So, you have an awesome Lead Magnet for your website but it isn’t getting as much attention as you hoped?
It happens to the best of us.
Don’t worry, it’s probably not your fault or the fault of the Lead Magnet; it just needs the proper marketing to receive the attention it deserves.
It’s time to give your hard work a place to shine. Well, in this case, 6 places!
It all starts with capturing your audience.
Why YOU Need an Email List
I’ve covered the importance of an email list in a previous blog post so be sure to check out all that good stuff here! But just in case you don’t have time right now, let’s go over it again briefly:
Your followers on Social Media will never be yours. They belong to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., you name it.
Facebook shut down last week for a 1.5 days and the online business world was in an uproar. A lot of people had no access to their followers, they had no ads running and were scrambling.
If you were a business owner that had focused on your growing your list, that wouldn’t have stressed you out at all because if you had something important to say, you would have just emailed them.
oh and.. the chance of a follower reading an email sent directly to them is boat loads higher then them happening to catch your post or ad on Social Media.
I hope that convinced you to pay attention and keeping reading.
In case you haven’t heard, we use our very own All-in-One Sales and Marketing Platform called Funnel Breezy for growing our list.
One of the awesome features of Funnel Breezy is that it allows you to track your progress through campaign reports and surveys!
By tracking your opened emails, clicks, and signups, you can assess what type of content drives your readers to sign up and then you can focus on creating more of that content.
To entice people to sign up for your emails, you need to offer them something they want in return.
Behold: Lead Magnets.
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My Secret-Sauce Checklist for Launching an Irresistible Lead Magnet
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How a Lead Magnet works
But Tasha, what are this Lead Magnet you speak of?
If you’ve stopped by my site before, you’ll know I love a good Lead Magnet to promote a business.
No matter what you call them, Opt-in Freebies, Lead Magnets, Content Upgrades, etc. are created and promoted for the same purpose: they are valued incentives that are offered in exchange for e-mail signups.
They work by growing your e-mail list, driving viewership, giving people that extra reason to see you as an Expert in your Niche.
In order to gain email signups by marketing your Lead Magnet, it is more effective to SHOW your audience what they’ll be getting by signing up rather than just writing it out.
Let’s be honest, your readers want to know what’s in for them… Here is your chance to show them and increase your signups.
Now, the proper placement and marketing of your freebies is key.
Some bloggers swear that sidebar Opt-ins are the way to go, while others hammer the “above the fold” placement home.
Wherever you choose to promote your Lead Magnet, you have to first make sure that it’s relevant and speaks to your audience and branding.
If you haven’t already, check out my previous blog post that covers the ins and outs of all things freebie: The Best Opt-in Freebies to explode your email list!
Once you’ve learned the basics of what makes a great freebie, let’s dive in!
Opt-in Placement #1: Pop-up
First things first: the pop-up, a.k.a. the oldest trick in the history of email marketing.
It’s a trusted method that delivers in conversion but has the added drawback of an annoying reputation.
You know what I’m talking about.
You’re browsing through a website and POP-UP, click to another page and POP-UP, scroll down a little and POP-UP!! Until you’re so fed up with the constant assault of pop-ups that you just give up and look somewhere else.
So, if you are going to use an opt-in pop-up feature, make sure you do it right and keep it to a minimum.
Despite this negativity surrounding pop-ups, they have shown marketers some pretty impressive results by gaining subscribers.
This quick burst of info invites readers to sign up for email updates while marketing your Opt-in Freebie! By signing up for emails, they will get something for FREE.
This is what my pop-up looks like for Lady Boss Studio (PS. it’s also my best Opt-in converter for my Freebie Library!):
As you can see, my chosen pop-up image is on-brand and easy to understand without being overly in-your-face promotional.
I have my pop-up set to appear after 60 seconds, allowing the viewer enough time to digest my site before they are greeted with my Opt-in Freebie invitation.
Here is another example, I just LOVE examples!
This opt-in pop-up by Dana Nicole Designs works well with its simple yet elegant design. She effectively sums up her freebie and invites readers to sign up with their name and email in order to download her guide.
Ps. take note of the Mockup of the eBook, this helps big time!
Opt-in Placement #2: Above the Fold
Above the fold marketing is VERY important.
It’s all in the name. Above the fold means to place the Opt-in Freebie ABOVE everything else.
This placement requires no scrolling, meaning your opt-in will be the very first thing a reader sees when they visit your website. You’re creating a call to action from the first click by offering the signup for freebies right at the top of your page.
I really like these two examples to market your Opt-in Freebie above the fold:
Opt-in Placement #3: In a Blog Post
This is a really great place to market your Opt-in freebie. The trick with this placement is that, to be effective, it HAS TO relate to the blog post it appears in.
The person is reading a blog post on a specific topic, so they will likely be interested in the option to learn more about it.
When viewing a blog post, readers really get a feel for your style. If they can relate to what you’re saying, they will be more likely to want to read on and get their hands on your awesome freebie.
Check out these examples! The freebies relate to the posts they were marketed in and therefore are a great addition to the post!
Remember, stay on-brand with clear instructions and make the sign up process as simple as possible to attract subscribers.
Opt-in Placement #4: Sidebar
Next, we have the sidebar!
As you’re reading this post, you will have noticed that I am VERY fond of good sidebar marketing.
If your business has a blog (or if your business is a blog) then you should have a sidebar feature, allowing for more marketing space.
So take full advantage!
Blog content drives more organic traffic through search engine searches, so be sure to let these new viewers know what you offer!
If you look to the top of my sidebar, you’ll see my short bio (to familiarize readers with the face of the business) along with links to my other products, including…
OPT-IN FREEBIES!
Need I say more?
The sidebar is a pretty easy spot to market your opt-in freebie because it’s always running down the side of your blog.
It’s an important marketing placement that can spark a lot of new interest in your business.
Take a look at these awesome examples of sidebar marketing. Both are on-brand and clearly explain what you get when you sign up with email.
This whole Opt-in Freebie thing is actually pretty simple, right?
Opt-in Placement #5: Footer
The footer of your website gives you a ton of space to market your Opt-in Freebie, as well as your other great content!
When you scroll to the bottom of any page on my website, what do you see?
Links to where to find me on social media platforms, images that link to Instagram posts (it’s human nature to be drawn to visuals!) as well as an Opt-in Freebie!!
This Opt-in Freebie is a little bit different. Instead of an invitation for email sign up, I offer a discount for joining my Facebook group!
This way, I can drive more traffic to my other platform where my community of Lady Bosses can interact with me and get support!
Below are two great examples to market your Opt-in Freebie at the footer of your page!
As you can see, Laura also includes a link to her Facebook group while Julie fills her footer with links to other blog posts in order to market herself effectively!
Opt-in Placement #6: Landing Page
Still hanging in there? We’re almost done!!
Here we have the landing page – a page whose purpose is literally just to market your Opt-in Freebies!
On this page, it is important to answer the 5 W’s:
Explain WHO you are and who needs your service (everyone, duh), WHAT services you provide, WHEN they can get it (right freaking now!!) and WHY they need it.
For my Free Pinterest Chalenge, I have a landing page that is DEDICATED solely to marketing my FREE Pinterest Strategy in eCourse form.
I’m a huge fan of asking questions like “Does web traffic have you stressed out?” that lead to readers yelling at their computers saying “Yes I do! Help!”
And then BAM you hit them with the “Wouldn’t it be great if you could…” and explain what your freebie will do for them to answer all their prayers.
Instant success.
These examples are awesome. Both are very eye-catching in bold color, clearly explain what is included in the freebie and what it will do for them!
BONUS Secret Opt-in Placement: Coming Soon Page
For making it this far, I’m going to let you in on a little secret.
Coming Soon pages are an AWESOME way to market your Opt-in Freebie!
Many people don’t think of this as a marketing option, but it has actually proven to be an extremely efficient place to spark some interest!
We’ve all seen a movie trailer, right? There’s this awesome flick that you just can’t WAIT to see because of all the build-up?
That’s kind of what we’re going for here: hinting at something that people will want.
Coming Soon pages are a secret weapon when it comes to building a potential client base.
A lot of business owner’s get hung up on waiting until their website is up and running but please don’t make that mistake.
You will need to come up with a great freebie you think your Audience will want once your site is launched and offer it up before hand. Just include a picture of the freebie and a signup form right on your Coming Soon Page and watch your list grow before opening day.
A serious extra bonus to this is that once you do launch, you will have direct access to invite interested brand fans to visit your site from day 1.
That will make checking your Google Analytics fun at the beginning instead of depressing… 🙂
Here is a great example of how Nickesha used our FREE Blog Post Opt-in Template on her Coming Soon page to grow her list before hand!
Serious Props on this one!
Phew. That was a lot to cover!
I hope this helped you feel more confident in how to market your Opt-in Freebie! Once you know where to place your marketing, gaining interest in your freebie will be a breeze.
Did I miss any places to market your Opt-in Freebie in this list? I’d love to hear your feedback!
As always, if you have a question or are looking for more information, don’t hesitate to reach out!