No matter how big or small your company is, no matter how rapidly it’s growing…you need a way to consistently build a list of leads.
But how can you capture emails without giving your visitors a way to easily subscribe to you?
Your website is ripe with opportunities to capture contact information, and these are opportunities you may not be taking advantage of.
Knowing how to set up a proper lead magnet, coin a call-to-action, and capture new emails is integral to the continued success and increased bottom line of your business.
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What is a Lead Magnet?
How do you start capturing email addresses? With a lead magnet, of course!
A lead magnet is something of value that you offer your visitors for free in exchange for their contact information. #marketingClick To TweetThis is essentially a transaction that doesn’t involve any money – at least not yet.
Your lead magnet needs to be something attractive and relevant to your visitors’ interests.
A colorful landing page that offers a free download to a coveted piece of advice in exchange for your email address can usually be enough to start watching those leads pour in.
If you’re strapped for ideas, we’ve highlighted our 7 favourite ways to capture emails below.
Check out our list and start developing your marketing strategy to get more visitors to sign up ASAP.
1. Get Connected
If your company has just a website and nothing else, you don’t have many effective tools at your disposal when it comes to communicating with the online world. You should be digitally connected through social media, e-newsletters, and frequent blog posts.
If you are unfamiliar with the major social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, you need to educate yourself..
Being connected on social media allows you to share content, write custom messages, and have direct interactions with the community and target audiences you serve.
This will lead more people to your website and ultimately will make it easier for them to subscribe to your goods or services.
2. Create New and Exclusive Offers
No matter how specific your niche is, or what you sell, there are going to be different visitors coming to your website for different reasons.
There can be many different services or goods that the average buyer is looking for when they come to your site.
A simple pop-up window that asks visitors to enter their email address in exchange for a free downloadable info packet, or a new expert-led course, will instantly capture new leads and expand your list of email addresses that you can then start to nurture.
3. Hook Visitors With Your Blog
Every successful website has a consistent blog updated at least once a week with new and valuable information.
Whether you are addressing a hot topic in your community, offering a how-to guide for your services, or writing about general news and information that will be helpful to your viewers, a blog is the lifeblood of Internet relevancy.
This is what keeps your webpage ranked high on Google searches, and this is what will continue to direct more traffic to your site.
This also works great for targeted emails. Remember when we mentioned that people come to your website for various reasons? Some people may be interested in pricing, while others might want to know more about your manufacturing.
When your blog is tagged with certain topics, you can create dedicated email lists.
A person who signs up for a blog about manufacturing can then be put on a list where they are alerted to more blogs about that topic, but not about topics that may not interest them.
The more specific you are, the easier it will be to cater to everyone.
4. Use the Power of Pop-Ups
Pop-ups may have been seen as annoying spam windows in the past, but they are now a powerful tool for marketing that can help you capture more email leads.
It needs to be put in the right place on your website, though.
For some businesses, that means the pop-up shows up right when a visitor first enters a website. Perhaps this pop-up advertises a free offer of 25% off your first purchase. All these new visitors need to do is put in their email address and automatically get the discount applied to their future order.
For other websites, it is better to have an exit intent pop-up. When the visitors’ mouse is inching towards that X in the window, a pop-up will emerge, giving visitors one last chance to stay connected with you.
This window can give visitors the opportunity for more freebies or discounts. Make sure to always include your CTA (call-to-action) to get people to sign up quickly.
5. Add a “Buy Now!” Incentive
Sometimes, the simple “subscribe to stay in the know” offers just aren’t enough to keep new visitors interested. Want to really entice them? Give them something they can use right now.
A “buy now” pop-up or lead magnet can really push the boundaries of list building, giving your customers an offer that will be really difficult for them to pass up.
Exit Intel CEO Matt Cimino is a huge advocate for the instant gratification leads:
“Just telling someone to “Join the newsletter” in a pop-up is almost worthless. If you’re getting any conversions that way, it must be that they love your content. For everyone else, you’ve got to provide a clear value proposition.”
Just assume that most of your website visitors are new and not returning customers. You need something so great that it will immediately hook them. For example, offering an instant $20 coupon that they can use on a purchase.
6. Offer a Free Test for Advice
If people are visiting your website, they likely have a specific question in mind. Inviting them to take a free test might help them answer those burning questions they came seeking answers to.
A small pop-up form with an introductory question is a good idea to capture their interest.
If you run a financial website, for example, you could design a pop-up that reads, “What’s the current market value of your home?” And then underneath that, write, “Answer these questions to find out!”
The visitor is then prompted to enter their email address in order to take the test.
This is an excellent way to capture leads as most visitors will be excited to bite the bait when it comes to free content.
7. Start a Contest!
Want to increase your social media presence while also capturing more leads? Kill two birds with one stone by starting a contest online!
Loyal and returning customers will be eager to participate in an event that promises giveaways or more exclusive goodies.
Plus, this will work wonders for your social media interactions. Customers will love to see that you are taking the time to respond to individuals and give special attention to those who have remained loyal to you.
Not to mention, this is a great way to get your customers to do the promotion for you!
People can comment online and share your content with their friends and neighbours, helping you go viral faster than you can blink an eye.
It takes some time and consistent work, but ultimately, between special offers and increased interaction with your customer base, this is a tried-and-true way to capture more leads.
Final Words
Having a boring subscription form on the sidebar of your webpage just won’t cut it anymore. Make something that moves, is full of design, and that offers something of real value to your prospective customers.
Visitors don’t want to be bombarded with offers and aggressive asks, but they do like to be given the chance to decide if they want to use your free offers or free advice as a measure of how valuable your services will be for them in the future.
With any luck, you’ll start expanding your email list in no time.
Want more marketing strategies, tactics and advice? Check out none of our most popular ever guides:
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