People don’t like to be sold to. Your prospects are intelligent — they’re going to be turned off by gimmicks and even the softest of sales pitches. So how do you capture their attention?
First they need to know that you’re worthy of attention. Prove yourself as a credible expert, a brand that stands out from its competition, and the audience will continue listening or scrolling down the page.
Downloadables such as ebooks, infographics and reports/studies are an optimal way to establish this thought leadership.
Ed Gandia of B2BLauncher.com writes that these content marketing tools, especially ebooks, are lead magnets. They typically describe a service the company offers, or methodology it employs, to solve a problem and/or produce results for their clients.
According to Gandia, businesses and entrepreneurs find that sharing their insights and systems through a book is a great way to turn cold prospects into hot leads and customers.
It works like this: A prospective customer is searching for an answer to a very specific, technical dilemma. Maybe it’s so specific that there’s not a lot of information about it available online. Then they come across your ebook or infographic, a resource that clearly explains their situation and how to approach it. It’s obvious that the author knows his or her stuff.
When the potential customer (now a “hot” lead) decides to engage the services of a professional to help with the dilemma they’re facing, your company is top of mind.
Ebooks and various reports and infographics can help sales teams close deals, drive website traffic and even help build your email list (just ask recipients to enter their contact information before they’re allowed to download the file). Produce a few high-quality “downloadables” that add value and you’ll generate plenty of qualified leads to keep the sales pipeline full.
