One of the most valuable assets of any business cannot be found on any balance sheet. It is a business’s list of customers and prospects. This can be names and addresses, but more often these days, it’s more valuable when it takes the form of a list of email addresses whose owners have given the business permission to email them.
Business owners that understand how valuable an email list is will often be eager to grow the list’s size, so that they can market to more people. As marketing is a numbers game, this is a smart approach.
Growing a list requires discipline. With each new client acquired, there should be a process to add the person to the list. But many business owners want to go farther and add prospects to their list as well. This is best done by adding an opt-in form on your website.
An opt-in form asks the visitor for name and email address. The form needs to describe what the visitor is going to get if they sign up. These days, a simple “Sign up for my newsletter” message is not effective at all, especially for an accounting newsletter.
The sign-up needs to be far more enticing, and that’s where a lead magnet comes in. It’s a report, guide, or other valuable piece of content that the visitor wants. A couple of lead magnets we’re providing for our web clients with the Platinum package and up include:
- 105 Ways to Speed Up Cash Flow in Your Small Business
- The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business in 12 Easy Steps
- 12-Step Guide on Hiring and Paying Employees
- 21 Ways to Get Help for Your IRS Tax Problem and Get Your IRS Debt Resolved, Reduced, or Forgiven
Visitors are usually willing to give up a few pieces of their private information as long as they receive value in exchange. By providing one of these reports to people who complete the opt-in form, you are building your email list.
A lead magnet is not something you can whip out overnight. It requires thought about what the ideal prospect wants most. It requires organization and professional research and writing. And it requires a beautiful graphic layout.
While it’s ideal to write and create your own original lead magnet, it’s also expensive for small businesses to justify the cost. That’s why we offer the above lead magnets for sale so it’s more affordable. You can find out more here: https://acceleratorwebsites.com/lead-magnet/
Whether you purchase one from us or create your own, we encourage you to build your customer and prospect list over time so your business can benefit from the most valuable asset you won’t find on any balance sheet.