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Lead Magnet Creation

This post was most recently updated on October 17th, 2018

David Merrill Lead Magnet CreationI’ve been following a series of articles by David Merrill called “Lead Magnet Creation” for my marketing team.  I found it to be full of great ideas for people to use video, eBooks, webinars, teleseminars and other methods for creating “lead magnets”.

 

Lead magnets are free products you can create in order to entice your readers to join your email list.  A lot of my followers have been happy to get the advice for making their own lead magnets, and some have wondered if they can use these methods to make paid products, too.

 

So I thought it would be a good idea to get David to write a guest post for my blog, to tell people a little bit about the differences and similarities between lead magnets and paid products.

 

So get your notebook and pen, and enjoy his guest post below.  See how these ideas can help you in your internet business.

 

Take it away David!

 

I recently wrote several articles about different ways to create lead magnets, those free little products that we all use as “ethical bribes” to get our readers and visitors to opt in to our mailing list.  I’ll summarize these for you: 

 

eBooks and Reports – these are text documents, usually in pdf format.

 

Video Tutorials – there are “direct to camera,” or face videos, screen capture videos and powerpoint videos.  You can use all of them, or any combination of them to create a video series of tutorials on any topic.

 

Audio Downloads – these can be direct mp3 download links or audio podcasts.

Interviews – interviews can be delivered in any of the above formats: text, video or audio.

 

Webinars – these can be live stream events or recorded, and are most commonly used as either formal tutorials or question and answer sessions.

 

Teleseminars – these are live telephone presentations or conversations with a group of attendees.  They can also be recorded for dissemination as recorded events.

Lead Magnets

 

To convert a free lead magnet product into a paid one, regardless of the format it is created in, you need to understand the relationship between a lead magnet and a paid product.

 

To be optimally effective, your lead magnet product must adhere to two standards.  It must be both compelling and relevant.

 

To be compelling, it must be interesting, entertaining, cutting edge or any combination of these and other stylistic features that grab and retain the attention of your visitors.

 

To be relevant, it must provide a solution to a major problem or challenge that your readers face.  If your blog is about public speaking, it might be a video or an eBook that teaches “5 ways to ‘mesmerize’ your audience”.

 

A lead magnet is both compelling and when it has real value to your readers, addresses issues they are very concerned about, and is done in an interesting manner.

 

A lead magnet typically addresses one single key issue or topic of interest to your target audience.

Paid Products

 

A paid product  will take a broader perspective of a key issue.  So, “5 ways to mesmerize your audience” may be just one part of product called “How To Be A Charismatic Public Speaker”.  Other portions of the product may be things like:

“Thoroughly research your topic”
“Use stories in your presentation”
“Use humor”
“Construct metaphors”
“Use gestures to emphasize key points”
“Interact with your audience”
“Voice fluctuations”
“Emotional pauses and other timing and pacing ‘tricks'”

In other words, your paid product can easily build around your lead magnet.

 

Before you even begin to “create” your paid product, list 10, 15 even 20 topics and issues that it will address.  Any one of those topics can be your lead magnet.  But when put them all together, you have a fully developed product that you can put a price on.

 

In fact, if you look at the list of topics I listed for a public speaking product, you’ll notice that any one of them can be your free lead magnet.  In fact, you can develop each and every one of those topics as lead magnets.  You could even offer them alternately on your blog, or offer different ones in different places… use one for forums, another as a link to your YouTube videos, etc.

Once you put all these individual “lead magnets” together, you’ve got a paid product.

Marketing

 

The big difference between lead magnets and paid products is in the way they are marketed.

 

Typically, a lead magnet is offered via opt-in box or squeeze page.  A simple bait is cast, such as a squeeze page that offers “5 ways to mesmerize your audience – Become the charismatic speaker you never thought you could be”.

 

Then you embed your opt-in area for people to enter their name and email address, and they are added to your list, receive your free offer, and remain on your email list until and unless they decide to unsubscribe.

 

Marketing your product usually revolves around a sales page.  This is a more fully developed text, video or combination web page that tells readers what they will get when they buy your product, and how they will benefit from it.  This is almost always far longer than a squeeze page because you’re not just asking for somebody’s email address, you’re asking them to take out their credit card and buy something.  So you need to give them plenty of good reasons to take that action.

 

You can offer your sales page anywhere, of course, but an excellent place to start is the email list you build with your lead magnet.

 

This is particularly true when your lead magnet is really only one aspect of your paid product, as it is in the above example.

Targeted Marketing

 

If someone opts in to your mailing list for your lead magnet comprising one component of public speaking, for example, you know they are interested in that topic.

 

Who better to introduce your full paid product on public speaking to?  So after they’ve been on your email list for a few weeks, give them an email with link to your sales page.

 

This is what you call targeted marketing.

Personal Branding

 

There’s a substantial chance they’ll buy your product if you’ve been building a good relationship with them in your first few weeks of emails.

 

They’ve received your free lead magnet, now they’ve gotten to know you, and if you do it right they have come to like and trust you, too.  So convincing them to buy from you is mostly a matter of simply offering them your product.

 

They already know you, so there’s not much to stop them from buying your valuable product.

This is what you call personal branding.

The Sales Funnel

 

Taken together, your lead magnet and related paid product/s constitute what’s known as a sales funnel.  You interest people in what you do with your free lead magnet.

 

Once they’ve subscribed to your email list, you offer regular emails to let them get better acquainted with you, and to see how you can help them.

 

A bit further into this “funnel”, you offer your paid product.  If you don’t have a paid product, offer them a “relevant” affiliate product or products.

 

Ultimately, offer them a relevant high-end (expensive) product or service.  Ideally it will be your own product or service, but again, it can be affiliate offers, too, although it’s difficult to find good high end affiliate offers.  The creators of high-end offers, more often than not, do not offer affiliate commissions for them.

Top Tier Coaching

 

So whether it’s your own products and services, someone else’s (affiliate) products, or a combination of the two… you’ve got a sales funnel.

 

Taken together, your (1) lead magnet brings people into your sales funnel, where they are offered your (2) paid products.

 

Now, you’ve got an online business.


Best of luck!

 

Donna Merrill
Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.

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56 Responses to Lead Magnet Creation

  1. Sarupa Shah
    Twitter:
    June 23, 2013 at 5:23 am #

    love how this explains about lead magnets more – and although I have seen David’s site each time I read something of his I feel like I have been educated some more…and suddenly feeling very inspired to work, even though it is Sunday! Thank YOU!
    Sarupa Shah recently posted..The secrets to being powerful in business…My Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 24, 2013 at 11:07 pm #

      I’m glad to hear you’re inspired, Sarupa, but I certainly understand that you’ve gotta take a little time off from time to time.

      Sunday’s a good time to just relax and let things sink in.

      You actually progress faster and with more clarity when you regularly give yourself a break from the “climb”.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

  2. William Amis
    Twitter:
    June 22, 2013 at 10:32 pm #

    My goodness this is a manual within itself. Great content on what is needed and then how to apply it and when will be in a later session.

    This is the route of marketing to keep the audience in amazement and then leave then hungry for more. These all work and more is out that which we all have become victoms of.

    I love the ones that are clear and to the point. If you are looking for something to purchase it is a sea of cleaver people producing third party tools it makes my head spin.

    David is one who does it right without all the hype and junk. Just clear insightful guidence to make you realax and understand the process.

    Well done David.

  3. Jodi June 21, 2013 at 7:06 am #

    I wish I had all of this is one consise place when I was starting out! This is brilliant! Thanks David!

  4. Arleem
    Twitter:
    June 20, 2013 at 8:27 pm #

    I’ve been putting together my lead magnet which is our previous customers and those that have signed up for our newsletter. For our first lead magnet we offered 250 free pens with any order over $500.00. It became nuts and the response was overwhelming. Offering something for free that our customers didn’t expect. I enjoyed this article.

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 20, 2013 at 11:48 pm #

      Thanks for the real world case study, Arleem.

      You’re using lead magnets the way they’re intended, and capitalizing on it.

      It’s interesting to point out, too, as you’ve done… lead magnets don’t have to be digital products. They can also be actual products.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

  5. Margaret Wilson June 19, 2013 at 4:48 pm #

    Great post! I have used lead magnets a bit in the past, not so much lately thou. This post have re-inspired me.
    Margaret
    Margaret Wilson recently posted..Calling MLM Leads… How To Handle Objections With ConfidenceMy Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 19, 2013 at 10:13 pm #

      If you’re trying to build a mailing list, Margaret, you have to have a lead magnet.

      If your niche is MLM organizations (looks like that’s what you focus on), your lead magnet could be as simple as an invite to sign up for your newsletter to learn more about the company, the product, how to increase sales, how to develop a downline, etc.

      Anything that entices people to sign up for your email list is a lead magnet. Just make sure it is valuable to your flock, or they won’t be enticed to opt in.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

  6. Beth Hewitt
    Twitter:
    June 19, 2013 at 3:25 pm #

    Hi David,

    So amazing to see how far you have come, look at you with all your fabulous knowledge. I have to say, it isn’t just your blog post that has top notch information but you over deliver in the comments as well.

    I am also putting together a product right now and I loved what you about scheduling it for the week. I really need to get better at this, because my time is o limited.

    Hope to connect with you again soon,

    Beth 🙂
    Beth Hewitt recently posted..Too Busy to BlogMy Profile

  7. Siddhartha Sinha June 19, 2013 at 1:14 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    You mentioned very good facts of Lead Magnet and how to derive it like video, audio, ebooks and others as you listed. As I think Email and Video will be the best Lead Magnets to drive traffic and generate sales or revenues.

    Regards
    Siddhartha Sinha

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 19, 2013 at 10:19 pm #

      You need to try a few different methods, Siddhartha.

      Find the one or two that most resonate with you and go with them. No need to develop 100 strategies when one or two will be fine.

      They ALL work.

      Just refine your business so that you don\’t get too distracted and overwhelmed.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

  8. Mayura
    Twitter:
    June 18, 2013 at 9:42 pm #

    Hey David,

    Excellent! This is totally new for me 🙂

    I had no idea about what lead magnets were and never thought it’s this simple either 🙂 First, my guess was it’s something to do with Network Marketing and the phrase itself was confusing. You made it simple!

    I believe people always seek and embrace the value David. Value for money is not that simple. Isn’t it? When I start out as a freelancer, I never thought I’d get clients in my first week. All they knew was my blog and I had no previous work to show either. I believe personal branding worked out pretty well through my blog 🙂

    You both have a successful week over there, David and Donna 🙂

    Cheers…
    Mayura recently posted..Browse and Organize Your Reading List with The Old ReaderMy Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 19, 2013 at 10:02 pm #

      Thanks for stopping by, Mayura.

      The process is quite simple as you point out. That doesn’t make it easy, though. Everything is easy for the person who does it all the time, but for people just trying to catch on, they really need a helping hand if they don’t want to spend enormous amounts of time and money re-inventing the wheel.

      Just like getting clients is simple, as you say. But for those who haven’t been able to do that yet, they need to see HOW, whether it’s simple or complex.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

  9. Tonya Stephens June 18, 2013 at 5:32 pm #

    Hi Donna and David,
    Great tips and advice on how to develop a lead magnet.
    I use a generating lead system where much of this work is done for you and is semi customization.
    This is what we call a funded proposal and is very effective in generating leads.
    Video has been most effective for me recently and I like this marketing very much.
    Thanks again for sharing your insights into what is a lead magnet, how to create one and how you can roll that in to a paid digital product.
    Tonya

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 18, 2013 at 7:59 pm #

      Glad to help, Tonya.

      Sounds like you’re doing a nice job, and generating some leads for your effort.

      One of the great benefits of generating leads through your self-produced lead magnets and products, is that it really brands you in a powerful way within your universe of followers.

      Good luck with it all.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

  10. Nate Leung
    Twitter:
    June 18, 2013 at 5:15 pm #

    This is an awesome post by David. I’ve always believed in leading with value for value. Over delivering with value and you’ll get compensated very well. Give them a free offer or value that can help the prospect with their business and you’ll have a follower or a customer for life. I love how David layed out how to do just that. Thank you Donna for allowing David to guest post on your blog. 🙂
    Nate Leung recently posted..What Should You Do When Your MLM Upline Quits?My Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 18, 2013 at 7:56 pm #

      You’re on the right track, Nate.

      Always give… you’ll never need.

      The real key though is that you MUST give from your heart, not your head. Believe it or not, people really can tell the difference. And it makes all the difference in the world.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

      • Donna.Merrill
        Twitter:
        June 18, 2013 at 8:35 pm #

        Hi Nate!

        Yes, I did “allow” David here on my blog. He is my husband and usually we don’t even comment on each other’s blogs, but I wanted my readers to know a little bit about what we do together. I usually don’t write in this niche, but know it pretty well.

        Together we have 2 products almost completed. It is so great to work with your spouse!

        -Donna
        Donna.Merrill recently posted..Lead Magnet CreationMy Profile

  11. Neamat Tawadrous
    Twitter:
    June 18, 2013 at 12:41 pm #

    Hi Donna and Dave,

    Nice meeting you Dave!

    Thanks for a great post and exactly what I need at this time. I am going through narrowing my niche, creating an ethical bribe and building a sales funnel and all these stuff is new to me and I feel so overwhelmed.

    I love how you broke it down to bite-size pieces for newbies to grasp. I have to bookmark this post as a resource as it is very rich.

    Thanks Dave and Donna for a great share. Have a great week ahead.

    Be Blessed,

    Neamat

    • Nate Leung
      Twitter:
      June 18, 2013 at 5:16 pm #

      I agree Neamat!
      Nate Leung recently posted..What Should You Do When Your MLM Upline Quits?My Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 18, 2013 at 7:53 pm #

      Take a deep breath, Neamat and Nate.

      You’ve heard it before, but I’ll repeat it again… this is not a sprint, but a marathon.

      Pace your efforts, but be sure they are consistent and daily. Make sure everything you do will help you reach your Big Goal (which you should spell out for yourself in a diary or somewhere, even a blog post). Anything you’re doing that doesn’t really get you closer to that goal… stop it!

      Have a plan and put it into daily action steps.

      It will happen.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 18, 2013 at 8:19 pm #

      Hi Neamat!

      I am so happy you found this useful. David handles all of this stuff while I flutter the social media platform. Together we can do our business easier this way.
      He is the teacher, and I the social schmoozer lol

      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Lead Magnet CreationMy Profile

  12. Sylviane Nuccio
    Twitter:
    June 18, 2013 at 8:08 am #

    Hi Donna and David,

    How nice to see your special guest post, Donna.

    Wow this is a great list, David. You’ve said it all and I’m going to save this post as a reminder of all the things I could do.

    Every term is well explained in not so many words which makes it a great reference list.

    Thank for this guys 🙂
    Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..5 Fundamental Things You Need To Do To Be Truly SuccessfulMy Profile

  13. Silviu June 18, 2013 at 5:40 am #

    Hello Mr. Merrill,

    Thank you for this very interesting post. It’s concise, organised, systematic, rational, to the point. No useless talking, no pitching: a really powerful post.

    You explained in very few words:
    1. what a lead magnet is
    2. what a paid product is
    3. what a sales funnel is.
    Then you invited us to learn more from your site.

    Actually, you created a lead magnet, here, with this post. You practiced what you had preached. Well done!

    I like the way you think and write. From now on I will visit your blog to find out more about you and your business.

    I am very glad that I met you.
    Thank you very much for taking the time and effort to write this post.

    Have a nice day
    Silviu recently posted..Increase Exposure and Traffic with a Viral Content ContestMy Profile

  14. Corina Ramos June 17, 2013 at 9:06 pm #

    Hello David

    Wow…I’ve got some really good notes here. I’m thinking about putting all my research together for an ebook. It’s in the planning stages and now this definitely gives me a starting point. It may not be a money-maker for me but I can use it to build my subscriber list. 🙂

    Thank you for all this great information! You both have a great evening.
    Corina Ramos recently posted..Monday Work from Home Job Lead Madness 061713My Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 17, 2013 at 10:29 pm #

      Definitely use your eBook to build your list, Corina.

      But I’d encourage you to work backward through the process.

      What is the highest end product you want your subscribers to buy once they’re on your list.

      Is it a $2,000 consulting fee for your services? Is it your 8-week, $495 webinar-based course? Or is it to simply enroll in your MLM business?

      Those are the things you want subscribers to do at the “back end” of your sales funnel, deep into your newsletter marketing email sequences.

      First, create your high-end product.

      If it’s consulting, create the sales page that tells people in detail what they’ll get and how they’ll benefit by hiring you.

      If it’s a $495 course, create the sales page that people will see when you promote it.

      If it’s joining your business opportunity, have your enrollment promotion and procedures all ready to go.

      Second, write a good email sequence that will try to sell your high-end offer. At least 5 emails should do.

      Third, think of a cheaper version of your high-end item. Maybe a $200 consulting session, or a single webinar course for $97, or a $25 training teleseminar teaching people how to succeed with any MLM product.

      Fourth, write a good sequence of maybe 3 emails to promote these products.

      Fifth, find a cheap product of $1 to $19. Promote that with one or two emails. Write the emails and link them to the sales page for those products.

      LAST, create your free offer (an eBook in your case). MAKE SURE that free offer is 100% congruent with your high end offer.

      If your high end offer is real estate investing consulting, don’t make your free offer an eBook about interior decorating. Make it something like “5 tricks I used to buy my first rental property with only $1,000 down”.

      Good luck. You’re on an exciting path!
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

  15. Lisa
    Twitter:
    June 17, 2013 at 8:14 pm #

    Great piece David, I like the explanations given. I had done one eBook and have been thinking of a 2nd. I can now see how a lead and sales funnel are different but you need the lead to get to the sales funnel. Thanks for the explations and ideas here 🙂
    Lisa recently posted..Twitter Jail For 48 Hours – It Could Happen To You Too!My Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 17, 2013 at 10:06 pm #

      Hope you get to put it to use, Lisa.

      By the way, you don’t have to create these products yourself. You can create a very effective sales funnel purely from affiliate products, too, but the method is the same.

      Even network marketers can apply the concept by getting people onto their list with products that are congruent with the niche that their business is in, and eventually moving them into their downline. In this case, joining your network business could be you “high-end” ticket item.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 18, 2013 at 2:04 pm #

      Hi Lisa,

      Great to know David has been a help to you!

      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Lead Magnet CreationMy Profile

  16. Adrienne
    Twitter:
    June 17, 2013 at 12:24 pm #

    Hey Hey Hey David! Great to see you here my friend and what a wonderful share you have for us.

    Now that was spelled out beautifully indeed. I know it’s all a confusing process for some. I admit this taking what seemed like forever for me to fully grasp how all of this works. So many working parts to this but it’s something we all really need to be putting into place.

    As you both know, I’m also in the process myself of creating my first product. Dang those video tutorials do take a long time don’t they? I’ve been slow getting started, trying to make sure I have everything mapped out the way I want. I know and I admit to having dragged my feet but it will be released before the end of the year so you guys can hold me to it!

    Thanks for sharing this with us David and so glad Donna had you share this particular topic. It’s one we all need to be involved with.

    So you guys have a fabulous week okay!

    ~Adrienne
    Adrienne recently posted..Residual Income: What It Is and Why You Need ItMy Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 17, 2013 at 8:07 pm #

      Glad to hear you’re working on your first product, Adrienne. I’m sure it will be a good one.

      I’d make a suggestion to move things along faster, though. Create a rigorous Production Schedule and stick to it. Not a casual one, a rigorous one.

      So, if your product requires 25 videos, determine to do 5 a day for a week. By the end of the week, your product is done. Don’t worry about the quality at this point.

      Now, for the other moving parts.

      Put together your sales page, OTO (one time offer) as an upsell, a downsell and an exit pop offer to get people onto your list if they decline all your purchase offers.

      Do all those things the second week.

      By now, you’ll be pretty tired.

      Give the whole thing to a friend or associate to review and ask that they do it over a 2 day period, even if they have to skim. Offer to do the same for them one day. you could even pay someone to do this (maybe a Fiverr contact).

      Get their feedback in a phone call so (1) they don’t need to do a lot of work on it (2) so you can have a conversation about it, not just a unilateral critique. Make sure to have that phone conversation at the end of the second day. You want your product to be fresh in their mind.

      Now, schedule a week to make revisions based on your feedback. Redo videos if needed, rewrite sales page copy… whatever.

      You should have your product done in a month if you put everything else on the backburner. By working rapidly through this process, your product will have more consistency and fluidity. And it’s themes and modules will have greater congruence that they would if you did a handful of training videos in March, a bunch more in April, none in May, back to it in June, etc etc.

      Now you can take a long time to get the product done, but I suggest you don’t make it a masterpiece, just make it a product. Wrap it up, put it on the shelf with a price sticker, and start the next.

      Cheers!
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

      • Donna.Merrill
        Twitter:
        June 18, 2013 at 12:04 am #

        Hey Adrienne,

        I know how you think you are dragging your feet on your product but actually you are not.

        Once you make that schedule and stick to it, you will be on your way.
        I know David mentioned not to make it a materpiece, and I know you well. You are a perfectionist.

        Sometimes you just gotta give a little…remember there are more products than your first one.

        -Donna
        Donna.Merrill recently posted..Lead Magnet CreationMy Profile

  17. Patricia Goodman June 17, 2013 at 11:35 am #

    Donna/David,

    Thanks for the very informative article.

    Defining lead magnets and noting their key characteristics is very helpful. For some reason I never really put it together that your paid product provides a broader perspective of your lead magnet. Sometimes you just have to see it written in black & white to make the connection.

    You took something that can be very confusing and have broken it down into segments that are useful to all of us.

    Thank you!
    Patricia Goodman recently posted..Easy To Apply Blogging TipsMy Profile

  18. Sue Price
    Twitter:
    June 17, 2013 at 3:47 am #

    Hi David and Donna

    David thank you as I keep hearing the term “lead magnet” but did not really understand how it worked. So thanks for the explanation. I am yet to go over to your blog to check out your other information.

    Ouch David I just read your comment to Barbara – implementation ..everything else is procrastination. I like as I can easily fool myself there is “stuff” in between but no there is not.

    Thanks for a great post.

    Sue
    Sue Price recently posted..Financial Intelligence For Your BusinessMy Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 17, 2013 at 7:49 pm #

      I think we all fool ourselves, Sue, into thinking we’re accomplishing something when we’re really just spinning wheels and reveling in our comfort zone.

      That’s the challenge for the entrepreneur, to be productive every single day, and for the biggest portion of your day. Try to keep the “to do” stuff for the end of the day, or for the evening when you’ve scheduled yourself for a little break.

      I think the secret is to make sure the “productive” things are done first, before anything else. For online marketers, “productive” means anything that will directly lead to earning commissions or profits.

      Watching a great tutorial about a YouTube strategy IS NOT productive in this sense. Shooting, producing, posting and promoting your YouTube video IS productive to the extent that it is giving viewers a call to action to purchase your product or service.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

      • Donna.Merrill
        Twitter:
        June 18, 2013 at 12:02 am #

        Glad you liked it Sue!

        Ahh Procrastination is the biggest issue! We need to stick to a production schedule and actually do it!

        Donna
        Donna.Merrill recently posted..Lead Magnet CreationMy Profile

  19. Sonia June 17, 2013 at 1:31 am #

    Great post. I am in the middle of creating something now that I was going to sell and decided to offer it as a way to build my list and still offer something relevant. What I liked most about this post is how well you broke it down in small pieces to really understand. Talk about dummy-proof ingredients to building a great product. Thank you because I needed this!
    Sonia recently posted..The Good, Bad and Boring of Google Reader AlternativesMy Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 17, 2013 at 7:40 pm #

      You can, of course, offer your product for free, Sonia, but expand it further and offer it for sale, too.

      That’s actually the ideal situation, where you offer a small piece of your paid product as your lead magnet. Anyone that wants your free lead magnet will make a very highly targeted prospect for buying your paid product since it’s part and parcel of the same thing.

      This is very similar to offering a free chapter of a book. Get chapter 1 (and maybe 2 and 3) for free. Now that you’re “hooked”, you can download the other 20 chapters of the book for the stated price.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

  20. Sherman Smith June 17, 2013 at 12:43 am #

    Hey Dona and Dave, thanks for sharing.. I’ve been putting together my lead magnet (aka ebook) for about a month now (I know, a long time) and will be doing some finishing touches by the end of this month. I’ve been figuring out what I need to do to create the sales funnel as well. This post came at the right time! Thanks for sharing this great info.

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 17, 2013 at 1:12 am #

      Congratulations, Sherman.

      I love it when people make things happen, and sounds like you’re doing just that.

      To put together the sales funnel, make sure everything is congruent. Whether you’re promoting your own products/services, or affiliates, make sure it’s all congruent with your lead magnet. That’s why people joined your list, so make sure that’s what you’re giving them.
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 17, 2013 at 3:44 pm #

      Hi Sherman,

      Glad this could be of help. A sales funnel is more important than the product itself! Yes, I know, we put so much time and effort in our product, but we need to get it out there in the most efficient way.

      David and I are partners. He is a great teacher and I’m the schmoozer. Together we work on this stuff all the time.

      Glad you enjoyed it,
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Lead Magnet CreationMy Profile

  21. Barbara Charles
    Twitter:
    June 17, 2013 at 12:38 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Now you know how you are with technical stuff? Well that’s how I am with this stuff! OMG! So much to take it and even though I know it and I get it, each thing individually, reading somehow makes it seem like I don’t know enough.

    Each and every point is necessary and a learning process everyone needs to learn and go through. Understanding each and everything, including and I think most importantly, branding and the sales funnel. I’m clear on Branding….still working on that sales funnel!

    Thank you for sharing.
    I’m getting there,
    Barbara
    Barbara Charles recently posted..5 Most Useful Color Tools and Web Apps for Designers – Web Color DesignMy Profile

    • David Merrill 101
      Twitter:
      June 17, 2013 at 1:09 am #

      It’s not so important to KNOW everything, Barbara.

      What’s really important is to just put things into motion. I usually tell my clients (the ones that want to create their first lead magnet or paid product) to try to create a crummy product.

      Why would I tell them that?

      Because then they are free to get it done. They are usually surprised that their “crummy” product isn’t half as bad as they thought it would be. If it’s really bad, they can replace it, or replace parts of it. Maybe change a video here or there, or a paragraph or whatever.

      What’s MOST important is … implementation!

      Everything else is procrastination.

      Good luck!
      David Merrill 101 recently posted..Lead Magnet Creation | TeleseminarsMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 17, 2013 at 3:37 pm #

      Hey Barbara,

      I count my blessings that David can do this part. Although I must admit, I don’t leave it entirely up to him. I do get involved in the learning process and also our brain-storming sessions every morning.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Lead Magnet CreationMy Profile

  22. Donna.Merrill
    Twitter:
    June 17, 2013 at 12:03 am #

    Thank you David!

    I try to explain all this, but you do it better than I can ever do. I’m sure my readers are ready to step up to this one!
    Donna.Merrill recently posted..Guest PostMy Profile

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