So you’ve noticed a lackluster number of readers signing up to your email list. Or maybe readers are not engaging with your post that should convince them to sign up!
Don’t despair! Before throwing your current reader magnet out, let’s first think about giving it a refresh. If you’ve found that it’s completely crap, we’ll cover that too.
Here’s a simple guide to help you audit your current reader magnet, decide if it needs a revamp or a complete overhaul, and then maybe some fresh ideas that your readers just might be looking for.
Give Your Current Reader Magnet a Checkup
First things first, let’s dive into your current reader magnet. Is your current freebie working, as in are you getting sign ups this past week, or not??
Ask yourself some key questions:
Download Stats: Are the download numbers dwindling, stagnant, or growing? Each separate statistic will reveal some vital information you can use to update your content strategy.
Conversion Rates: How many actual new email subscribers subscribed? A low conversion rate might indicate a mismatch between your reader magnet and your readers.
Copywriting Clarity: Is your sign up form, or your landing page visually appealing and easy to navigate? Does it clearly communicate the value you’re offering? Does either have a clear, strong call-to-action instructing your readers to do something specific? Having clear, concise wording on every piece of content can help guide your readers to what you want them to do.
Content Quality: Is your reader magnet genuinely helpful and informative to your reader?? Does it offer a solution that something your readers’ struggle with, or is it sales-heavy and lacking in substance? Offering something of value – TO YOUR READER – is how you win the content game.
Reader Relevancy: Does your reader magnet speak directly to the needs and wants of your ideal reader? Aligning your content to what your readers want is crucial to winning the hearts and minds of those readers.
Check Your Promotion: Take a hard look at HOW you’re promoting your reader magnet. Are you shouting it from the rooftops, or is it gathering dust in your desk drawer?? If it’s the latter, it’s time to revamp the marketing campaign for your reader magnet.
Revamping for Success
If your audit of your current reader magnet uncovers that you’re on the right track, consider revamping this current freebie into something a bit more appealing.
Update the Content: Redo or refine the information to ensure it’s current and addresses the most pressing challenges faced by your readership.
Refresh the Design: Just like your book cover needs a revamp every once in a while, your reader magnet could too. Make sure to design your reader magnet with high-quality graphics and a user-friendly layout to grab and keep your readers attention.
Sharpen Your Call-to-Action: Make sure your CTA is clear, concise and compelling. Use strong power words to encourage action. Get more creative and offer something more than “Sign Up Now”, or “Download Now”. Offer something like “Empower Your Reading” or Transform Your Reading Experience” or maybe “Grab (character’s name) Profile Now”.
Optimize Every Page: Ensure your landing page, sign up form, blog article, and social media graphics clearly explain the benefits of your reader magnet and guides them towards a smooth download process.
Ensure You Have the Right Content Pieces: Your reader magnet is only a part of the process you need to have in place. You’ll need social media graphics to promote your freebie, a landing page or sign up form (with graphics) to catch the emails, and an email nurture sequence that continues the conversation after!
Time to Pick a New Idea
If your current reader magnet is beyond repair or maybe you found it just doesn’t resonate with your readers anymore, then it’s time to pick a new idea.
But don’t worry – coming up with new ideas is easier than you think! Yes, I could tell you to start brainstorming ideas that might align with your readers’ interest and pain points, but I’ve already done that for you. Before we dive into ideas, let’s talk about how to create a reader magnet that will be appealing to your readers.
Make it Relevant: First things first, your reader magnet needs to be about something your readers care about. And what do they care about – your book, your story and your characters. Unless the stories you wrote in college are directly related to your current books, they’re not ideal to give to your readers.
Make it Valuable: Your reader magnet should be something your readers actually want. It’s like a gift. If it’s not something cool and useful, why would they want it?? Make sure it’s something your readers would love to have.
Make it Specific: Your reader magnet should be like a laser beam, focused on one thing. If it’s all over the place, readers will get confused and go away. Pick one topic, one subject, one character, one idea and stick to it.
Make it Simple: Your reader magnet should be easy to understand. Your readers are human beings, just like everyone else, and if your magnet is too complicated, they’ll give up! Keep it simple and straigtforward.
Make it Useful: Your reader magnet should solve some sort of problem your readers have. It could be educational, helping them to understand something. It could be entertaining, giving readers something enjoyable. It could be inspiring, giving your readers a meaningful extra that they don’t forget.
Make it Unique: Your reader magnet should be different from what everyone else is offering. If you’re offering what every other author is offering, why would readers sign up to yours?? Be creative and offer something unique. I got your back on this one!!
Make it Fresh: Your reader magnet should be up-to-date and current. If it’s old and outdated, readers won’t trust it. And that lack of trust will transfer to your books. Making it difficult to build your author platform.
Make it Pretty: Your reader magnet should look good. If it’s ugly, it’s not going to appeal to anyone let alone your readers. You want your readers to be attracted to your reader magnet, just like your book, so take the time to make it visually appealing.
Make it Easy to Get: Your reader magnet should be easy to download or access. If your reader has to jump through hoops to get it, they just might give up and go somewhere else. Make it as easy as clicking a button.
Make Sure to Promote it: Your reader magnet should be easy to find. Put it on your author website, share it on social media, shout it from the rooftops!! If your readers, and your potential readers don’t know about it, they can’t sign up for it. If they don’t sign up for it, they can’t download it!!
Make Sure to Test it: Finally, take the time to test your reader magnet. See if your readers are actually going to like it or not. If they don’t, don’t be afraid to change it. Remember, it’s all about what your readers want, not what you want.
Need a Few Ideas to Get You Started?
If your new reader magnet idea is to appeal to your reader, then it needs to be relevant, useful, and valuable.
Relevant Content
Your reader magnet should be relevant to your readers’ needs, interests, wants, and preferences. That means deciding on something that resonates with your readers. Here are a few ideas to choose from:
Valuable Content
Your reader magnet should be valuable TO YOUR READER, not to you! Ideally, this is where you enhance your story, your character by offering readers a deeper insight, giving them something more than just your story. Here are a few ideas to choose from:
Useful Content
Your reader magnet should be useful to your readers. It needs to solve a pressing problem that they have with your books, with your characters, with your story. Here are a few ideas to choose from:
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