Try saying ‘reciprocity’ and most people stumble, but it’s an important word in business. It’s all about creating obligation – in the nicest possible way!
Reciprocity is why people are willing to give you their email address in order to get your free download.
Reciprocity is the feeling a networking contact gets when you give them something or some information free of charge. That’s why promotional gifts are so popular and free information sheets are often handed out at networking events.
Reciprocity is that ‘I owe you one’ awareness that makes you feel good about the person who has done you a favour.
So what are you offering potential customers that will create reciprocity?
The right recipe
Deciding what will attract people means doing your research.
If the long-term aim is to create an audience who are all potential clients or customers, you need to know them really well.
- Do they have a problem? What are the pain triggers that they will experience if it’s not fixed?
- Can you fix the problem?
- What will they get (WIIFM) if the problem is fixed – both short term and long term?
- What will they have to go through to get from pain to gain? Is this less painful than leaving the problem unfixed?
This means that you need to understand their business and their pain triggers, know what drives them and what they consider to be a benefit.
Now you should have a good idea about what you can offer that will go some way to helping them with their problem.
Remember it’s not about what you do – it’s about what your potential client gets.
Clearly you won’t give away all your in-depth knowledge, but you have knowledge that can help clients to get clarity on something, understand things that they can take action on to improve or a structure that will make life easier.
Then you need to create this in words that tick all their boxes.
Key elements of a free download
- A great headline that appeals to exactly the people who you want to attract.
- An attractive and professional look and feel.
- Plenty of graphics to make it look easy-to-read.
- Simple, straightforward language – that will make the reader feel you are speaking directly to them.
There are no rules on length – it’s all about value. A one-page document with a really useful process can be of great value. A 10-pager with one tip on each page may not be perceived to have as much value.
Get your lead magnet in place on your website and you’ll be growing your list of interested people without having to work too hard.
