Lead Generation Ideas: Build Your Audience and Gain Potential Clients
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We've all been there. You go to download a freebie and a window pops up asking for your name and email address in order to get the download link. That freebie is called a lead magnet, and it’s a way to encourage people who are already interested in content related to your interior design business to volunteer their information and consent to receiving marketing-infused content from you. And that's the beginning of your opportunity to build awareness and trust, and pre-qualifies or primes them for a great experience working with you.
First Things First
Before anything else, according to the concept of the digital marketing funnel, you will need to get the word out about your business and drive traffic to your website. You can achieve this through social media content, search engine optimization and paid advertising. It’s all about attracting the type of client you want to work with.
How Do Lead Magnets Work?
Once on your website, if you don't ask for your potential clients' contact information, you may lose them forever. This could be a pop-up, in the footer of your website, or at the end of a blog post. You can also promote them on your social media accounts. Show them an eye-catching image and title of the content you’re offering. In exchange for something they find really valuable, they’ll be willing to give you their email address. And generally, they should automatically receive an email with a download link, for example to a shared Google Drive or Dropbox link. You can set this up using a tool like MailChimp, AWeber, or ConvertKit. And once you have a mailing list, you can send new content to already-existing leads to remind them about you - as well as just offering useful content!
What Should Lead Magnets Include?
Use Canva or PowerPoint to create a PDF file format. Use your brand’s logo, fonts, and colors throughout. Focus on just one topic, and it should be easily digestible with images and include headers and bullet points wherever it makes sense to.
When your potential client opens the file, they should immediately recognize it to be what they were looking for, or else they will feel tricked. But it’s important to introduce your company as the voice of authority behind the content they’re about to consume. Include a photo of your team and a brief blurb about your company. Be intentional about the tone you use, appeal to their emotions, and emphasize the pain point they’re looking to solve. The content you give away should be useful in its own right, but it must always also include a call to action (Book a consultation!), to encourage them to take the next step and seek your help.
What Are Some Lead Magnet Ideas?
Consider your niche and your ideal client. Homeowners looking to renovate and entrepreneurs opening a new coffee shop are going to be interested in different types of content. What questions and needs might come up for them?
Lead magnet ideas include:
style tips (How to Create a Color Palette for Your Home)
mini guides (How to Budget for your Home Design Project)
listicles (Top 5 Most Impactful Design Upgrades You Can Make)
checklists (Home Staging Checklist to Sell Your Home)
case studies (How Interior Design Increases Property Value)
design quizzes (What’s Your Personal Style?)
newsletters (your company's content is delivered regularly to their inbox)
Other Ways to Generate Leads?
While developing lead magnets, you can also generate leads through networking and building collaborative relationships with other industry professionals who are not your direct competitors. You can also make yourself known on online platforms like Houzz, where clients can find you when they search for the service they're looking for. And when you complete a successful project with a client, be sure to always ask them for a testimonial and for them to recommend you to their family and friends if they are happy with the result.
Creating quality lead magnets and getting the flow going can be time-consuming, especially in the beginning. But you can save time by creating templates for future magnets, so it will be faster. And you'll see how upping your lead magnet game is essential to your marketing success and well worth the investment.
xx, Danae