You may have noticed what’s happening with Social Media at the moment.
It’s being flooded with ads and offers.
This is largely down to what’s happening around the world right now. People are beginning to react and push their products and services online.
It’s not just the established entrepreneurs and small businesses who are busy marketing. Newbies and newcomers are having a go, most probably to make a bit of income when money might be feeling tight.
This means there is likely to be increased demand for VA’s who have a decent understanding of the nuts and bolts of sales funnels or campaign launches.
People may not want to employ a copywriter because they might, rightly or wrongly, see that as ‘expensive’. With some of those ‘cheap’ freelancer sites, they face the risk of not getting the right quality.
That is where the confident and competent VA can step in and assist.
You could be asked for help with social media posts or ads, creating landing pages or sales pages. And if you have a flair for design, tech or copywriting you should be marketing this as a key part of your range of services.
But quite often it is two other elements of the funnel that people struggle with. Creating lead magnets and writing email sequences for the sales funnel or client journey.
If you want to know how easy it is to put together a lead magnet and matching emails for the ‘nurture to sale’ sequence, simply read on. I’m going to share a solid template to make life easier for you.
Let’s start with the lead magnet. This is the free offer you see on a website or landing page, which people can download in exchange for their name and email address.
Whilst the lead magnet could be a checklist, quiz, survey, video series or white paper, the most common types are a free report or eBook.
Perfect territory for the MS PowerPoint and MS Word Wizard.
Here’s a simple way to create an eBook for your client.
Think of 5 or 7 points you want the lead magnet to make. The points could be about things to avoid or things to definitely do.
You now have the structure for your eBook or eGuide (and it works for reports, too):
📙 Introduction
📙 About the Author
📙 Point 1
📙 Point 2
📙 Point 3
📙 Point 4
📙 Point 5
📙 (Point 6)
📙 (Point 7)
📙 Conclusion
📙 Contact details
📙 Call to Action (optional)
The 5 or 7 point approach also helps you to come up with your eBook title.
If the book, guide or report is warning people to avoid things you could use the word ‘mistake’ in the name.
The title would be something like “The 5 Mistakes….” or “The 7 Mistakes…”. For example, for the topic of SEO in marketing the title could be “The 5 Worst Rookie Mistakes in SEO (And how to avoid them)”. For a weight-loss program, the lead magnet could be “The 7 Big Mistakes With Diets – And what to do instead”. For a ‘How to Sell on eBay’ course it might be “The Seven Things to Avoid When Selling on eBay”.
Or you can take the positive, ‘towards’ motivation approach.
For SEO, it might be “The 7 Secrets to Successful SEO”. For weight-loss, it could be “The 5-Step Plan to a Trimmer, Healthier and Happier You”. For eBay sellers, you might try “The 5 Best Ways to Improve Your Chances of an Easy Sale on eBay”.
That’s your eBook sorted. Now, what about those emails?
Once someone has signed up for the lead magnet (and agreed to future marketing) there should be a sequence of emails they receive. This series of emails deliver the lead magnet and nurtures the reader towards a first purchase or sale.
But what do you say to them?
It’s easy. You tell them what you told them in the eBook.
Your first email delivers the lead magnet. In a nutshell, it says “Thank you. Here is the eBook called (insert title) you requested. Enjoy.”
This is where you can reaffirm what a great decision the person has made in getting the eBook. This is where you can explain the value of the lead magnet. This is where you can tell the reader what to expect next.
Your email sequence could run something like this.
📧 Email #1 – Delivers the eBook or other lead magnet. Thanks the reader. Tells them the next steps.
📧 Email #2 – Covers Point 1 from your eBook
📧 Email #3 – Covers Point 2 from your eBook
📧 Email #4 – Covers Point 3 and starts to seed the idea for your first paid offer
📧 Email #5 – Covers Point 4 and talks about your paid offer
📧 Email #6 – Covers Point 5 and talks more about your paid offer
(If you have 7 points in your eBook, simply add a couple more emails into the sequence).
And you don’t have to stop there. You can keep adding emails or create tagged actions for people, based on the decisions they take with your messages and offers.
The reason for covering the same points in your emails as the eBook is this. You may find people do not download the lead magnet you send them. Even if they do, some may not read it. And if they have read it, your emails will reinforce the learning they got from your freebie.
Not only will this template help you create content for your clients’ sales funnels. You can also use it for your own marketing.
It’s why my online trainings are so relevant and great value right now. There is a stack of work lining up out there if you want to go and get it.
One of the tasks you may get asked to do as a VA is create a lead magnet.
This is part of a list-building strategy suitable for most businesses.
You ask people to share their name and email address – and give permission to hear more from you – in return for a piece of valuable content, or ‘lead magnet’.
This allows your business to build a relationship with prospects – and nurture them towards a first sale.
The lead magnet could be a video series, checklist, webinar or other resource. It is, however, more often than not a short eBook or PDF guide.
If you are able to put together good lead magnets you will find businesses keen to put work your way.
They may even ask you to suggest ideas for titles, content and how best to present the information.
Here are seven tips to help you create a strong lead magnet:
Tip #1 – Come Up With an Attention-Grabbing Title
Your lead magnet needs a strong title as much as a sales page requires a powerful headline.
This is a big part of what will tempt people to download it – and provide their email in return.
The reader wants to know ‘What’s In It For Me?’ – so a lead magnet should provide relevant tips, advice and knowledge. And this can help you create the wording for the guide’s title.
This really is a topic for a training all on its own but here are some examples to give you some inspiration.
“How to Create a Dazzling PowerPoint Presentation Your Bosses Will Love”
“The Secret to Successful Sales on a Shoestring”
“How To Get Your Business in the Press – Without Paying a Penny for Advertising”
“How To Double Your Income Without Doubling Your Work Hours”
“Seven Things Your Website Designer Will HATE You for Knowing (because it means they’ll have to work harder for your money)”
“OUCH! – The 5 Most Painful Ways to Lose Money to the Taxman (And How to Avoid Them)”
You get the picture.
The title is a hook to draw people in. Then all you have to do is make sure the content inside lives up to the headline act.
Tip #2 – Include a List of Contents
There are five good reasons for including a list of contents. It:
Helps people find the information they want
Provides a fast-track to precise pages, especially if there’s a ton of content
Adds a professional touch – and gives a good impression
Gives the reader an at-a-glance summary of the key content
Looks good on a page, with enhanced visual appeal to the eye
You can create a template for this and fill in the details (like page numbers) when you have the complete content done.
Tip #3 – Make Sure The Content is of Value To The Reader
It’s one thing to grab people’s attention with a great lead magnet title. It’s another to get people to read it once they have done the download.
Get used to the idea that some people will sign up for a freebie – and NEVER get around to checking out the content.
But others will read the resource, so you want to ensure the content is up to the mark.
Include a short introduction. Set out your points in a clear, logical order. Match the tips, advice or information to the target audience and their current experience – their problems, their challenges, their issues.
Most importantly, show how the content you are providing can help them with these matters, even if only in part.
Tip #4 – Use Simple Words and Short Sentences
Even if the lead magnet is aimed at a corporate or business audience, keep your content easy to read.
Use simple words instead of long ones, where you can. Only use technical terms or jargon if it is relevant to the reader. And explain what they mean if it helps people to understand. Don’t assume people will know.
Use short sentences. It makes it easier for people to read.
A simple way to know if a sentence is too long is to read it out LOUD. Notice your breath, where the pauses are and how the words flow. Adjust and edit if necessary.
Use short paragraphs. Ideally, no paragraph should be longer than five lines on the page. A reader faced with a big block of text may not be encouraged to read it.
Tip #5 – Use Images
You don’t just want great content for your lead magnet. You want it to look good, look professional.
Using relevant and good quality images can help. You might want something for the front cover, or a picture of the author(s), or a visual to tie in with information being shared in the copy.
Also consider whether charts, tables, graphs, illustrations or a cartoon might help to present the information or make a point.
Tip #6 – Have an About Page
It’s a good idea to include a section about the author or organisation who is putting out the lead magnet.
This helps with credibility, trust and connection with the reader.
It gives people an answer to the question “Why should I listen to you?”
Keep the copy short and to the point. The reader doesn’t want ‘War and Peace’.
If you’re not sure what to write, just go to a book store and see how authors are presented to you. Take a few tips from the crisp and catchy bios on the shelves.
Tip #7 – Include a Call to Action
The primary aim of the lead magnet is to get new people on the mailing list – so you can carry on the conversation with them.
So the resource you give away for free is largely about providing the content you promised in return for the reader’s details.
But it doesn’t harm to make an invitation or offer inside the lead magnet. As long as it is relevant to the audience and appropriate for the type of document. For example, you might not include it in a research-focused White Paper report (though you could if you wanted to).
Your call to action should be clear and simple.
One offer. One or more ways to take that offer up (e.g. via phone, email, website).
You could invite people to have a free consultation with you. You choose the amount of time… 60 minutes, 40 minutes, 20 or 15… that you want to give.
You could ask them to book a paid session or a review (e.g. Social Media audit, website review, IT audit, copy review or training skills assessment).
If you’re creating a lead magnet for a client, remember to ask them if they have an action they would like the reader to take.
And there you have it.
Seven quick tips for creating a solid lead magnet – for clients or for your own business.
Do tell me how you get on.
P.S. Have you heard? I have an online course called Creating E-books and Lead Magnets in Word. It’s where I guide you step-by-step so you can start doing this kind of task with your eyes shut. (Well, you know what I mean).
Recently I have been asked about getting back lost documents a few times. It is all to do with AutoSave, OneDrive and Office 365.
Let me set the scene.
You are working on a project and have a series of documents to create. You create the first one, save it and then go on to use that as the starting point for document number 2. All is well until you realise that you have inadvertently over typed everything in document 1 and it seems to be lost for ever. Oh no! All that work!
What is a girl to do?
Let me unpick this for you and show you how you can avoid this happening in the future.
Enter AutoSave
AutoSave is a feature of Office 365 that applies when you save your documents to OneDrive (I will use the term OneDrive, and in this case, I mean both the personal and the business versions).
You will notice a small icon on the top left of the Title Bar. It looks like this:
Autosave Icon is showing here as On.
The save icon now has a refresh circle on it.
The title of the document now says Saving….
What does AutoSave do?
It makes your document behave like a web-based document. Whenever you work online your changes are saved as you type.
So, if you are working in a Word document online you never press the save button and there is no save icon at all. Word simply saves your changes as you go.
With the advent of Office 365 and OneDrive you can now save your documents in the cloud (or online if you prefer) right from inside Word, when you save to a OneDrive or SharePoint location.
As soon as you save your document to a OneDrive location, the Autosave icon switches on. Now as you type Word saves your changes automatically.
So Shelley, if my document is being saved all the time, how do I get back to previous versions?
Good question and of course I have the answer!
As Word saves your documents it also saves a version history and you can get back to any of the save points that Word creates.
How do I see Version History?
On the title bar, click the drop-down arrow next to the document name and choose Version History,
You will see all the versions displayed in a task pane on the right-hand side of the document.
I have chosen to open the version in the middle of the list above and this is what I see:
In the title bar it tells me the version number the date and time and that this version is Read Only. I can Restore this version or I can save as and create a copy of it with another name. I could also Compare which will open the current version and this version in a special window – a subject for another post entirely.
When does Word create these restore points?
As long as you are typing, Word will be saving. When you stop it has time to synchronise your document online and then a version is saved. Notice that as you type it says saving for a few seconds once you stop typing. Then it turns to Saved.
Shelley – does this work on Mac ?
Yes! So long as you are using Office 365 and saving to OneDrive then it works the same way.
I saved this document to my blogging folder in OneDrive for Business and AutoSave is automatically switched on. A tip pops up about Version History too.
I get the same options as Word on the Windows platform.
Version History and the task pane.
What if I don’t want to AutoSave my document?
A few things to note.
Turn AutoSave off for this document only – toggle the AutoSave icon to Off and the current document will stop AutoSaving. Whenever you open THIS document it will not be AutoSaved.
Always save a copy of a document with a new name before you make any changes and close the original just to make sure. Otherwise you run the risk of overwriting the current document. To do this:
Click File then Save a Copy and give the document a new name.
How has this post helped you? What will you do differently? Leave me a comment and let me know.
P.S Why not visit the CourseDirectory and see which of my courses tickles your fancy!
So your client has asked you to research a topic. Maybe it is to find out about a particular item or perhaps they need you to research freight or Excel You can use Researcher in Word to get started.
Using Researcher in Word
If you have an Office 365 Subscription, then you will have access to Researcher. Before you ask, it is also available on Mac and although I have not put screenshots in here, it works the same way.
Here goes:
Start to research your topic by going to the References Ribbon and clicking on Researcher. Next type in the term you are looking for. I chose to use desert for this example.
You will see a task pane open on the right of the screen with a list in it. Click on the Plus sign next to a topic to add it as a heading – this can help you build the structure of your document. If you don’t see enough topics click More Topics and you will be offered more.
The topic is added along with a comment. The Comment links to the articles so that you can explore them later once you have built the structure.
When you go and explore an article, you can copy and paste text and add it directly to your document along with a Citation! It even builds a Bibliography for you – magic!
To add text, select text and then choose Add to just add the text or Add and Cite to add a Citation as well.
When you choose to Add and Cite you will see the Bibliography build before your eyes.
I hope that you can see the benefit of this tool. Next time you are asked to research a topic for a client give it a try.
Just don’t end up down too many rabbit holes as you start to investigate the topics
To learn more fun things that you can do with Microsoft Word, hop over and pick up the How to Create eBooks and Lead Magnets with Ease course where you will learn all kinds of cool things about Microsoft Word, that will enable you to create awesome Lead Magnets for you or your clients.
P.S. Why not join my Facebook group where you can ask questions, get answers and interact with me and other Virtual Assistants like you. Click Here and request to join.
When you are working on a document and want to get a definition or some more information about something, use Smart Lookup to add that extra dimension.
In Word you will find Smart Lookup on the References Ribbon in the Research group (I will talk about Researcher in another blog post ) and in the other Office programs you will find it on the References Ribbon.
Note for Mac Users – if you are using Office 365 – then you will also have Smart Lookup just like the Windows users .
Using Smart Lookup
To use it, select the word or phrase you want to look up and then click the Smart Lookup icon.
A task pane will open on the right of the screen with a list of suggestions for you. It is powered by Bing – it will look something like this:
You will see that there are more items in the task pane that are not showing – you can simply scroll down to see more. If you want even more suggestions, there is a show more button at the very bottom.
You will see that you can open the site or copy and paste the text into your document.
A short tip this week I know, however quite useful.
Leave a comment and let me know how useful this is!
Take a look at the new tomorrow’s VA Course Academy you can find it here Course Directory
Microsoft Word Courses :
Work Smarter with Style – how to use Styles in Microsoft Word – I have a version for Windows and a version for Mac
Create eBooks and Lead Magnets with Ease – everything you need to know to create a stunning Lead Magnet or eBook
