Sitting at your desk, blinking in the wee hours, baffled as to why the numbers on your subscriber list aren’t growing?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. It’s a familiar sight. Though it needn’t be.

OK, so your lead magnet isn’t converting. Perhaps you need to take a look at why.

Thinking about the wording itself, what does a magnet do?

Magnet

1. a person or thing that has a powerful attraction

2. acts as a powerful draw

3. makes something stick

Has your magnet lost its force?

Here are six reasons why your lead magnet isn’t converting:

1. You’re Not targeting a Specific Audience

If you’ve targeted too broad a market, your lead will end up gathering dust on a shelf, in front of a mismatched audience who simply aren’t interested in what it is you have to sell. Have you visualised your ideal client? Begin here and then work out what it is that will be most valuable to them.

2. Your Content Is Weak

Your content has to be relevant to your audience. And most importantly, you need to be an expert, a true authority when delivering it. If your content is poorly written, irrelevant or way too wordy, your audience will turn off before they even tune in.

It’s simply in our nature, as inhabitants of this fast-paced and frenetic 21st-century world, to want instant fixes for our problems, so why aren’t you giving them?

Quick fix content doesn’t need to be something to get in a twist over, all that is needed is a solution to a problem. This could be in the form of a checklist (easily actionable, minimal effort for your audience), cheat sheet, template, tool kit or calendar. Which will best serve your audience’s needs?

 3. You Haven’t Done Your Market Research

How can you possibly convert your lead magnet if you don’t know enough about your target audience?

Lead generation begins by knowing your target’s needs better than they do themselves. You need to understand what they are feeling, what they are thinking, and – crucially – where they are struggling.

If you’ve not put the time into these early stages of research, it could be that the reason you’re not converting is that you’re dangling a carrot in front of a carnivore.

 4. Your Headline Is Weak & You Don’t Have a CTA

First impressions count. We all make snap judgments. Your headline has to count. It is the first, and – if it sucks – only part of an article your potential reader will see. It takes roughly 0.05 seconds for readers to come to a decision about whether to stay on your page or leave. This is why your headline needs to crush it.

Winning headlines are succinct; smart and simple are the keywords to remember.

Speaking of remembering, you need to hammer home the key message of your lead capture at the end of the content in order to achieve your objective. That’s the call to action.

What is it you want your reader to do? Subscribe for more great tips? Be sure to tell them what it is you want, and more importantly how to do it!

5. You’re Not Solving a Specific Problem

Don’t talk around the topic. Give the people what they want. If you’ve set out the question in your lead magnet title, be sure to give them the answer when they click the link. Nothing is more frustrating than having to sieve through pages of irrelevant or flowery text to find the answer to the problem.

Get to the point, and solve one problem at a time.

6. You’re Lacking Social Proof. The 3Ps: Provide Proof Before Promoting

So, what is social proof and why does it matter?

Social proof is, simply put, the expert’s stamp of approval. It’s a way to ease the mind of the concerned customer by reassuring them and getting them to conform to the norm. The norm being buying whatever it is you are selling! Basically, we’re talking herd mentality, FOMO.

The more you build your reputation online, the more likely your target audience will find you authentic, engage with you and trust you.

Simple ways to build your 3P strategy tend to revolve around your engagement online and can include:

– sharing your company milestones

– acknowledging/responding to comments/likes

– sharing testimonials

– regular blogging.

Final Thoughts

When creating your lead magnet always make sure that you are doing your market research. It needs to be a freebie that your ideal clients want to download, so ask them just that. Is this something that they need help with? 

If you’re still not sure why it is your lead magnet isn’t converting? Click on this link to find out how to create an irresistible lead magnet!