Effective lead magnet tips for photographers

You need an email list if you want to grow your photography biz and book yourself out.

One of the key things we wished we knew before we started out is how important it is to begin building your email list from the get-go. We can’t think of a single person who knows a single person without email. Even the oldest, most technophobic grandparents have succumbed to the ease of the email.

As a photographer, you can use this tool to stay in touch with clients, add value to their lives, reach out to those curious about what you offer, or send regular updates to keep all the people in the loop.

There are lots of ways to grow a list of subscribers who want to hear from you, but one of the best ways to grow your email list is a lead magnet.

NOTE: Make sure you give people the opportunity to opt-in to receiving periodic emails. The best way to do this is give people a box they can check to give you permission to send them your content. And when you do send them stuff, be respectful and don’t spam them with just any junk! This will NAHT help your business. It’s a no-brainer, but it had to be said. People prefer actual meaningful content about things they’re truly interested in. Who woulda thunk it?

What is a lead magnet?

Lead magnet. Let the words roll off your tongue. We know, we know. It sounds a little bit weird. It’s definitely one of those jargoney marketing words that hasn’t had long on this planet. But a lead magnet is something that connects your ideal clientele to your business. A lead magnet is a free item or service that is exchanged for capturing contact details, like emails.

Think about the first time you visit someone’s website. If you’re recently married, try to think back through the fog of all of the wedding hullabaloo and try to remember how you chose a wedding photographer. You probably visited dozens of sites and forgot and remembered dozens of photographers. Most people’s reality is that they don’t take action the first time they visit someone’s website. It takes a little bit longer. And when people are visiting your site and leaving straight away, it’s in your best interest to have an impact so they remember you. If you give them a little souvenir in the form of a check-list or a how-to guide or an e-book or a coupon code or something else that adds value to their lives, they’re more likely to leave you their email in exchange. Most discerning humans have built a bulletproof resistance to pop-up ads and newsletters and forms that don’t provide them with anything in return. You, too, have probably thoughtlessly closed (and cursed!) millions of pop-ups without too much thought.

It’s for this reason that you need to get a bit more creative when finding ways to interact with potential clients. You don’t want to be that annoying fly that people mindlessly swat away. You want to be enticing, interesting, and adding something interesting to people’s lives. Even though the underlying objective is to book more shoots, lead magnets can do way more than that. Set it up correctly and connect it to a strategic stream of (automated!) emails, and you’ll be powering your way to success. Lead magnets send people on the path of being educated about your services, being aware of your offerings, helping them make a decision that’s right for them, potentially booking your services, and coming back to recommend you to all their friends!

So while I’m sure all of this sounds well and good, the most helpful thing for us to tell you is how to make a really good one that the right clients won’t be able to pass up. So here goes.

1. Make it of value!

People are pretty smart about spam these days. They’re not going to hand their email out to just anyone with a website asking for it. If you want it, you’ll have to work for it. Rack your brains for any clues that tell you what would be of value to your ideal clients. And that last bit is key: of value to your ideal clients. You don’t want to reel just anybody in off the street, you want to connect with people who will benefit from being in front of your camera! So think about who these people are. What is of value to them? What are they struggling with? How can your resource help them live their life better? While this is an incredible opportunity to demonstrate to your audience that you’re a pro who knows what they’re talking about, it doesn’t have to be a 50 page book or anything--the best lead magnets are a sweet little morsel. A taster that people can power through while they’re having breakfast or on the train. People are very busy and important.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• A mini e-book
• A guide
• A bonus pack to add to a blog post
• A resource guide
• A checklist
• A workbook
• A secret
• A cheat sheet
• A webinar

If those ideas haven’t sparked a creative flurry in your brain, maybe it’s time you asked your audience what they’d like to receive from you! Hop onto your socials and do a poll or a story and see what comes back. Not only is it a great way to solve the lead magnet puzzle, but you’ll be engaging with your community in a meaningful way--connecting you to them, keeping your finger on the pulse, and giving the algorithm a little nudge to favour your account.

2. Be specific!

Let your subscribers know what they’ll be getting. The more specific you can be, the better.

Here’s an example. Which of these two titles are you more likely to choose?

How to be Better at Composition Or 5 Pointers to Help You Create Stunningly Composed Photographs

See? Specificity is so much better. The first one is a bit… meh. You don’t really know what you’re signing up for, you don’t know how long it’ll be, and it’s just not that interesting. The second one sounds like it’ll be punchy and educational. Something worth trading for your email address.

3. Make it captivating.

Make the actual lead magnet look pretty, spruce it up, and give people a reason to click on it! Talk about why you created it, who it’s for, and why they need it. And don’t forget to craft a little title that is catchy AF! Let them know in as few words as possible why this is important to them so they’re hooked from the get-go.

And once they’ve signed up, give them the option to download your piece of content on demand, downloadable instantly or send straight to their inbox. People have the attention span of a goldfish these days. Don’t make them wait.

4. Evoke an emotional response.

It’s funny, but we humans often have this idea of ourselves as highly rational beings. Truth be told, our emotions rule all. Yes, today’s customer base is super educated, capable, and well-equipped with computers in their pockets to research anything they don’t know. But standing out to the right people is all about getting into the feels. People rely on their emotions to make decisions. You want people to decide on you with their hearts.

Create a lead magnet that makes people feel excited, happy, or just plain lucky to be picking up what you’re putting down.

The logistics:

If the idea of sitting down and writing a bunch of code and doing a million YouTube tutorials makes you want to run for the hills, don’t worry! You don’t have to be an online marketing techy ninja to get your lead magnet up and running. There are lots of apps and tools out there for creating and designing lead magnets. A quick Google of the best pop-up apps comes back with loads of suggestions for the right plug-in for you. If you’re a bit of a Photoshop nerd and decide to design your own but don’t know how to get it into your website, you could create one yourself and hire someone Fiverr to code it in for you. Or, some website hosts offer the option of adding non-pop-up email-capturing forms that you could tailor to suit the format of a lead magnet. You have options. Just make sure that you’re delivering your promised material in an efficient and timely way, you don’t want to make people have to wait for their reward.

Here are some common ways to deliver your lead magnet:

• Put the file in a section of your website that’s only accessible to those who have already provided their email address.
• Send the file directly to the subscriber’s inbox.
• Set up a landing page with MailChimp or other email service providers and then put this link on your website, socials, and any other relevant online place. Create an automation email to deliver your lead magnet once people have signed up.

Lead magnets are a super efficient marketing tool that helps you grow your business. And it’s kind of a two-birds-one-stone sort of thing – you’re creating content that adds value to your website, establishes yourself as a credible authority in your field, and nurtures relationships that down the track could convert prospects into loyal customers. Make that three birds with one stone!

Now that you know what they are, all that’s left to do is begin.