If you’re investing in any form of inbound marketing that generates visitors to your website, you’re going to want as many of those visitors as possible to convert into paying customers. However, it’s unrealistic to expect that everyone will become customers straight away; some prospects need to be ‘warmed up’ before they invest in the products or services that you offer. One of the best ways of ‘warming up’ a cold prospect is by using an effective lead magnet. A lead magnet is valuable information – typically a cheat sheet, small ebook or report – that you can give away to a prospect in exchange for their contact information. A super high-quality lead magnet, along with a value-packed email marketing follow up (or phone call, should you choose to obtain the prospect’s number), is one of the best ways to ‘warm up’ your prospect – and, when a prospect is warm, they’re much more likely to become a customer.

But how exactly do you go about creating an effective lead magnet?

The good news is that creating an exceptional lead magnet is probably a lot easier than you think. Many people believe that lead magnets have to be complex, long and excruciatingly time consuming to create. In actual fact, your lead magnet should be offering huge value within two to five minutes, which means a short, snappy lead report can convert really well.

Here’s how to create such a report:

1. Find a problem

2. Solve the problem step by step (use bullet points if you have to)

3. Conclude with the benefits of solving the problem

If you’re a meal prep company offering healthy meals for bodybuilders, fitness people or dieters, create a report with a healthy breakfast recipe. If you’re a barber who cuts men’s hair, create a report on which styles are in fashion this winter. If you’re a taxi company, create a report on the best places to go for a date or night out in the local area.

It’s that simple. This effective lead magnet will increase your business’ status as an expert, solve your prospect’s problems and earn their trust. This simple method works well in any industry. Think about how you can apply it to your business and learn more about how content marketing can support effective lead generation.