Lead Magnet Ideas for High End Interior Designers
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that we’ve discussed many things on this blog: how to grow your mailing list, what you should post on social media, how to design a great website (or how to have one designed for you), etc. One important piece of the marketing sales funnel that we haven’t taken a deep dive into, however, is the lead magnet.
So, today, let’s take a close look at what a lead magnet is, what it does for your business, the components of a successful and effective lead magnet, and how you can create one for yourself.
What is a Lead Magnet and Why Does it Matter?
If you’re scratching your head wondering why you don’t know this term, it’s okay. It has only been within the last few years that people in the home industry are using lead magnets to grow their mailing lists.
A lead magnet is essentially a freebie…usually in the form of a digital magazine or ebook…that is visible, easily accessible, sits on your website, and does many different things:
It helps your potential clients with an issue or problem they are facing at the moment
It sets you up as an expert in your field and allows for you to share your portfolio images in a natural way
It builds trust and initiates a relationship between you and this potential client
It attracts the right leads that are most likely to hire you because the freebie you are offering speaks directly to them
It entices those potential clients to share their contact information with you in exchange for this complimentary guide
Note: You will notice that I use the terms “lead magnet” and “freebie” interchangeably because, in the marketing world, they are used interchangeably, and I want you all to be well-versed when it comes to the marketing terminology that impacts your business.
What is the Best Topic for a Lead Magnet?
Great question! But the answer is…that depends! Your services and target client will largely influence the topics that will be the best fit for your unique business.
With that said, however, most successful lead magnets are a “how-to” of sorts (ex: How to Style Designer-Looking Shelves), or they outline a step-by-step process (ex: 3 Steps to Prepare for Your Kitchen Remodel), or they share specific industry tips around a certain project type (ex: Little Known Staging Tips for Your Most Profitable Sale).
No matter the topic you choose, you do need to make sure your lead magnet aligns with a specific service that you have to offer, as well as a service that you actually want to provide more of (because your lead magnet will help you become known for this specific project type).
To get your creative juices flowing, here are a few questions and ideas to consider based on home industry business type:
Home Staging: If you are trying to connect with real estate agents to establish long-term relationships, think about what drives them to hire a home stager? Is it reputation? Commission? Competition? No matter the reason, you’ll likely want your lead magnet to be data driven and full of real, recent statistics. This doesn’t mean hiring an analyst. Simply do a Google search, find reputable sources (making sure you cite them properly), and turn that data into a compelling freebie that communicates the benefits of staging, displays your expertise and ability to help sell listings for a higher price point, and encourages these real estate agents to hire you because you are speaking directly to one of their pain points.
Window Treatment Workrooms: Your lead magnet will look a little bit different if you are doing retail work or selling to-the-trade, but either way, think about the projects you want more of. Then determine how you can help educate your target client. If you want more to-the-trade work, create a freebie around helping the overworked interior designer take something off her to-do list. If you want more retail work, create a lead magnet around popular design styles or basic window treatment jargon so that people feel more fully informed, and therefore comfortable working with you, trusting that you’ll help them get exactly what they are looking for in window treatments.
Interior Designers AND Professional Organizers: First of all, do you travel? Or serve people only in your local area? Gear your lead magnet toward whatever you want to do more of. Do you want to reach more clientele with a particular budget? In a certain geographic area? Or with specific project or room needs? Approach your freebie by offering information that will alleviate your clients’ stress and let them know you are there for them, but keep it specific to the type of client or project that you want to attract. Working directly with homeowners, you’ll want to focus on the emotions of the project, not the data. Paint yourself as the person who will solve their home problems, infuse their lifestyle into their space, and bring ease and comfort back to their daily lives.
Note: It is at this point that I’ve received some pushback from people worrying that if they give away information for free that they will be losing clients. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the more you share and give to your clients without expecting anything in return, the more they’ll trust you and want to hire you down the road. Having a lead magnet is a very strategic move as a business owner.
What Should My Lead Magnet Look Like?
In general, your lead magnet should contain one to three pages of actual content, not including the cover page or final contact page, which means you are looking at somewhere between 500-1,500 words. It needs to be on-brand, reflecting your business’ colors, fonts, logo, etc. And because you're not trying to make this look like just anybody could have sent it, it needs to be tailored to exactly what your company represents and how you will serve the people who are reading it.
An effective lead magnet will have several key components, and I’m here to spell them each out for you:
Cover Page: Think of your favorite magazine’s cover. It is usually a large, attractive image, the title of the publication, and a few brief highlights that preview what you’ll find inside. You will want to replicate this for your lead magnet. (Or use one of the many pre-designed templates that I have available in The Socialite Shop.)
Content Pages: Next, you’ll include the one to three pages of text that take a deep dive into your topic. Include two to three relevant images on each of those pages to keep them aesthetically appealing and visually interesting. In order to break up the text, use larger headlines, pulled quotes, columns, etc. as needed. You want this to be easy (and fun) to read.
Final Contact Page: After discussing your topic, you will need a final page with your bio, headshot, contact information, and social media profile links. Finally, and most importantly, you want a call to action. This is the entire point of having a lead magnet in the first place. So, ask your readers to book a complimentary consultation, or whatever you want them to do after receiving and reading your freebie. (Make this a small ask to begin with…don’t dive right in and expect them to book a service for tens of thousands of dollars without an interim step first.) Just make sure that you actually list the URL you want them to visit in order to take this next step. Or if you prefer they call or email you, give them that clear direction instead.
What Tools Do I Need to Create My Lead Magnet?
If you are comfortable with Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, you can absolutely create your lead magnet there. However, if you want to really make an impact, I suggest using Canva. It is an amazing, easy-to-learn (and use) graphic design platform that will give you stunning results.
I do suggest gathering your content, high-resolution images, etc. ahead of the design portion of your project so that once you are ready to dive into the creative space, you already have the well-thought content ready to go.
And of course, you will need some time. A successful, effective, beautiful lead magnet isn’t usually created in a single afternoon. But with some dedicated time and intention, your investment of hours will make a substantial impact on your business.
Note: As stated earlier, if you don’t have the time to do this well from scratch, consider visiting The Socialite Shop and purchasing one of our fully customizable Canva templates. All you do is swap in your brand colors, photos, business information, and do a light edit of the text (to make sure it sounds like you), download it as a PDF, put it up on your website, and you’re good to go. And the best part? If you’re already a member, you have free access to all of these lead magnet templates at no extra cost.
So that’s the nitty gritty of a beautiful, effective home industry lead magnet. This isn’t busy work for your business. This is a key step in your sales funnel, a strategic business move, and a smart investment of time and resources to build and grow your business. Happy creating!
Until next time,
Kate
