Do you have a B2B company and do not know how to attract customers? A B2B lead magnet will make a difference in your marketing strategy. It is one of the most effective tools to attract people interested in your business.
The great advantage of using a lead magnet is that it can take different forms to complement your value proposition. Thus, a lead magnet for B2B companies manages to increase traffic on digital channels, positions the brand as an authority, and builds a bond with customers.
Let’s see in detail what this concept consists of, what parameters define an effective lead magnet, and some lead magnet examples to inspire you.
What is a B2B Lead Magnet?
In the first place, a lead magnet, “prospect magnet” or “potential customer magnet” in Spanish, is an asset that is offered as an incentive to users in exchange for their contact information (name, telephone number, email address). , etc).
According to the digital marketing and social network consulting company MC Social Media: “a lead magnet must be free, attractive and of quality to encourage the user to share their information with us”.Â
The idea is that the material offered by your company can convince visitors at first sight, so that the exchange is assured. For this, a lead magnet must always represent “value” for the public, which is relative to each client.
Luckily, a lead magnet can take the form of a variety of content to win over even the most demanding users. Here are some of them:
- Documents
- Videos
- Images
- infographics
- reports
- Guides
Later we will expand the list of examples of lead magnets, for now, we want to highlight that, regardless of the type of content you are delivering to your potential customers, it must always generate value.
Therefore, an effective lead magnet includes elaborate and interesting information that complements the user’s professional or personal life, depending on the line of business. For no reason should this material be simple or easy to find in other media.
Now, if we talk about a lead magnet focused on B2B, it is even more important to emphasize the value of the material to quickly convince users to share their information. Remember that the buyer personas who close a deal in this sector are executives who need to find solutions without going around too much.
What Are the Characteristics of a Lead Magnet for B2b Companies?
Attracting potential customers is not about creating content for the masses. A B2B lead magnet needs to stand out from the free stuff online, but it also needs to be focused on solving your ideal customer’s problems.
For example, if your buyer persona is a CEO of the retail industry, he is surely interested in knowing what the retail trends are, new technologies in logistics, omnichannel, product innovation, etc.; you can create lead magnets from that information.
In general, any type of lead magnet must have the following characteristics:
- Address a real problem – Highlight a problem your buyers might be facing.
- It is instantly accessible: there are not many steps to download the content. Try to optimize your form with the strictly necessary fields.
- Prove Experience: Build your lead magnet with exclusive information, stats, and insights to prove your experience.
- It is scannable: it includes headlines, subheadings, images, and graphics so that the user finds what they need quickly and reading is not tedious.
Why Create Valuable Content to Attract Leads in the B2b Sector?
The purchase process between B2B companies usually takes longer due to the type of products and services offered. Contracts are usually for large amounts of money, so the purchase decision happens overnight.
To speed up this process and convince customers that the investment will be worth it, valuable content or a lead magnet is a key piece. In addition to helping you close deals more easily, it also offers you the following benefits:
1. Attract new customers for your business
Lead magnets that bring true value to their users gain more online presence. It is known that, when the content is good, Google rewards its creators by improving their search engine rankings.
Therefore, not only will you attract people who already know you, some visitors may come to you because Google suggests your content to them. Over time, you will increase downloads to your site, have a rich database, and be able to grow your business organically. That is the power of lead magnets in B2B companies.
2. Position your brand as an authority
With the help of a well-structured B2B lead magnet, you will be able to position your brand as a benchmark in the industry. Of course, this content must solve the doubts and needs of your audience.
In order to achieve this, a good content strategy must be worked on that takes into account the pain points of the buyer persona. Also, to stay relevant, lead magnets need to match what your consumers are interested in at the moment.
Therefore, we recommend that you keep an eye on market trends to create lead magnets for your B2B company that stays relevant over time.
3. Build a stronger bond with customers
A B2B lead magnet that has been developed based on customer needs makes them see that your company has a commitment to them. The main reason is that thanks to these materials, you show that you are willing to offer them valuable content all the time.
Thanks to this, they will prefer you over other brands and you will be on the way to retaining them thanks to your lead magnets for B2B.
4. Collaborate with word-of-mouth marketing
Once you have your loyal target audience, none of them will hesitate to recommend you to their friends, family, co-workers, etc. In fact, they will speak so highly of you that many of them may approach you for business.
At that point, it is important that you make sure they are well taken care of to close one or more deals with the new clients that come by recommendation. Here the lead magnets also have a very important function, as they are often the first contact with potential customers.
Let’s keep discovering more about lead magnets to boost your B2B marketing strategy.
How to Create a Lead Magnet For B2B Companies?
Lead magnets in B2B are one of the most important pillars of a brand’s growth and sales strategies. Remember that this tool brings you closer to your brand’s potential customers, who need to be taken through the different phases of the marketing funnel until they reach the conversion.
“Content is the backbone of Inbound Marketing and it is the most effective way to attract consumers to what you offer as a business, but if you do not execute this strategy correctly, you will not get results.”
So how do you make a lead magnet to attract your target audience? Let’s review what are the steps to follow:
1. Define the Theme and An Attractive Title
A lead magnet must solve one or more pain points for your clients. To do this, you must first identify who your buyer persona is, what their needs are, their interests, etc.
For example, if your buyer persona is an HR Manager, you can create a guide to identify their team’s learning gaps, which would help them implement a training plan.
As for the title, try to make it as clear as possible and communicate the solution provided by the lead magnet.
2. Define the Proper Format
What do effective lead magnets have in common? Undoubtedly, a high-quality production, goes beyond the visual aspect, as it also focuses on clearly conveying the message.
There are several examples of a lead magnet with which you can attract your customers. For example, if you’re targeting CEOs, they typically don’t have as much time to read a PDF, so you might want to explore more dynamic yet easily accessible formats like podcasts.
In this way, they can easily listen to your content while they are on their way to work or in a break between meetings. Adapt the content to the needs of the users.
3. Define the Location of the Lead Magnet
Although you can place a lead magnet on different channels, the important thing is that they are media that your target audience regularly visits. Some of the most effective channels to share this material are the following:
- blog articles
- Website
- Social networks
- popups
For example, you can feed a blog article with free elements that complement the reading: a template, extra information collected by your company, etc. On the other hand, social media advertising is also a good way to share lead magnets.
In general, you should investigate which are the preferred social networks of your buyer persona to share your lead magnets there. Did you know that TikTok for B2B businesses is very effective, just like Instagram reels? That’s right, there are many ways to share your material online, take advantage of them!
4. Assemble the form
Although the company can request the information it deems necessary, it is important to be careful not to cause discomfort to the potential client.
If people feel that you are asking for too much data, they are likely to opt-out of the process without receiving the material and you will miss out on enriching your database. Thus, the lead magnet will not fulfill its objective.
We suggest you request the following information:
- Name and surname
- Phone number
In addition, you should pay close attention to CTAs (call to action) to attract the attention of users and convince them to share their data with you. Use A/B testing to boost your lead magnet and get good results.Â
Lead Magnet Examples for B2B Companies
In this section, you will learn about some examples of the most effective B2B lead magnets. Of course, you should choose one or more depending on the interests of your customers. Find out which format they find most interesting before you start building your own.
Let’s go straight to the examples:
1. Ebook
An ebook is one of the most used lead magnets in the B2B field due to its versatility. This material can be used in any part of the purchase cycle, as it allows you to address a topic in-depth and provide a solution to the prospects’ pains.
Identify which are the topics that represent the greatest interest for your interest groups, in order to create an irresistible prospect magnet. In addition, we recommend you focus on the design and writing of the same, both aspects must be carefully prepared so that the purpose of the ebook is understood.
2. Free Demos
Product demonstrations give potential customers the opportunity to experience for themselves; this makes them one of the most effective examples of lead magnets.
This type of content is very useful to convince customers who are interested in your product but have not yet been convinced to buy it. How to ensure that this customer magnet works well? Be sure to follow up with the people who activated a demo to answer any questions and demonstrate the qualities of your service or product.
3. Newsletter
A newsletter is a lead magnet designed to inform your customers about news about the company or the sector. Ideally, you should use it to communicate news that is highly relevant, otherwise, you could make users uncomfortable.
For example, you can contact registrants to let them know that the discount season is about to start or that there is a change in the industry that may affect the way you provide services.
It is recommended that newsletters are personalized with an engaging tone of voice and good design to act as an effective lead magnet.
4. Templates
Templates are very useful, because, depending on their objective, they can help improve the activities of your clients at various levels.
For example, sales quote templates, customer prospecting templates, or sales report templates will be an effective lead magnets for clients who have their own businesses. Remember that this material must be timeless so that it has greater use.
5. Webinars
Webinars are one of the most convenient examples of lead magnets for B2B businesses, especially because they strengthen the authority of the business.
Keep in mind that the number of professionals who are looking for new knowledge to enhance their working lives increases every day, so offering them content on a topic related to their industry will arouse great interest.
Now, to increase the value of this lead magnet, we recommend that you include the participation of outstanding professionals along with your company’s team, so you will attract more people to the event.
6. Podcasts
Podcasts are becoming more popular every day. This example of a lead magnet has a great advantage because the people who consume it can be doing something else at the same time.
In addition, it is a great advantage if your buyer persona is usually a professional who has a very busy schedule. Offering content of this type is ideal because it will not take too long to consume it.
We recommend spreading this lead magnet through different social networks to promote omnichannel and have a greater margin of possibilities of attracting potential customers.
7. Top Cases
The top cases could not be missing from our lead magnet examples for B2B. These are testimonials about companies that have worked with you and have done well. Remember that customers, especially in the B2B sector, research their future suppliers very well before hiring their service.
Therefore, this type of content is very useful to convince potential customers to bet on your product or service. Consider putting together lead magnets based on the experience of companies from different industries, in order to show the versatility of your company.
8. Consult for free
Another very effective lead magnet is free consultations. With the help of a form, you can request data that your sales representatives will use to communicate with prospects and help them better understand what your product or service is.
The goal of these inquiries is to get prospects further down the sales funnel and realize that your business can solve a problem they’re having.
9. Reports
B2B buyers are always looking for industry data to identify new business opportunities. Therefore, a lead magnet that will undoubtedly be successful is reports or research related to the industry.
For example, you can research market trends or niche customer behavior, and then present the results in a detailed report. Of course, it’s important to mention your company within the research to indicate how you can help them overcome those challenges.
10. Discount coupons
Discount coupons are one of the most used lead magnets to collect information from potential customers. In addition to the fact that the client will be happy to acquire a product at a lower price, they will have the opportunity to learn more about your company directly.
Once customers have bought your products or contracted your services, it is easier for them to return to make a new purchase.
11. Tool kit
A toolkit can be a great lead magnet for B2B businesses, offering them a number of materials in one download.
Here you can include, for example, templates, quick PDF guides, checklists to enhance a management process, etc. Rest assured, this will be a significant lead magnet for your company.
12. Checklists
Another of the most successful resources in the world of lead magnets for B2B companies is checklists. The reason is the presentation of the information, which is very simple and quick to consume, mainly to solve a certain problem.
For example, if you work in a company that offers artificial intelligence services to boost business sales, you could standardize the steps and elements to consider when installing a chatbot in a checklist.
13. Free online courses
Free online courses are a great option as a lead magnet for B2B companies, especially those that focus on staff training.
This type of content allows potential customers to enter the funnel quickly and leave a good impression of your business. We recommend diversifying the courses’ content to be a more effective lead magnet.
14. Exclusive groups on social networks
Exclusive groups on social networks like Facebook are a great way to capture leads for B2B companies. Similarly, through WhatsApp or Telegram, you can create an online community to strengthen the bond with your customers and offer them more personalized service.
You can share the form to access this space through your social networks or from your website.
15. Content update
Finally, another lead magnet that you cannot lose sight of in the content update. But what does this imply? Basically, it’s about enhancing the material you’ve previously published with free download tools that complement it.
Of course, this update should focus on content that has proven to be relevant to your audience. Pay attention to the metrics of your materials to know which ones have the most visits, comments, “likes”, etc.
So far we have seen what a lead magnet is and what it is for, how to create a lead magnet and what are the most effective lead magnet examples.
Remember that the business world is increasingly competitive, so you must be aware of the key elements that can enhance your company’s strategies.
