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25 Lead Magnet Ideas to Help You Build Your Email List Faster https://ift.tt/2HVC3Yn Email marketing seems to be enjoying a renaissance in its popularity in the last couple of years.
The above is a bit of an exaggeration, but you know what I’m trying to say here. The reason for this is simple. Marketers want more leads. Getting them through other marketing channels is becoming more expensive. And the number one benefit of email marketing is its impact on lead generation. At least that’s what we’ve found in one of the studies we’ve done. In theory, getting more leads through email marketing is simple. All you have to do is get someone’s email address and then gain their interest in your product or service. Since buying email lists is a bad idea, you have to take an alternative route. And the single best way to do this is to offer your users something of value in exchange for their email address. That thing I’m referring to is called a lead magnet – a free incentive for joining your email list. Lead magnets are also called sign up incentives, sign up offers, content upgrades, freebies, opt-in bribes, and many other terms. As you’ll learn from this article, there are many different types of lead magnets. The most important thing is that they’re effective and that most of them can be created relatively quickly – using your existing resources. As I mentioned, in this article, I’d like to focus on providing you the best ideas for lead magnets that’ll help you build your email list and generate more leads faster. However, if you’d like first to cover the bases, here is a more detailed explanation on what lead magnets are. Let’s now take a look at the following list of 25 lead magnet ideas, examples, and explanations on how they could be useful for your business.
25 lead magnet ideas and examples1. Email courseAn email course can be a great lead magnet. And an easy one to set up, too! Instead of sending all the course materials in one go, the idea is to divide them into smaller chunks (lessons) and send them to your email recipients one by one. Thanks to this approach, your email subscribers get a lot of value, over an extended period of time. And because you’re not giving away all the course materials right away, you get a better chance of building a stronger relationship with them. What kind of content could be turned into an email course that’ll help you increase your email signups? Virtually anything. If you’re an expert in agriculture, dog breeding, or playing squash, you could gather your knowledge and offer it as an incentive to sign up to your email list. It all depends on your niche and what your target audience is interested in. Here’s an example of an email course that was used as a lead magnet:
As you can see, this is an email series on Video Marketing Fundamentals from Wistia. This approach isn’t uncommon, especially in the online marketing niche. We’ve also used the same approach and gained a lot of success with it for GetResponse. You can check out our Resource Center to see some of our latest courses. As I already mentioned, setting up an email course is easy. All you have to do is put your lessons into a sequence of emails, which can be either set up as autoresponders (the easy way) or a marketing automation workflow (slightly more advanced but also allows for adding behavior-triggered emails and tags).
2. InfographicInfographics can be both fun and useful. Many people like them, because they can quickly provide the key information on a particular topic and do so in a format that’s enjoyable to look at. It’s also not uncommon to see infographics get a lot of social shares and backlinks. But there’s one issue with infographics that needs to be mentioned. It’s that some of them have a relatively short life-span. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you’re trying to take advantage of a special event or a particular season.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to keep creating infographics too often, you’ll want to develop one that’s going to help you generate leads for months to come. How can you do that? Check out your existing content. See which posts or videos get a lot of engagement and traffic from the organic search throughout the entire year. Most often, you’ll be able to find content that’s highly popular and is worth repurposing, i.e., being turned into an infographic. Next, do a Google search for images and see if there’s anything similar already out there. If there is, you’ll have to make sure yours is better and can outperform the existing one. What if you don’t have content that’s ranking well just yet? In this case, go to question and answer types§ of websites like Quora. These get a lot of organic traffic in pretty much any niche you can imagine. Search through the categories, find the one that’s relevant to your niche, and check out the questions that have been posted there. Look at the ones that get a lot of views, follows, and comments on. Then all you have to do is pick one specific topic, gather all the best answers, and turn them into a neat, share-worthy infographic. Also, you can use tools like Ahrefs to identify the top performing infographics and get inspired by what’s attracted a lot of social shares in the previous year.
3. Calendar or plannerCalendars and planners can make very effective lead magnets, especially if you offer them at the beginning of the year. Everyone’s just starting to lay out the plans for future campaigns and events to attend. That’s when you can ‘hit them’ – and get a lot of engagement in the process, too :). Create a calendar that revolves around your niche (e.g., planting calendar for different plants and seeds if you’re in the agriculture vertical) and offer it in exchange for an email address. It can work even better if you make it in a print-friendly format. This way, if anyone prints out your calendar, they’ll keep seeing your logo next to their desk for the entire year. Should you plan to run a lead nurturing campaign afterward, your work will already be that much easier. Your email recipients will remember you from the logo they keep seeing every day. Below’s an example of a retail calendar we’ve done at the beginning of this year. We haven’t actually used it as a lead magnet, but we just as well could have, and I bet the results would be satisfying
4. SpreadsheetIn some niches, spreadsheets are very popular. Take online marketers or personal finance bloggers for example. People in these industries often come up with different spreadsheets that help them optimize their work. And it turns out there are many people with similar needs to theirs, so all these bloggers and marketers have to do is share their existing spreadsheets with the others. What’s even better is that these often don’t even have to be very complex. Like social media or editorial calendars with different columns and rows prepared for individual online marketing channels. Other times, the spreadsheets will include more complicated functions and detailed explanations on how they should be used. These are even more powerful as most users won’t be able to develop them on their own. Also, when you know that someone’s put a lot of effort into preparing a spreadsheet, you don’t feel bad that you have to offer your email address in exchange. You know you’re getting real value out of this deal. In both cases, spreadsheets can help you speed up your email list building process. All you have to do is put them behind an opt-in form and them to the thank you page or an automated thank you message. It’s that simple Below’s an example of a page that does just that. What’s interesting about it, however, is that instead of paying with an email address you’re being asked to share the resource to gain access to it.
5. A cheat sheet or listThe longer you work in a given industry, the more experience and knowledge you obtain – at least in theory! Some of it is probably difficult to find or access for someone new to the business. So why not take advantage of the years behind your belt and put them into a downloadable list or a cheat sheet? We tend to forget about this, but there are people who prefer shorter pieces of content like cheat sheets over ebooks. They don’t have the time to download and read long-form content. They prefer something quicker to read that can help them make significant changes to their strategy fast. This is a win-win situation. Creating a cheat sheet shouldn’t take you too long – after all, you already have the knowledge that’s necessary to develop it, so all you have to do is combine it in a logical way. You’ll also get more subscribers who are actually using your content, rather than just downloading it. Shouldn’t this be a goal for all our content? The interesting thing about lists is that they can be used in any industry.
You could create a list of:
As you can see, all of these ideas could be turned into a lead magnet that’d generate tons of new email subscribers. For your inspiration, take a look at these two websites that used checklists as their opt-in incentives.
6. Ebooks, guides, and whitepapersThere are still many people who like more long-form content. Ebooks, guides, and whitepapers. All of them are great lead magnets and can help you grow your email list faster. While putting them together can often take a hefty amount of time or require special software if you want them to look particularly good (I use InDesign), their lifespan tends to be very long. The argument that supports the use of ebooks is that they’re often perceived as more valuable than an infographic or a cheat sheet. Some of the marketers using ebook lead magnets even go as far as to say that their guide is worth several hundred dollars, but this one time they’re giving it away for *free* – in exchange for your email address. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all ebooks have to be very comprehensive. I see plenty of downloadable guides and whitepapers that offer little to no value whatsoever. But that’s not the approach I would recommend. You should always pay attention to the content you put inside of your lead magnet. You want your new subscribers to be happy about the exchange that they’ve just made. If they don’t, you’ll likely observe high unsubscribe and complaint rates – and this is going to be counterproductive towards your deliverability and success with email marketing. Sadly, we see this quite often for single-message autoresponders, most of which are thank you emails.
As you can see in the screen above, taken from our recent study, their engagement rates are high, but so are the unsubscribe and complaint rates. Ask yourself – who normally signs up to an email list and unsubscribes right away? Other than your competitors, my intuition tells me these are the people who’re unsatisfied with what they’ve received in their thank you message.
7. ReportDo you think your blog readers would appreciate something even more comprehensive than an ebook? If so, then offer them a report. Reports can work wonders for your lead generation strategy. Right away, they put you in a different position. If they’re based on a large-scale study or have been conducted with a world-known research partner, they can help your brand be perceived as an authority in the industry. The challenging part is that they take time and resources to develop. You probably won’t be able to create one even under a month. Not unless you’re awesome at data mining or have the ability to launch a survey that’s going to gather thousands of answers in a short amount of time. But if you do have enough time, resources, or can launch a large-scale survey – do it and then write a report with the findings. If it turns out good, you can expect a lot of attention from other media sites – not to mention an increase in your email list size. From personal experience, I can tell you that they’re great for self-development, too. In the process of analyzing the data, you’ll learn a lot and get plenty of ideas for new content pieces you can use in the future.
8. VideoJust like with cheat sheets and lists, some people prefer content that’s quick and easy to consume. For example, videos. Videos can work well both for user engagement and email list building. Depending on the kind of video and what it is about, you can often watch them while doing something else at the same time. They usually don’t require the same amount of attention as other types of content – and this is what makes them so popular. While not all videos should be turned into lead magnets and put behind an opt-in gate, many of them can. Interviews with interesting guests, tips or tutorials, examples effective strategies, and of course webinars. See what kind of videos are popular in your industry and try offering one in exchange for an email address. As an additional incentive, provide a quick summary or a short version that can be accessed without paying with email. This will give your users the chance to make a solid decision whether they want to watch the full video and sign up to your email list.
Speaking of videos, I’ve also seen marketers use video and podcast transcripts being used as lead magnets. I’m not the biggest fan of this approach, though I can see how they could be beneficial for email list building. At the end of the day, I consider transcripts as something that’s meant to help your users consume your content better (and rank in the SERPS, too). The odds are that some of your prospects are using a screen reader to access your content due to some hearing impairment. As such, I don’t think it’s fair to ask them to leave their email address in exchange for the transcripts.
9. ConsultationYou may argue that we live in a digital world where you can buy services and products from across the globe. But the truth is that at the end of the day – people buy from people. For some purchases, especially those that require significant commitment (time or money), people want to consult someone before they sign anything. We’ve learned that this is often the case for some particular cultures, e.g., in the ASEAN region where the human factor makes a big difference. If you’re an expert in a field – you either have an agency or are a solopreneur – and you offer your services online, consider giving away a 15- or 30-minute consultation in exchange for an email address. There’s a big advantage to this approach. Right away, you’re able to start building a relationship with your potential lead. Plus, in most cases, you immediately know, if there’s any business to be made – whether the customer’s the right fit and they’re someone you’d like to work with. There’s one more argument that supports this type of lead magnet. It’s the fact that if someone’s signing up for a consultation, they’re probably already looking to buy. Maybe not immediately, but at least in the near future. And that’s a much better ground for building long-term relationships than cold pitching out people of the blue :).
10. Free quote or price estimatePeople often research and compare different options before they make any financial commitment. This is the case for services such as car insurance, mortgage, financial loans, and others. Offering them for free can help you generate a lot of traffic, but the truth is that most people won’t convert. That’s just the way it is, and we have to accept this. Reciprocity is powerful (If you’re unfamiliar with this topic, I highly recommend that you read the book Give and Take by Adam Grant), but people feel less motivated to return the ‘favor’ if they don’t know you and it’s the first – and maybe last – time they see your website. That’s why offering a free quote only after someone provides you the email address can be a great approach for your lead generation strategy. A popular way of doing this is to get the user to fill out the form half-way. Ask them a few questions first, let them choose from all the available options, and right before they’re about to receive the quote – ask them about their an email address. While this may irritate some of your users, as long as you’re transparent in your communication you should be OK. People will understand that updating the information to provide the service takes both time and effort, but you need to make sure they understand how much value they’re getting out of this exchange.
11. Coupons and dealsEcommerce marketers know this the hard way. You don’t usually make a lot of money from your first-time buyers. That’s because you have to invest to acquire them – to get them onto your site, to make them check out your products, and finally to make the first purchase. These costs add up pretty quickly, and it’s often not enough to convince your new visitors to even make that initial purchase. That’s why many ecommerce marketers choose to add coupons as their lead magnet. The coupon is meant to give that extra push to help the users to make the first commitment. But some marketers worry that offering a coupon right away is a bad practice and that it’s going to drive their profits down. That’s true for the short-term. But if you’re able to convince your first-time buyers to order from you again – you’re going to win in the long-term. Through lead nurturing campaigns, automated emails including product recommendations, and other tactics. If you do it right, your efforts will pay off. If you’re unsure about giving away coupons in exchange for an email address, you can add some restrictions. For example: Your coupon is going to be valid only for a one-time purchase above a certain amount of money. Alternatively, it could be valid for a second purchase instead – this way you’ll motivate the first-time buyers to make another commitment. There are multiple ways to use coupons both as lead magnets and regular incentives meant to engage your existing or inactive customers. Do the maths, see if you can afford using them, and don’t worry if your profit margin on the first-time buyers isn’t too high.
Pro tip: Make sure your discount codes and coupons work at all times. According to the data from Statista, “discount code doesn’t work” was the number one reason why users abandoned their shopping carts in the US in 2017.
While my explanation of using coupons and deals up to this point referred to products that you sell yourself, it’s worth mentioning that this doesn’t have to be that way. The deals that you offer don’t have to be on your products. They don’t even have to be for tangible products at all. There are many marketers out there, who run affiliate sites that’ll send you great deals in exchange for your email address. If you buy any of the products or services through them, you’ll get a good discount, and they’ll earn a commission. Perhaps one of the most known sites that work in a similar way is Appsumo. It gathers hundreds of thousands of marketers who’re either looking for great deals on tools or are trying to launch their product to that specific target audience. And based on the kinds of offers they run (even up to 80% OFF), it’s safe to assume their email list grows quickly.
12. Free deliverySome say that free delivery is even more powerful than offering coupons. I can see where they’re coming from. Many users often don’t mind spending a lot of money on different products, but they’ll think twice before buying something that has an extra delivery cost added in the checkout. According to the data from Statista, unexpected shipping costs are the biggest reason why users abandon their online shopping carts.
Also, there are people (myself included) that would rather spend slightly more money to earn the free delivery, if it’s available above after a certain threshold. That being said, if you’re an ecommerce business, offering free delivery should be one of your key strategies to help you grow your email list. Free delivery can be a great alternative to price coupons, especially if you’re not particularly enthusiastic about offering them to your customers or are worried it’ll hurt your brand’s perception. Once again, you shouldn’t be too worried that including the free delivery will cut down your profit margin on the first-time buyers. You’ll get it back in the long-term. And if you want to see more commitment from your customers, offer it only if they spend more than a particular amount on their order. Or just limit it to their first order, all together.
13. Chance to win somethingWho doesn’t like to win something now and then? Not many marketers use this approach but offering a chance to win something can be a good lead magnet idea. There are however a few challenges with this tactic. First of all, the prize should be valuable and relevant to your target audience. It wouldn’t make sense to offer a free power bank if you were running an online clothing store. Neither would it be to offer something of minor value like a keychain. Also, your prize should be redeemable. No matter where your customers are from, you should be able to ship anywhere in the world. There’s one more challenge with this approach, but this one’s a bit harder to handle. Richard Wiseman wrote about it in his book – The Luck Factor. Some people consider themselves unlucky and don’t believe they’ll win. That is also why they might not want to take part in your prize-draw. For this kind of people, I’d suggest that you emphasize how strong their chances of winning are or the fact that everyone gets some kind of a prize. As I said, not many marketers use this tactic to grow their email list. However, I’ve recently come across a site that’s using it effectively. As you can see below, a chance of winning a set of marketing-related books can work very well – if your target audience is in that niche. Given that this blog was all about marketing, the prize was relevant. Also, what’s clever about this tactic is that by offering books from world-famous authors, they’re right away using their names to position the blog at a similar level. Even though the readers might not be familiar with the blog yet, they’ll anticipate that the content they’ll receive via email will be similar to what the famous authors write about.
And here’s another, slightly similar example, but with a less-clear incentive.
14. Event ticketsThere’s yet another great idea for a lead magnet – event tickets. If you organize your own event – great. Instead of giving away a free admission, ask people who’re interested in the event to register and leave their email address. What if you don’t run any events? Then, you can try and partner up with those who do. Quite often, partnering companies (who either pay a certain amount of money or help co-promote the idea) can get a certain number of tickets for free. Then you can use those free tickets as your lead magnet. This tactic is pretty popular among companies that organize events.
15. Online events and webinarsI know I’ve previously mentioned that videos (including webinars) make great lead magnets. However, I felt that online events, meetings, and webinars deserve a separate point on this list. The reason for this is that videos are often a one-way type of communication. Webinars and online events, on the other hand, are usually meant to be a dialogue. Whether it is one presenter, the host and their guest, or a number of different presenters – the idea behind using this form of content as lead magnet is the same. You’re offering value – a presentation or keynote on an important topic – in exchange for an email address. The more you offer – a better speaker, more interesting topic, or simply more speakers talking about different topics – the higher are your chances of getting people to opt in.
At GetResponse, we often run webinars, either on our own or with special guests, as well as we take part in similar initiatives organized by other companies. In fact, here you can check some of the recordings of webinars we hosted in the past. Thanks to them, we manage to gather several thousand registrations every time. Best of all, their setup is straightforward. You can actually host your own webinar in GetResponse in just a few steps.
16. Free samplesAnother way ecommerce businesses can increase their email list’s growth is by offering free samples. There are two ways you can go about offering them. You can either add the free samples to your customer’s first order or offer them right away but charge for the delivery cost. The second approach is actually very similar to what one rapidly growing ecommerce company called Wish is doing. They’re offering one product, free of charge, for anyone who registers to their platform and pays for the shipping. This way they’re getting thousands of people to download the app and fill out their details and all they’re giving away in exchange are small-value products like headphones or phone cases. There’s one more benefit to using free samples. You can get people to try out your products, which might be especially difficult if you’re launching a new line or brand.
17. Case studyCase studies can be very effective when you’re trying to convince others that your products or services are exceptional. Here’s why. They show the process – exact steps and tactics your customers had to take – to achieve great outcomes. This process may neither be quick nor easy, but you’re the expert and can help others achieve great outcomes, too. In other words, you’re helping your potential customers imagine what the desirable results are and showing them that you know the way to get them. On top of that, case studies show that your brand is trustworthy and desirable. After all, awesome brands wouldn’t have teamed up with you and relied on your expertise, if you gave off a suspicious vibe. But let’s talk about using case studies as lead magnets. My opinion is that in most cases case studies shouldn’t be put behind the paywall or an opt-in form. It’s often too soon to ask the user to leave their email address as you have to yet earn their trust. At the same time, you can use them as a lead magnet if you prepare two versions of your case studies. One that’s a summary of the results and tactics that were used to achieve the great outcomes. And the second one, the one you can put behind a signup form, that goes deeper into the entire process that your companies had to go through to identify and analyze the problem, formulate tests, come up with alternative scenarios, and finally how you’ve run the campaign. This way you’re achieving the best of two worlds – one quick case study that can help you inspire your potential customers and another one that helps you generate leads. So if you’ve got a success story to share or are in the process of developing one, consider creating two versions that’ll help you build in your email list building endeavor.
18. Online tool or web appMany SaaS companies choose to create free tools that can be used by their target audience, almost completely free of charge. Almost, because all the user has to do, to access the free tool, is to give their email address in exchange. This tactic can be very effective, especially if the tool you offer brings a lot of value to your users and it’s something they’ll be accessing on a regular basis. Not sure what I’m getting at? Take a look at the following tool called LSIGraph. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it’s an online tool used by SEOs and other online marketers that helps you find semantically related keywords. So whenever you’re optimizing a page or writing an article, which you want to rank higher in SERPs – you should check out the LSIGraph. You can use the tool for free, but it has a limit on how many analysis you can do per day. If you want to use it for more than three phrases per day, you can increase that limit to 20, by leaving your email address. It’s a very clever tactic that helps the people behind LSIGraph attract a wide enough audience and convert only those who’re serious about using their tool. Those who need to use the free tool more often, must have already realized its value to their business. This means they’ll be more motivated to leave their email address. Plus, if they reach the new daily limit several times in a row, they’ll probably even consider going for the paid plan.
Here’s another example of a tool that marries lead generation and offering value successfully.
This one was so interesting, that I decided to reach out to Olga Rabo, from Iconosquare, to share in her own words the story behind the Instagram Audit Tool they developed.
I just added one more backlink to this list. That aside, as you can see, tools like these can work very well, not only for growing your email list but also for your SEO.
19. QuizThere’s something about quizzes that people just love. A couple of years back, all my friends were checking which Friends character they resemble the most or which Hogwarts house the sorting hat would place them in. And, of course, by years I mean weeks. While quizzes are usually fun, they can also be very useful – especially if you know how to use them to build your email list faster. The same goes for surveys. They can be engaging, educational, and great for lead generation. The good news about both of these tools is that they can be used in any industry. For example, here’s how Iconosquare (once again), used a quiz to let users test their Instagram strategy level.
And here’s another quiz, that lets you test you Digital IQ.
20. Online calculatorI’m a big fan of online calculators. Whether it is to calculate the cost of your mortgage rate, car insurance, or projected electricity bill – they save a lot of hassle, and in doing so, they provide value. I use them on a regular basis, but it’s rarely the case that I see online calculators being used as a lead generation tool. And that’s a big mistake. They can be a powerful lead magnet and can help you increase the size of your email list quickly. But don’t get me wrong, not all calculators deserve to be used in exchange for an email address. Plus, Google often comes up with clever ways to overcome the need of using them. Take currency exchange for example. Here’s what you’ll see if you type in “200 pounds to PLN” into Google search.
Alright, so if that won’t work, what kind of online calculators have the chance of being an effective lead magnet? The answer’s pretty straightforward: those that provide information that’s otherwise difficult to obtain and people are interested in it. Additional points for making the calculator fun to use. Need an example? Below’s a screenshot of a calculator that was used by a company called Eneco.
As you can read from this blog post, the company managed to generate over 1,000 leads with their online calculator in just 6 weeks. What did the calculator do? It helped you estimate how much it would cost to buy a homecharger for your electric car. This is a perfect example of a calculator that had to work well. Its timing is perfect – more and more people are interested in buying electric cars. Its topic is highly relevant – those who’re interested in buying an electric car are often worried they won’t be able to charge their car very efficiently. Its playful – the calculator starts with two warm-up survey questions about your name and how you like to recharge yourself (e.g., beer vs smoothie). Its smart – you’re being asked about your email address only in the last step, after you’ve answered six other questions and already made an initial commitment. I’m not at all surprised by this result and hope to see more of such calculators being used as lead magnets in the future.
21. Swipe fileAnother idea for a lead magnet you could use are swipe files. While this is mainly relevant to the copywriting, advertising, and online marketing niche, you could use them for any other genre of writing or subject. Think of examples of great headlines, joke or storytelling structures, opening lines for presentations, and design inspirations. In fact, we’ve created a swipe file for great welcome emails. The idea behind it is simple. Step 1. Gather and organize tools others would find useful. Step 2. Put them behind a web form. Yes, it’s that simple.
22. NewsletterI feel that many marketers keep forgetting that newsletter itself, can be an effective lead magnet. We usually treat it the other way round. We’re asking someone to leave their email address so that we can then send them the newsletter. But if your newsletter content is good enough, it should be treated as a lead magnet itself. The value we’re promising here is in a form of a newsletter. One that’s sent on a regular basis, be it weekly or monthly, and includes information we find useful or inspiring. One such example is the CB Insights newsletter I receive every other day. It contains interesting information on trends and stories on various startups and other companies in the technology space.
Not so surprisingly, here at GetResponse, we also offer a newsletter that includes our weekly set of articles from the blog. It’s currently subscribed by over 15,000 SMB marketers for whom – and I hope I’m not exaggerating right now – our content’s valuable enough that they decided to opt in. If you feel like you could learn a few things on effective strategies for SMB marketers, I’d be honored if you joined our mailing list :).
23. Waiting listExclusivity is one powerful thing. Think of all the limited-edition cars and clothes from only the best fashion designers. Or the huge lines in front of the club that just opened up in your city the other month. People like to be among the first ones to see, read, and experience things. Believe it or not, this applies to non-tangible products, too. You can create a waiting list for online courses or tools, just as if they were something you need to touch with your hands. It could be the limited-access to the beta-version of your platform. Or a completely new tool you wanted to try out with your pilot group. You can create a sense of exclusivity and build your email list by simply making people wait. Of course, It’ll only work if you’ve already offered something that’s good and what you’d normally charge for. In other words, you’ve earned your users’ trust. Once you’ve done it, you can try to offer them something even better. And in theory, if they have to wait for it, it’ll be even more powerful.
24. ToolkitThis idea kind of overlaps what we’ve covered in some of the points above. Nevertheless, I think it’s worth mentioning the fact that your lead magnet doesn’t have to consist of only one individual material e.g., an ebook. If you promise more materials in one go, you might get a better chance of converting your website visitors into email leads. Consider the following example. What you can see here is a toolkit – a big file consisting of various PDFs and frameworks that’ll help you create your own platform. While this particular example doesn’t require the users to leave their email address to access the files, it’s easy to imagine it working this way.
Why put all the files together in one bundle, instead of offering them one by one? The truth is, you need your user’s email address only once. While it’s tempting to divide up your files and tag each and every resource they download separately, it seems that the brand wanted to provide as much value to their potential customers as possible. By offering them all the files in one go, they’re definitely doing so. And if you’ve read any of these frameworks or files, you’ll know that they’re pretty complex. If anyone finds them too hard to go over on their own, they’ll know exactly who to reach out to, to ask for help. Here’s another example, this time from Shopify.
We’ve actually used this particular tactic for GetResponse, too. It’s the idea that’s behind our Resource Center, which I’ve already mentioned before. Users only need to provide their email address once, and they can access all the ebooks, reports, infographics, and other materials we publish on a regular basis.
25. Slideshare and presentation notesMost marketers put up their slides on Slideshare or another similar website, where their audience can access them easily. And it’s a perfectly fine approach. It’s great for those who’ve attended your presentation and want to go through your materials again. It’s also perfect for those who haven’t been to it, and might somehow stumble upon your content when doing a Google search on the specific topic. At the same time, who says you can’t offer your slides or presentation notes as a lead magnet in a web form? Especially the latter, can be very useful for those who’re interested in your presentation but haven’t had the chance to see it live. I’m not able to travel around the world to go to all the great conferences that are currently taking place. That’s why I’d definitely leave my email address in exchange for either the presentation deck (though these often aren’t useful without the voiceover) or the presentation notes with useful links to read up on.
I’m sure your target audience would feel the same way, especially if your presentations provide actual value. And if you’re not convinced that this could for an individual marketer, consider using this for an online conference or an event that you’ve run in the past. Sharing presentations and presentation notes from the previous editions can help you generate leads, who you can then try to convince to register for your upcoming event.
For more lead magnet ideas, look around youI’ve just gone over 25 ideas for effective lead magnets. If you do another Google search, I’m sure you could find posts with more than 100+ ideas for freebies, opt-in bribes, or however you prefer to call them. But I recommend that instead of typing your next query into the search engine, you start by looking around you. Take a look at your desk, your well right next to it, your Slack, Google Keep, and email. I’m sure you have some sort of a folder with useful shortcuts, links, tips, or other things that improve your work. Rings a bell? Now take these and think about if you can turn them into a lead magnet. Can they benefit your customers? Will they make someone’s life easier or more enjoyable? If it’s a yes, there are two things I want you to do. First, the obvious one, use it to grow your list. The second one, a personal favor, just let me know in the comments what it is that you’ve decided to use as your lead magnet :).
The post 25 Lead Magnet Ideas to Help You Build Your Email List Faster appeared first on GetResponse Blog - Online Marketing Tips. Printing via GetResponse Blog – Online Marketing Tips https://ift.tt/1Qs2QKR March 27, 2019 at 10:11AM
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Teaching the Future with SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids Classroom https://ift.tt/2HOOgir STEAM education is more important now than ever. The workforce of the future needs to be well versed in science, technology, engineering, art, and math, and introducing kids to concepts that will help them find future careers is critical. While children are proven to have an interest in STEAM topics at a young age, finding an engaging way to teach those topics in an educational setting can be difficult. Enter SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids, an ecosystem of apps that makes the engineering process accessible to kids as young as four. To support educators, parents, makers, after-school activity organizers, and more, there is SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids Classroom. Apps for Kids Classroom is an interface that allows educators to organize self-contained classes and teach students the principles of design and engineering in a secure group setting. Designed with the needs of a modern school curriculum in mind, Classroom takes the incredible teaching potential of Apps for Kids and allows educators to fit it with their own needs. SOLIDWORKS is committed to the safety and online privacy of children using Apps for Kids, and Classroom was designed to help educators protect their students and keep their classes and projects in a secure and private environment. Educators can easily set up and manage student accounts and share content directly with their students. Setting up Apps for Kids Classroom accounts is a great way to discuss online privacy and passwords with kids, helping them become better Internet denizens in an increasingly connected world. Educators then have the ability to manage their students’ accounts and invite other teachers in their organization to join their classes. Educators can easily share content with students. A teacher can create a simple project in the Shape It app and have their students riff on the design. “Riff” is a term used in Apps for Kids that is based on the idea of “riffing” in jazz music. In Apps for Kids, “riff” means “copy and make your own version.” This gives kids space to be creative and discover the fun of design and engineering. Teachers can then take their students’ finished assignments and use the Print It app to 2D or 3D print designs. Students also have the ability to riff off of each other’s designs, bringing kids together and allowing them to collaborate with one another like adult designers and engineers do. Having trouble making up a curriculum to fit with Apps for Kids Classroom? No need to worry: Classroom comes with fun and diverse lesson plans based on current, U.S.-focused curriculum standards. Lesson plans come with pre-made shapes in Shape It or Mech It that kids can manipulate and style, and each plan has real-world topics and discussion questions to help students immerse themselves in the assignment. With step-by-step instructions for how to lead a lesson, Classroom has all the tools necessary to set kids up for academic and future success. In any learning environment, public school, private school, homeschool, or an after-school program, SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids Classroom is a fun and interactive way to get kids excited about STEAM. By bringing together the core concepts of science, technology, engineering, art, and math, Classroom can set the foundation for a well-rounded curriculum, and start the workforce of the future on the road to success. Learn more and sign up to test SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids Classroom here. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com March 27, 2019 at 08:33AM Machine Learning & Bioprinting: Researchers Improve Drop-on-Demand (DOD) Methods https://ift.tt/2OvxYvk As bioprinting continues to pick up steam in labs around the world, researchers still study the process intensively to build on current techniques and innovation. In ‘Multi-Objective Optimization Design through Machine Learning for Drop-on-Demand Bioprinting,’ authors Jia Shi, Jinchun Song, Bin Song, and Wen Lu explore the challenges in drop-on-demand (DOD) methods for printing cells. While DOD bioprinting offers major advantages such as affordability and speed in production during tissue engineering, there are other significant challenges which have been difficult to overcome in the lab, such as satellite generation, and droplets that are either too large, or speed that is too low. Tissue engineering is an extremely intricate process and keeping cells alive can be a tremendous task, so any techniques that reduce stability or accuracy are often quickly dismissed. Here, the authors detail their new design method for DOD printing parameters: multi-objective optimization (MOO). The MOO method allows for development of a satellite formation model with fully connected neural networks (FCNNs), but also creates smaller droplets extruded at higher speeds. Droplet characteristics can vary depending on printing parameters. Settings, types of ink, and print-head structures can have a negative effect on bioprinting if not used properly, and so far, few bioprinting setups have been able to offer all optimizations necessary for better results. Part of this is because improving one challenge often causes others:
They began exploring machine learning as the solution to the complex issues in bioprinting, hopeful due to its effectiveness in so many other fields related to engineering. They created a schematic diagram for using MOO to work within piezoelectric DOD printing parameters. A single-objective optimization and MOO problems were created so the research team could continue refining printing parameters. Fully connected neural networks (FCNNs) functioned to ‘identify’ the connection between satellites and printing parameters, with their simulation model taking in data. Ultimately, the team discovered that by printing one (smaller) droplet at a time they could speed up the whole process—and improve accuracy and stability. Machine learning was used to map out what proved to be a complex model. The researchers customized a piezoelectric DOD print-head with a nozzle diameter of 100 μm and used a high-speed camera for capturing the printing process, as voltage was applied to trigger formation of the droplets. The following bioinks were used:
For the SOO challenge, voltage was used in 3D printing ‘primary droplets’ for the bio-inks you see in Table 3. Bioinks A and B caused satellites to form, while the C bioink did not prompt droplets.
In optimization design of DOD printing parameters, the researchers learned that highly viscous bioinks do not produce the precision or ‘robust’ qualities necessary. The research team concluded as follows:
3D printing offers infinite choices in design, production, and innovation—much of which was not possible before. Along with that, there are numerous other technologies which have branched off from 3D printing, such as 4D printing with objects and textures morphing as their environment changes. Bioprinting is another, already proving via many different types of devices and implants to be invaluable in changing the quality of life for patients, saving lives, and showing strong potential for the eventual fabrication of human organs in the lab. Find out more about bioprinting and machine learning processes here. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. [Source / Images: Multi-Objective Optimization Design through Machine Learning for Drop-on-Demand Bioprinting] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com March 27, 2019 at 08:33AM
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Tom Whitehead https://ift.tt/2HZQ5IB Tom Whitehead is a screenprinter who designs and prints for his own T-shirt label; Ed & Flo. Having risen through the ranks at VisibleArt Screenprinters to become Production Manager, Tom takes on bespoke design commissions for a wide range of clientele. He is also co-director and founder of an independent, community-based print studio called The Printhaus (South Wales, Cardiff).
His latest work, ‘Unicorn’, has been produced as both a T-shirt and Risograph print. This deceptive name is typical of Tom’s style; seemingly innocent on the surface, but after a closer look you can see glimmers of his dark sense of humour. Tom recently joined our official membership community. To find out more about becoming a verified People of Print member click here. Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/2DhgcW7 March 27, 2019 at 06:37AM 3D Printing Industry Experts Interviews: Mike Vazquez https://ift.tt/2Wuacmb This is part of a series of interviews of people who are active within the additive manufacturing space in Chicago. Today we will be highlighting Dr. Mike Vasquez. Dr. Mike Vasquez is a 3D Printing expert specializing in pushing the boundaries of advanced 3D printing technology. He is the Founder of 3Degrees, a Chicago-based consulting company focused on helping organizations maximize their investment in the technology. He has worked side-by-side with some of the top machine manufacturers, material producers and end users in the industry, consulting with them to identify novel applications, test new materials, and develop frameworks to maximize R&D efficiency and boost ROI. So please enjoy this brief interview! Ese: Tell me about your background in school. Mike: I received my bachelor’s and master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT. I received my PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Loughborough. At Loughborough I had a research focus on laser sintering systems for powder based systems. I also had the chance to work with Burton and prototype snowboards for them. It was a fun experience and I even learned to snowboard. Ese: What got you interested in additive manufacturing? Mike: There are two things that got me interested in additive manufacturing. Firstly, there are a lot of unsolved problems on the material side of additive manufacturing. Secondly, there is a lot of unsolved problems on the people side as well. I try to think in terms of how does one put the whole process together with a larger team. Ese: You got a PhD in the UK. Are there any differences in how the UK and the US operate in the additive manufacturing industry? Mike: Industry collaboration was focused on shorter term projects within the 2-3 window frame of completing a PhD in the UK. Collaborating with a company during your PhD is an immense opportunity. It is very important for both parties. It’s important to make things tangible. A PhD has a lot of expertise, but industry lags a bit at times. Ese: Have certain ideologies and ways of thought influence the way you operate today in the US from your time in London? Mike: Generally, I would say that having other perspectives of how people run their businesses and how innovation happens was very positive. I always try to do the best I can to have an open mind and be empathetic to how and why people do what they do. There’s always more for me to learn. Ese: Why did you start your company? Mike:I have an interest in putting a puzzle together with additive manufacturing. There is a need to build within this industry. There are useful cases for 3D Printing that are cost justifiable. I wanted to help companies understand how to leverage this technology. Also I wanted to explore and learn in ways I hadn’t known before. Getting to learn by seeing the scope of small companies and larger corporations really was something that interested me. Ese: In Chicago there is a trend towards the movement of Industry 4.0, what do you think of this? Mike: I think it is useful. One thing to remember is there are people involved within all projects we want to create. Technology needs to enable an organization to be more efficient. It is great when applied to people and not replacing things. There are methods to why things are done a certain way. It is hard to replace the person. We need to make tools with the right context and respect for the 3D environment. It is an interesting field for sure to me. Overall there are a lot of positives. Ese: How do you see the future of additive manufacturing? Mike: It is certainly growing. I think that people are starting to understand how to design really well as well as the underlying technology. Growth is coming from this prototyping environment. The opportunity to apply these learnings from smaller systems is interesting. The leap from prototyping to full production parts takes a lot investment. Bigger industries will help to push the technology forward. Material companies are exploring the technology and exposing people to even more materials. Some universities and K-12 organizations are focusing on 3D Printing education. Workforce development is interesting and it teaches people about what possibilities are available for a first job. I don’t have any predictions, but for the most part the tech is growing. Ese: Lastly, where do you see Chicago in terms of the global additive manufacturing field in the future. Mike: mHub is an awesome resource. We have a nice central location for travel. We have a lot of exciting companies based here. A lot of companies have a presence here. AMUG will also be here in Chicago soon. It is a great central location as well within the US. The ecosystem here is focused on supporting manufacturing. I think it is as good a place as any to be in. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com March 27, 2019 at 02:09AM Taking a Look at Significant Growth in 3D Printing Materials Segment in Wohlers Report 20193/27/2019 Taking a Look at Significant Growth in 3D Printing Materials Segment in Wohlers Report 2019 https://ift.tt/2OtMyTK For over two decades, Colorado-based independent consulting firm Wohlers Associates, Inc. has been publishing an installment each year of its popular Wohlers Report about the additive manufacturing industry. Today, the firm announced the publication of the 24th installment, Wohlers Report 2019, of its worldwide study, which reports on the development, growth, and future of all things 3D printing, including applications, design, investments, materials, patents, research, services, software, standards, startups, and systems. Wohlers Associates has been in business for 32 years, offering market, strategic, and technical advice on the latest trends and developments in rapid product development and AM to its many clients: 267 organizations in 26 different countries, to be exact. Its annual report is considered to provide a pulse of the 3D printing industry, and this latest 396-page installment is no different. In addition to principal authors Ian Campbell, Olaf Diegel, Ray Huff, Joseph Kowen, and Terry Wohlers (all Wohlers Associates employees), the company received input from 127 service providers, 71 industrial 3D printer manufacturers, and 30 producers of desktop 3D printers and third-party materials around the world in compiling the Wohlers Report 2019. Associate authors of the report are David Bourell from the University of Texas at Austin, Ismail Fidan with Tennessee Tech University, and Peter Sander from Airbus. The expertise of 80 authors and contributors from 32 different countries, combined with the three decades of data and experience accrued by Wohlers itself, make for some interesting reading, as the report details a wide range of developments in the worldwide 3D printing industry; visit this link to see the full list of contributors. This year’s report includes several new and expanded features, such as:
Many activities from a variety of industries related to AM, like aerospace and automotive, are highlighted in the report, which includes thoughts and perspective on 3D printed end-use parts from such companies as Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace, and United Technologies Corp. Additionally, BMW, Jabil, Deutsche Bahn, FIT, Oerlikon, UPS, and the US Marine Corps, among others, shared what trends they noticed, including cyber security, post-process automation, industry standards, partnerships, skills development, and materials development. Speaking of materials, the report notes that the industry’s material segment experienced record growth in 2018. Data is included regarding the development and consumption of AM materials, and the revenue from 3D printed metals grew roughly 41.9%, which continues the segment’s five-year growth streak of over 40% each year. According to a press released issued by Wohlers Associates, this kind of “strong activity among materials suppliers and customers is a telling indicator of the increasing use of AM for production applications.” In addition, contributors to the report tracked the growth and sales of 177 producers of industrial 3D printing systems ($5,000 or more), which is almost one-third more than the manufacturers tracked and reported on in last year’s publication. While the industry’s overall market is still trending up, with plenty of new products, new faces, and hundreds of millions in investments to report, there was a major decline in annual growth for desktop 3D printers (less than $5,000). To learn more, you can order your own copy of the Wohlers Report 2019 – a colored digital version will cost $495, though quantity discounts are available when you purchase two or more copies, while a printed and bound full-color copy is $595. However, if you purchase the PDF, you can add a printed copy for just $295. Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. [Images: Wohlers Report 2019] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com March 27, 2019 at 12:39AM NatureWorks Introducing New Ingeo 3D450 PLA 3D Printing Formulation https://ift.tt/2CGpw7B Advanced materials company NatureWorks, headquartered in Minnesota and jointly owned by Cargill and chemical producer PTT Global Chemical in Thailand, is the world’s leading manufacturer of... View the entire article via our website. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com March 26, 2019 at 06:00PM Polish Company CD3D Opens Largest 3D Bioprinting Cluster in Europe https://ift.tt/2uvk4jw Centrum Druku 3D, or CD3D, is the largest online website devoted to 3D printing technology in Poland. Launched in 2013 with an online portal, the company’s operations are based on two important pillars: providing knowledge in the 3D printing field, and scientific-research and R&D activities in the medical and pharmaceutical sciences. In 2014, CD3D held Poland’s first 3D printing awards, and this week launched a new medical project – the largest 3D bioprinting center in Europe. The Open 3D Bioprinting Cluster launched in Lodz at the Bionanopark, which is one of the country’s largest laboratory complexes and works on multiple science and research projects in the medicine and biotechnology fields, including computational chemistry, 3D printing, biochemistry, and medical implants. CD3D, under the CD3D Medical brand, is the creator of the cluster, and will be operating it together with the Laboratory of Molecular and Nanostructured Biophysics at the complex, which also includes an incubator and conference center. In addition to bioprinting, CD3D Medical also offers SLA, FDM, and DMP 3D printing technologies. 21 3D bioprinters, created by CD3D and called SKAFFOSYS for ‘scaffold systems’, make up the cluster, and according to Pawel Slusarczyk, a Project Director at CD3D, they are the first Polish bioprinters. The system uses a 5 ml syringe as a printhead, and performs extrusion mechanically, as semi-liquid, gel, and hydrogel materials are applied to a laboratory pan that’s been affixed to a working table. The SKAFFOSYS Lite 3D bioprinter features a 170 x 125 x 80 mm build area, with a process accuracy of 0.2 mm, and can also complete bioplotting. As more challenges are created over time by bioprinting projects, CD3D will expand the SKAFFOSYS Lite by adding new functionalities and modules. Due to the teamwork between the Bionanopark and CD3D Medical, scientists are able to use additive bioprinting to complete comprehensive research and development projects in the biomedical engineering field. Under the close supervision of CD3D specialists and scientists from the Laboratory of Molecular and Nanostructured Biophysics, laboratories at the Bionanopark can now successfully complete, according to the website, “biochemical, biological and molecular research at virtually any stage of the creation of three-dimensional structures.” The reason the 3D Bioprinting Cluster is so important is due to its open nature. We use 3D bioprinted structures for a myriad of purposes, from growing biological material on printed scaffolds and creating composite materials to researching alternative food sources and creating, studying, and testing out new types of biocompatible materials. So the fact that this large, new cluster for 3D bioprinting is open means that other external entities can use its important resources to complete tasks such as commissioning a comprehensive scientific and research service. The partners and customers of the new Open 3D Bioprinting Cluster in Poland can now rest assured that the comprehensive service will make it possible to outsource scientific research projects to all of the laboratories in the Bionanopark. What do you think? Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. [Images: CD3D] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com March 26, 2019 at 11:48AM Repsol Acquires 17 Percent of Spanish 3D Printing Filament Supplier, Recreus https://ift.tt/2HHE0s8 As it turns out, Recreus and Repsol have a lot in common. And now they will be able to develop their shared interests in propelling industries like medicine further into the future with new technology, along with other critical markets such as textiles, with Repsol acquiring 17 percent of the Spanish 3D printing materials distributor’s company, located in Elda, Spain. Repsol, headquartered in Madrid, is focused on continually developing new energy prospects, specializing in products and services and materials related to oil, gas, electricity, and chemicals, with the last item coming into play specifically for the 3D printing industry as they have been developing polyolefins as raw material for filament. With an investment fund armed with 85 million euros for the 2016-2020 period, this is one endeavor that will fulfill their goal to move further forward in the technology sector—with a company that complements the products Repsol already provides globally. Founded in 2013 by Ignacio Garcia as a ‘garage startup,’ Recreus has grown into a worldwide supplier of both elastic and rigid thermoplastic filaments, with a mission to continually develop new materials and new extruders and other required hardware and processes. They are currently very well-known for Filaflex, a line of filaments that they offer in a range of colors and sizes. With the investment and collaboration on Repsol’s part, Recreus will now be expanding their research and development efforts in materials. The partnership should give them even greater market strength as a supplier, along with supporting their own plans for expansion. Repsol’s resources are vast, as they currently market their products in 90 countries and employ over 25,000 employees. They are also responsible for over 700,000 barrels of oil production per day and are known to have one of the best refining systems in Europe.
Whether you are a business owner thinking about delving into more progressive technology, a diehard 3D printing user already, or an enthusiast who enjoys finding out more about scientific innovation, still you may be surprised to find what a role the study and development of materials plays in manufacturing techniques today. Manufacturers are refining plastics, along with as many other materials as there are industries that can put them into use, from metal to concrete to specialized materials like metallic glass. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com. [Source / Images: Recreus] Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com March 26, 2019 at 10:57AM
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Lea Linin https://ift.tt/2UWOvKU Lea Linin is a self-taught illustrator and gif-maker based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Lea began her journey into illustration by making GIFs, and only later developed her passion for more traditional pen-to-paper techniques. Her illustrations are often infused with humour and nostalgia and she finds great inspiration in vintage photography, especially photo booth portraits. In everything she creates, she aims to celebrate the magic of the everyday. Lea’s illustrations have recently been published in Patchwork Magazine, Shameless Magazine and The Lolla. She loves the challenge of creating illustrations for editorial and the gratification of being quick on her feet when reaching print deadlines. One of Lea’s most recent projects is a self-published small zine entitled Turtleneck Guys, which features portraits of Wes Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, Bill Murray and David Lynch. In the future she would love to continue to produce more volumes of the zine and continue her recent dabble in riso printing through experimentation with the medium. Find out more about joining our official membership community here. Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/2DhgcW7 March 26, 2019 at 05:39AM |
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