It cannot be denied that consumer tastes have changed and that, with it, it has become increasingly difficult to know how to attract customers. If we think about the digital market, this can seem even more challenging due to the amount of content available to Internet users.
Since the beginning of advertising, brands have looked for ways to stand out from their competitors in order to attract the attention of potential customers.
Regardless of the communication channel, being recognized and managing to generate a business has always been the great desire and challenge of every entrepreneur.
In the digital world, there are various ways to capture the attention of users, and one that has generated many results is the creation of relevant content for people, mainly in the format of useful materials.
If you are starting now or if you are already an expert in your field, what we are going to show you today can be the differential against your competitors.
In this post we are going to explain how to attract clients with free materials, so don’t be left out and continue with us until the end.
What is a lead?
Before talking about how to attract customers, it is important to return to this term that is so widely used in the digital market and that sometimes still generates a bit of confusion: leads.
A lead is a potential customer who shows interest in your business and offers you their contact information, whether by filling out a form on your website, signing up for a newsletter or downloading material, for example.
That is to say, it is a user who, although he has not yet bought anything from you, is attentive to what you do and wants to know more about the subject you are dealing with.
And from the moment you get the email or phone number of that lead, you can begin to nurture the relationship with him, sending him appropriate content at the time of his day and preparing the ground for a future sale.
What is the importance of generating leads?
When we think of lead generation, we are talking directly about attracting customers.
Because, as you have already seen, leads are people with the potential to be your customers. So if you can get them to become unconditional fans of your brand, you will probably get more real customers.
It is important to attract more leads because they are the users that are available to your company. And by conquering those potential customers, you will be able to think of more assertive strategies to convert them into buyers, which helps your company grow.
In addition, if a person seeks more information on a certain issue, it is very likely that they have already understood that they have a problem and that they have to solve it.
So it’s easier to show that type of user that your product is the best solution for that specific problem.
Why do you need to invest in lead generation?
Although the lead generation strategy seems easy, you need to understand that not everyone who comes into contact with your brand will make a purchase.
Actually, according to, the generation of traffic and leads is the biggest challenge for marketing teams today.
So, even if you have high traffic on your website or blog, for example, and even if several users have left their contacts for you to chat with, it does not mean that your customer base will automatically increase.
You need to create a relationship with those people so that they can appreciate the value in what you are giving them.
It is at that moment that we can think about the path of the consumer. This is the path that every lead follows until they become your real customer, and it is divided into 3 parts:
- Knowledge: moment in which a user comes into contact with your brand for the first time while researching a specific topic that you address;
- Consideration: the person already understood that he has a problem, defined it and wants to find solutions that can help him solve it;
- Decision: occurs when someone already has knowledge about the possible strategies and methods that can be used to solve a problem and then begins to search for products or services that can satisfy their need.
With these steps in mind, you need to think of ways to win over the leads that are in each one. Take a look at some of them, they will certainly help you attract new customers to your business.
There are several ways to achieve this, and one that has been shown to be very effective is the creation of free materials.
But… do you know what that is?
If you have never heard of this type of strategy, do not despair, because we are going to talk about it right now.
How to get leads with free materials?
Free materials, as their name suggests, are a type of valuable content that you create and deliver to users without charging for it.
They are more extensive and complete contents that better cover the problems of your and show potential solutions to those dilemmas.
This type of content serves not only to demonstrate your authority in your niche and strengthen the relationship with your audience, but also to obtain their data, since they will leave their contacts when they fill out the download form.
If you have a specific product that can help someone, you must be thinking:
“Why not make known what I have that is best and show people the possible solutions to their problems?”
Actually, there was a time when this was the way entrepreneurs advertised their businesses.
However, with the advancement of technology and new habits of people, we know that the user prefers to gain more knowledge and make a decision on their own than to receive a series of product announcements with the solution ready.
Of course, it is essential to publicize your business with advertising campaigns, but what we want to show you here is that these two strategies must go hand in hand.
For this reason, it is not more interesting to always explain to your leads the reasons that make your product better than that of a competitor. What you need to do is educate your audience, conquer it and, thus, build trust in your brand.
Over time, you will realize that leads that are well educated about what you do and offer are likely to become your customers.
What types of free materials can be offered?
Now that you know that it is possible to attract customers by offering quality content to your audience, we are going to show you some types of materials that you can create to encourage new leads.
ebooks
Ebooks are very attractive content, since they are deeper than a blog post and, generally, they gather all the information that the user should know about a certain topic.
If your business helps people stay in shape, for example, you can create a “Christmas Survival Guide” with delicious, low-calorie recipes, tips for eating well for the holidays, special exercises for the summer and much more.
The idea is to offer very complete content that is easy to consume, as well as being exclusive material that your audience will not find anywhere else.
Best of all, you can attract customers with ebooks without having to invest money, since it is possible to find to produce your material.
Online courses
The free ones are an excellent option for rich material to attract customers, since the video format is still one of the most consumed by users and allows you to offer more dynamic content.
Even if your main product is already a paid online course, you can offer simpler materials for free.
For example, if you sell an online course in English for tourism, you can offer a module free of charge, or create a mini-course on how to communicate successfully at the airport.
For this type of content, you will have to invest a little more time and have some resources such as a camera, microphone and a good stage. But surely all the effort will be well worth it.
In this tips, Ramón explains better how to sell virtual classes:
Templates
Templates are also very successful online and depending on your niche, they can be a good option to attract customers.
Suppose you have an online craft course in which you teach how to make souvenirs for weddings and birthdays.
You can offer, for free, templates to create packaging labels, invitations and centerpieces, for example.
spreadsheets
The forms are of great help, if you work in niches related to administration, finances and planning.
If you work in the event organization niche, for example, you can offer clients a free expense control sheet.
Think of materials that will really help your buyer persona and that will show your authority in the market.
checklist
Checklists are materials that you can easily produce and that will be of great value to whoever downloads them.
Returning to the example from the previous point, if you work in the wedding niche, one idea is to offer a supplier checklist so that clients can control which contracts have already been signed and which are still pending.
webinars
Webinars are live broadcasts that allow you to communicate with your audience in real time, increase your authority and offer your followers dynamic and in-depth content.
In this case, you can make the webinars available only to those who previously register, which allows you to capture the contacts of potential clients during that process.
An interesting idea is to propose a week of live content, related to a specific topic, inviting other specialists in the area to participate. Use your creativity!
infographics
The they are contents that present complex information in a didactic and visual way, and that can work very well in various market niches.
If you work in the pet care segment, for example, you can offer an infographic explaining the vaccines that dogs need according to their age, indicating an ideal option for different breeds and sizes.
podcast
The are among the most consumed content formats on the Internet. And it is easy to understand why.
Podcasts look like old radio shows and allow people to listen to them while doing other activities like cooking, walking, or driving. That is to say, they are excellent for learning or informing about matters within a routine with little free time.
And this format can help you attract customers! You can create a program where you work on issues related to your market, sharing relevant insights with the public. And at the end, you can invite listeners to sign up for an email list, for example.
Another way to use podcasts to generate leads is to create some exclusive ones for those who sign up for your .
Tools
Tools are very useful materials for users, since they are perfect for the “hands on” moment and to be able to reach a goal more quickly.
If you have an online course on finance, for example, an exclusive calculator can be…
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