Your opt-in page is one of the most important parts of marketing your lead magnet. You can craft the most targeted, enticing social campaign to lead your prospects there, but if your opt-in page doesn’t compel them to fill in their details – there goes your lead.
As they say, you can lead a horse to water, but if you don’t persuade them, they’ll never give you their email address. Or something like that!
So what makes an enticing and effective lead magnet opt-in page?
Never one to go in blind, I did a little experiment. I downloaded 50 lead magnets from a bunch of B2B technology companies to see what kind of opt-in pages people are creating these days. And one of the things I noticed was how much lead magnet opt-in pages varied.
- Some were incredibly short: just a title and a form with no idea of what I’d get.
- Some were essay-length: so long I had no idea it was an opt-in page at all.
- And just like the three bears, there were some that were juuuuuuust right.
The perfect mix of intrigue and desire – making me believe that “YES”, I do need this lead magnet to make my life complete.
I’d love to say there’s an easy 1,2,3 step formula that would help you magically create the perfect lead magnet opt-in page. But the truth is that every opt-in page is unique. It depends on your customers’ challenges, what pain points they face, and your unique brand voice.
But to get your creative juices flowing, here are some of the best lead magnet opt-in pages I came across during my experiment. I’ve added a few comments around why I think they work so well and what you can do to replicate their success.
Smarter HQ
So many opt-in pages make vague promises about what’s inside their lead magnet. Like showing you “how to create a seamless experience” (huh?). Or it will provide “expert tips” to help you improve efficiency (yeah, like what?).
Smarter HQ’s guide to the consumer privacy act clearly lays out the challenge their customers are facing – and then gives some ultra clear bullet points about what’s in the guide to show how they can solve this challenge.
Lesson: Make it crystal clear in your bullets what people will get when they download your lead magnet.
View the opt-in page: https://smarterhq.com/ccpa-guide
Tealium
Telium’s opt-in page is short, clear and tells you exactly what you’re going to get. What I love about it is the last line flagging its BONUS content. Rationally, I know this is just part of their lead magnet, but there’s something about calling out a bonus that appeals to us. Who doesn’t love something extra?
Lesson: Make it enticing – it’s already free but how can you make it extra??
View the opt-in page: https://tealium.com/resource/whitepaper/the-joy-of-data-cookbook-chapter-3/
Employment Hero
I love when brands talk to their customers like real people. Employment Hero is one company that does this so well. They have a beautiful tone of voice that perfectly balances conversational and corporate – believe me, this is hard to do!
The beauty of this opt-in page is you really feel they’re talking to you and addressing your struggles head on, rather than people in general out there (waves hand vaguely). I also love that they end with a positive sentence that leaves you feeling like “we’re in this together”.
Lesson: Engage your readers by talking TO them, not about them. Remember the word “you” is one of the most powerful words you can use.
View the opt-in page: https://employmenthero.com/resources/performance-review-guide/
Enablo
I’m a big fan of a well-placed statistic. They add a certain credibility to your messages and help people feel secure in their shortcomings. For example, if I know that 82% of people also struggle to spell the word “knowledge” I instantly feel less stupid (the irony of not knowing how to spell “knowledge” is not lost on me!)
In this opt-in page, Enablo use some simple stats to back up their challenge in the opening paragraph. These numbers add weight to their claim and make readers feel better about their challenges, like we’re all in the same boat. The only thing I’d like to see is where these stats come from – that would add even more credibility to their opt-in page.
Lesson: Add some stats and research to your opt-in page to add gravitas and make people feel better about the challenge you’re helping them overcome.
View the opt-in page here https://www.enablo.com/project/workplace-ex-it-handbook/
Displayr
Just like new parents are obsessed with their kid’s first word, I am obsessed with how great writers choose the first word in their sentences. This opt-in page from data visualization company Displayr is a stunning example of using a powerful word to open your sentence. They actually use three powerful words, and then go on to paint a picture of what your life could be like once you read their lead magnet (and presumably start using their software).
I also love how specific they are – giving me 24 techniques for improving visualizations – that sounds like incredible value for handing over a few personal details – sign me up!
Lesson: Every word counts. Hook people in from the very first word and they’ll lap up the rest.
View the opt-in page here https://www.displayr.com/resources/data-visualization-for-market-research/
There’s no one way to create an opt-in page. The most important thing to remember is to clearly lay out what people are going to get by downloading your lead magnet. Make this as enticing as possible by being specific, but remember not to overpromise – you’ll only end up disappointing your customers. And disappointed customers are not the type of leads you want to be handing over to your sales team.
Your opt-in page is just one important part of getting your lead magnet ready to launch. For a complete list of everything you need to get ready, download this checklist.
