Let’s talk about lead magnets. Again. Why?

Because, while we’ve talked about it many, many times… I still see MOST people doing it wrong. Or at least… not ideally.

I mean, if you have one at all, you’re already a cut above. I see an alarmingly high number of blogs with the lame “Subscribe To Our Newsletter” opt-in. Or even worse “Subscribe For Free Updates”. It’s just lazy. And it is like they forgot what century they live in. 😉 So, if you’re offering any kind of lead magnet, you’re better than many.

At the same time, I’m still seeing a lot of lead magnets which could be much better. Here are the 2 big ones I see…

#1 – A Big Honker Book

And yes, “honker” is a technical term. Just roll with it.

By this, I’m referring to giving away a big ebook. With a title that sounds rather “booky”. (yes, another technical term). Sometimes, it has a cover photo that makes it look big. The whole thing is trying to give the impression that you’re actually getting a lot of value for free when you opt in.

When you open it up, it is a big read. Usually a PDF. Not as long as a real book, but long nonetheless.

Know why this doesn’t work so well anymore?

First, when’s the last time you sat down and read some 20-30 page PDF ebook? It’s likely been awhile. What usually happens is that you open it, scan it. See it is rather long. Put it into some archive on your computer for “future reading”. And, there it sits. 🙂 Admit it. It’s OK 🙂

So, chances are that’s what people are going to do with that big ebook you just sent them. And, when they don’t read it, there’s no value for them. There’s no connection made. It is just another file on their hard drive. Sure, they’re on your list, but that lead magnet didn’t serve it’s full purpose.

Also? If that lead magnet is part of a sales funnel, you just threw a big wrench in the works. Because, why would they buy some thing from you if they haven’t even done the free stuff? It is a pending action. It is an open loop. And it is an impediment to the sale.

One last thing…

The lure of big honker ebooks just isn’t what they once were. So many people do it that it blends into the scenery. “Download my free ebook” is about as meaningless now as “You’ve got mail”. I don’t even like to see people SELLING ebooks anymore, because the word “ebook” has almost been associated with free or super cheap.

Alright, the second bad lead magnet…

#2 – The Listicle

“7 Strategies For ….” or “10 Workouts To Help You…” or… “5 Tips For…”

Just fill in the blank with whatever. But, these are lists. Listicles. Here’s the problem…

The listicle works, however it has been overdone. And typically, where do we see these things? On a BLOG. So, essentially, you’re asking people to opt-in to download what is essentially a blog post.

Furthermore, it does the same thing the big honker ebook does. It gets in the way. It is going to sit there as an incomplete action and will thus only serve as a barrier to any future sale.

Like, if you’re in the fitness niche and you give away 10 free workouts as a lead magnet, how the hell are you going to then offer some paid thing with MORE workouts? They probably haven’t even done the 10 you sent them.

………….

So, you get that?

Too many people are so focused on simply getting the opt-in that they’re forgetting (or don’t know) the FULL function that a lead magnet is supposed to serve. You have to think about what comes AFTER the opt-in, too.

And the biggest issues I see with lead magnets it that they’re too big, too generic, and they pile too much onto the person that they likely don’t do anything with it. And that just throws up a big ol’ mountain in the way of making any sale after the fact.

So, look at YOUR lead magnets.

Are you doing one of these?

Or do you have another kind of lead magnet you’ve seen that does this, too?

Share with me, so I can also help other Daily subscribers. 🙂

Tomorrow, we’ll switch gears into how to do this the RIGHT way. 🙂 See ya then.

– David