how to be a great leader” could be formatted as a checklist, ultimate guide, a topic for a podcast or webinar, or a workbook.
Get creative in your offerings. Some audiences will jump on a webinar much quicker than they will download an e-book. Track your downloads and watch the topics and formats that are the most popular. No rule says you can’t produce the same content in multiple formats if your audience reacts favorably to them.
- COVID resources your audience needs to know
- Financial assistance for those affected by COVID
- Ways to grow your business that won’t cost you anything but time
- Social media 101 for business
- Instagram for business
- Ways to get people to know, like, and trust you
- Networking for people who hate networking
- The first 6 months of being a chamber member and how to rock them
- Retirement planner (this is a great sponsorship opportunity for members in this area of business)
- Surefire hiring practices to ensure awesome hires
- How to become an employer of choice in a job seeker’s market
- How to switch careers
- Personal branding 101
- Understanding social media ads
- Membership benefit hacks you need to know
- Community resource guide
- Relocation package
- Hidden deals in your area
- Best free things to do for families
- The staycation guide to your area
- Apps you’re not using for your business but should be
- The ultimate webinar planning resource
- How to start a business blog
- How to start a business podcast
- Social media content calendar or planner
- Blog editorial calendar
- Member success stories. Make sure you target a specific solution that you provided. For instance, how a small startup became a big deal. That way people who have a small startup will be attracted to this content in the hopes that it can provide solutions for them.
- Improving your business presentations
- Press release checklist
- Sound smarter with these written communication edits
- Business blog topics
- Social media posting ideas
- Business email template
- Basic design musts for your business communications
- Creating a business culture employees and customers love
- Grow your online business
- How to create business goals for 2021
- How to create a lead magnet for your business
- Goal organizer
- How to be more productive
- Best ways to delegate
- Business strategy prompts
- Basic budget spreadsheet
- How to choose the best vendor for your business
- Best interview questions to land top-notch employees
- How to create an online course
- How to grow your audience
- Land more subscribers
- How to be a better leader
- Guide to email marketing
- Report on the status of business in your area
- How to start a business in your area
Finally, when you are marketing these lead magnets, make sure you are very clear to your audience about what benefit they’ll get from receiving this content. Will they get more leads? Will they become a better employee? Will they learn a skill?
Additionally, make sure you market that the resource is free. They merely need to give you a name and email address to receive your well-thought-out piece. That’s it!
Remember, you want to create content that your audience wants. These lead magnet ideas are designed for chambers and your business community. This is not a sales piece heavily promoting the chamber. Instead, it should be something that helps them and gives them a taste of additional assistance the chamber can provide.
