Today on the podcast, I’m so excited to be interviewing our very first guest: Dolly DeLong! I hope that you love what she’s going to share today. If you’re a small business owner that feels frazzled or overwhelmed when it comes to automating your business, then you’re going to be in the right place with today’s episode! Dolly’s all about helping small business owners learn the foundations of automation so they can create a more streamlined and organized business. Today, we’re specifically going to be talking about lead magnets and Dolly is just amazing that!
Tell us more about yourself!
My name is Dolly DeLong and I’m based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’m a branding photographer and systems and workflow education for creatives. I’m married to my sweet husband, Ty and I’m a boy mom – about to be again. I think I met Stephanie through Instagram or some photography resource, but it’s been so fun watching your journey and seeing you grow in so many ways.
Let’s dive right in. What is a lead magnet?
Yeah, that’s a great question. So again, I like to explain it with the purpose of a lead magnet. It’s basically an opt-in or a freebie for your business. The purpose is to lead new subscribers and viewers to your services and products, while growing your email list. You’re teaching someone something that relates to your business in exchange for their email.
Why should we have lead magnets? What purpose do they serve?
Two things instantly come to mind. First, when you’re trying to build an email list, the one at the bottom of your website isn’t going to have a high conversion rate – unless you’re Beyonce or some major influencer. So, providing some sort of freebie in exchange for their email is a way better option. Another reason you might want to consider having a lead magnet is to build that like, know, and trust factor early on. This is something that can transform your business really fast. Providing your subscribers with something that will provide instant gratification is really incredible.
If someone wants to create a lead magnet, what’s something they could create that or offer?
If you’re listening and thinking that you want to create a valuable lead magnet, let’s talk about how to start. Don’t just create a PDF or checklist. There’s nothing wrong with that. But let’s go back a step further. Sit down and list out all the services or offerings that you have. Look at them. I think we often don’t realize how much we really do have to offer. Once you know what you offer, you can decide what kind of lead magnet to make.
For me, I know that I’m a branding photographer. I serve my clients really well and we plan sessions that showcase their brands. For my lead magnet, I’ve created a branding session planning guide. This is something my customers need and they want – that’s been expressed to me several times. So, I want to encourage you if you’re listening or reading this to think about what is your money making product or service and how can you lead them to that? How can you bring them one step closer to booking with your or at least being open to a nurturing relationship? Once you decide that, the sky’s the limit for your lead magnet.
For me personally, I have a few favorite types of lead magnets. Stephanie mentioned a discount code or coupon earlier. Consider doing a quiz and the results lead them to a product or specific nurture sequence. A video tutorial or part of your mini course or a workbook can also be a great lead magnet. Of course, you can also just make templates! I know this is something Stephanie has done before. Remember, we want to give your clients an easy win.
Absolutely! I love the idea of something actionable so they can get that quick win. We’ve found for our brand that the templates convert really well, but it depends on your business too. Okay, once someone creates a lead magnet, how do you get people to sign up for it?
I love being strategic about how to market it. I know it’s something that you’re really good at , Stephanie, but having a plan with your content is important. Whether that’s on Instagram or you’re a regular blogger – or on YouTube- make sure your lead magnet is part of your call to action. It needs to be something that you do regularly.
How does someone put this lead magnet out there? They’re getting people to subscribe to it. But how does that translate into sales?
So I have an opinion that might clash with anybody else who’s an email marketing expert. But, the whole purpose of your list is not to drive sales. I mean, obviously we need to make money to run our business so that is a purpose of your email list. But the main purpose is building out an audience that is engaged with you and that wants to learn for you. When you create a group of people who are that way, you’ve got more referrals and a stronger client base. People very heavily protect their emails so by showing that you’re not just someone who’s going to spam them, you position yourself as a hero and a teacher. I’ve had that happen to me – I have people responding to email sequences I wrote a year ago. They’re emailing me about their Harry Potter house in response. We had a chat – I didn’t make any money, but I got to create that connection. As you build those connections, then you can show you know how to help them with XYZ that they struggle with. I hope that answers your question!
Dolly shares so much more on our episode, so make sure to tune in to hear it all using the link above. She’s seriously amazing and I want you to hear all of the good tips she gave us. Below, you’ll find her resources to help you more with systems and workflows!
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