Lead magnets can help you grab the attention of your prospects on LinkedIn. Effective ones will have your audience looking at more and more of your content, perhaps even moving toward the next stage in your funnel.
But sometimes we implement lead magnets that we think will be a hit just to find that they are duds on the platform.
You are not doomed to a painful cycle of poor lead magnets!
On the contrary, there are key steps you can take to improve the lead magnets you have and craft hits in the future.
Today, we’ll walk you through the advice you need to fix a lead magnet that’s not working.
Clear Goals
What is the goal of your lead magnet? Sure, it’s easy to list a million things you’d like to happen, but magnets without a clear purpose just don’t work. Guess what, you can create different magnets and different variations for different goals!
So, the key is to get very clear on the end goal of the specific magnet you’re working on.
Be Willing to Adjust
Right now, you may have some LinkedIn lead magnets out there that just aren’t quite right for your target audience. Most of the time, they can get there with a little reworking.
You have to be willing to put some effort in. Listen to the data, listen to your audience. Tweak a few things, then be ready to make more alterations.
Some changes may be big, others may be minor. Maybe you need to reword one section or adjust a few images. Yes, it can be frustrating, but you’ve got to be willing to stick with it and make changes.
Let Go of Your Ego
It can be hard to watch something you create not work as expected, especially when you really thought it would. Don’t let your ego get in the way of a solution.
No, you didn’t waste time if something did not go as expected. You learned something. You gained valuable information to help you make something that much better the next time around. You learned more about your audience, and maybe a few things not to do moving forward.
Here are a few common mistakes to look out for:
- Giving away too much content. They have no reason to come back!
- Ineffective messaging. Maybe it’s just how you phrased something.
- Not sharing it enough. You aren’t limited to posting about it just once on LinkedIn.
- Are you helping your audience “cross the bridge” to be ready to buy? (addressing their obstacles, positioning yourself as the solution, etc”
Talk to Your Target Audience
You don’t need to create (or improve) lead magnets in a dark silo. Your target community is the ideal place to get ideas, suggestions, and feedback. Talk to them.
On LinkedIn, there are many ways/places to do this. For example:
- Relevant LinkedIn groups (where your audience is, not your competitors)
- Via messages
- In the comments of your posts
- Via Polls
Take a look at the discussion in various LinkedIn groups. Collect information about your audience, ask questions, and start conversations that will generate information for you.
Another great place to look is at your family, friends, colleagues, etc. People around you may fit your customer persona, or have access to people who do. Ask them for feedback and advice on the format, content, and design of your lead magnets.
Edit the Lead Magnet
After you’ve gathered the information you need from your target audience, it’s time to implement the relevant changes. Now comes the fun part, editing your lead magnets.
Some things are simple and easy to change. These ones go quickly. You can apply what you learned and then vet it again. Ask for feedback on the changes, specifically if they made the content easier and more beneficial to gain value from.
Another great way to get more feedback is to ask those to whom you present it for consumption. For example, send a follow-up message to anyone who signs up or downloads the lead magnet. A few days after they acquired it, you could ask them what they think and if they’ve found it helpful.
You can also add more value here by giving them a special tip about something to pay attention to. For example, “the tip I share on page 3 is one that our clients find the most helpful.”
Following up in this way helps you to gain valuable feedback, but it also helps you stay connected with the lead. It may remind them to listen to the podcast or check out your slide deck. Overall, it can be extremely beneficial to follow up like this.
Share, Share, Share
Treat your lead magnet like a product. This means you should promote it everywhere you can. Now, you won’t be able to do this with every single one, but at least once a quarter you should.
Cast a large net in the LinkedIn community. You can share it in numerous ways on the platform. For example, you can create different posts about it, send it out to your leads via message, post about it in relevant groups, etc.
Strategize about how to best do this in a way that’s comprehensive without being spammy or annoying. Take a few days or a week to really push out the lead magnet. You could also push your LinkedIn on other channels during this time to get more eyes on it.
Know When to Start Over
Most lead magnets you can adjust and improve. With proper alteration and adequate promotion, you’ll be able to boost conversions and meet your goals. In reality, this step is not one you should need to take.
If you really put your all into the tips above, then your numbers should climb. Still, there are some times we must start over.
If after doing everything above you still are not seeing conversions, then the timing may just not be right for the type of lead magnet you created. So, start over.
But where should you start? Look back on your most successful content, whether it’s a blog post, video, etc. See what content you’ve made that your audience loved, and make a similar lead magnet.
Start Creating Winning LinkedIn Lead Magnets
You now have all of the tools you need to craft high-converting lead magnets. Remember, most of the time you can refine the ones you already have to be more effective. In some cases, you may need to start fresh. Either way, leverage the tips above to start building LinkedIn lead magnets that work!
