Death to Free Lead Magnets

Those of you who have followed me for a while probably got on my list by opting into one of the many lead magnets I have created over the years (also referred to as an ethical bribe).

I'm rethinking my free lead magnet offer in favor of a low-cost front-end offer.

Yes, you've read correctly. I'm ditching my 20+ years of building a list with a lead magnet strategy for a strategy that requires a visitor to buy something to get on my list.

You probably think I'm crazy.

I'm in a mastermind this year with Ryan Lee.

A point that Ryan made during one of our meetings was whether we would like to have a list of 10,000 who rarely purchased anything from us, if at all, or a list of 1000 customers, or people who have purchased at least one thing from us.

Just like everyone on the call, I voted to have a smaller list of customers rather than a huge list of tire kickers or freebie seekers.

Now, you're probably thinking that I've always said a prospect has to like, know, and trust you before purchasing something from you.

However, if you have a low-ticket item priced at $7-$47 that solves a specific problem of your target market, that's not an issue.

Case in point: I'm currently taking a killer SEO Bootcamp that lasts one hour a day for 5 days. I paid $47 for it from someone I'd never previously heard of based on seeing her Facebook ad. It's worth so much more than what I paid for it.

In fact, in my testimonial I gave her for the program, I called it a “no-brainer investment.”

How likely is it that I'll buy from her again? VERY likely.

It also works with higher ticket items. Two months ago I purchased a course on capsule podcasting for $300 from someone I'd never heard of before, again based on a Facebook ad. Guess I’m susceptible to Facebook ads…LOL

Why did I make those purchases? Because both courses filled a need I had at the moment.

And that's the key to your front-end offer. Offer so much value or solve one major problem held by your target market at a price that's a no-brainer.

Remember, the offer must be something that your target market is craving and delivers outstanding value.

And, your front-end offer is designed to generate new customers. Ideally, if you want to scale, it should be at break-even through paid traffic channels.

So what's a good front-end offer?

Let's start with what's NOT a good one.

Cramming a bunch of stuff onto a page, giving generic descriptions like "weekly PowerPoint presentation, 2-hour webinar, daily videos, handouts, etc." and slapping a $97 per month price on it.

That’s the old model and it’s just not working these days.

It won't work for a cold (new) audience and likely won't work for your warm one, either.

Instead, come up with a no-brainer. Yep, there’s that word again.

Something that exudes value - yet, doesn't feel overwhelming.

Is your front-end offer truly sizzling and sexy? If not, you must get it there. This is THE most important factor in your success.

Most front-end offers aren't sexy or sizzling. They're not close.

What’s your front-end offer going to be??

Let me know if I can help with a?Brainstorming with Donna session. Brainstorming about marketing is one of my favorite activities. If you have an idea but don’t know what comes next or have several ideas and are not sure which deserves your attention or are just feeling stuck, let’s talk. The price for a 30-minute session is just $49. After you pay and sign up for a time on my calendar, I’ll ask you for some more info via an online form.