When you’re marketing professional services online, it doesn’t hurt to give potential customers a little freebie to sweeten the deal. In digital marketing parlance, we call this a lead magnet, and it can be a great way to get email addresses or other info you can use to follow up in the future. Whether you’re an accountant, an IT consultant, a financial planner, or any other professional, you can plan an effective lead magnet that will drive traffic to your website and help you capture leads.

Identify Target Audience

Last week, we gave you some tips on identifying your target audience. You can use your findings when you plan your lead magnet. Once you know a little more about your audience, think about what might entice them to give you their info. Consider the demographics of your target audience and come up with an offer that appeals to their needs.

Clarify and Communicate the Offer

There are many offers you could use as a lead magnet. When you decide on one, you need to find a clear, concise way of communicating it to your target audience. If you’re offering a free trial of your services, be clear about what potential customers will get. If you’re offering a coupon or discount, provide simple instructions on how to redeem it. The easier you make things for your leads, the more likely they are to take advantage of your offer.

Distribute and Drive Traffic to Your Site

Now that you have your lead magnet planned out, it’s go time! Find one or more distribution channels and get that offer out there. You can market to past customers using your existing email list or find new leads with paid digital ads, social media posts, and more. Whatever channels you choose, make the call-to-action clear (i.e. Visit our site and fill out the online contact form!) so you can drive that traffic right to your website.

The team at TIC Digital Marketing has planned effective lead magnets for dozens of clients, and if you’re having trouble designing one that works, we can help. Give us a call at (858) 280-3792, send an email to [email protected], or fill out the contact form below to find out more!

Action Plan

1.  List 3 “freebies” you could offer to potential customers. They could be free estimates, eBooks, a trial of your services, or anything else you could reasonably provide for free in exchange for a new lead. Be creative or look at what similar businesses are doing.

1. Choose one of the lead magnet ideas you listed in #1. Write down a clear, concise way of communicating it to your target audience.
   1. Write down a potential title for it.
   1. Write a short, 1 – 2 sentence description.