Does your practice have an engaged email list? If not, you might be missing out on a serious marketing opportunity and the ability to impact even more people.
Building a quality email list does more than just remind patients to book appointments – it’s also an opportunity for you to offer suggestions and share about other services you offer. It’s for all these reasons that curating a high-quality list can help grow your practice.
But it’s not about having just anyone get on your list. It’s about attracting the right kind of people who may not be your patient today – but could very well be tomorrow.
The best way to attract prospective patients to your email list is by creating a lead magnet. (A lead what?!) No worries if you’ve never heard that term before. You’re in the right place. Keep on reading to learn more and get the exact steps to quickly create one for your practice.
What Is a Lead Magnet?
A lead magnet is a fancy marketing term for a piece of content that people download in exchange for their email address or contact information. It’s something you’ve probably done without even realizing it. Some real-life examples include:
- Filling out your contact information to get an ebook on Paleo dessert recipes.
- Handing over your name, email, and maybe even phone number to get a 20% off clothing coupon.
- Entering your email address to find out what Disney villain you are.
When it comes to creating a lead magnet for your practice, there are a ton of fun options! Some of the more popular choices are:
- Infographics
- Checklists
- Ebooks
- Guides or workbooks
- Quizzes
Each serves a different purpose, but to get one created quickly, choose the one that is the easiest to do and will most relevant to your target audience.
How to Create a Lead Magnet for Your Practice
It’s easy to overthink how to create a lead magnet, but we promise it can be super simple. Follow these six steps to whip one up in less than two hours!
1. Jot Down Your Ideal Patient’s Problems
Set a timer for 10 minutes and write down the specific problems that your perfect patient deals with. The key here is to get as clear as you can.
- Do they feel bloated after eating pasta?
- Are they having trouble calming down their mind in the evenings?
- Are they tired of having hot flashes?
Write down anything that comes to mind.
2. Choose One Specific Problem From Your List
Take five minutes and choose one of the problems you just brainstormed. We recommend selecting one that impacts most of your patients. This will be your lead magnet topic. Let’s say it’s “how to get rid of hot flashes.”
3. List Out All the Ways You’d Address That Problem
Set another timer for 15 minutes. Now, make a list of all the ways that you could potentially address that problem. Be sure to tailor your answers to your ideal patient. No need to get overly complex here – just jot your ideas down.
Shoot for at least 10-15 ideas, and have fun with it! For example, go beyond saying “hot flashes” and instead, suggest they can “sleep with the covers on all night without fear of overheating.”
This may sound like a lot of work, but remember – this is what you do every day. It’s your area of expertise. You’re talking about a problem that a majority of your ideal patients deal with. Brainstorming ways to help will most likely come easily and naturally, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself during this step.
4. Narrow Down Your List of Solutions
Now it’s time to whittle down that list to the most important and impactful ideas. Take ten minutes, and choose the top seven or nine ideas. It may sound weird but go for an odd number. People tend to be more drawn to odd numbers.
5. Create a Catchy Title
Over the next twenty minutes, brainstorm a catchy title or headline. Run your ideas through a free headline optimizer, like CoSchedule, to get even more ideas and make any final tweaks. Remember, the goal of your headline is to create intrigue and curiosity so your reader will download it.
Pro tip: The cardinal rule of writing is that “clear is better than clever.” So, whenever you’re writing your headline, make sure it’s crystal clear and reflects what your content is about. It should include the transformation they’ll receive once they read it.
6. Turn It Into a Beautiful Design
Now it’s time to design your infographic! If you haven’t already tapped into the wonder of Canva, go sign up for it now! It’s a free tool that lets you easily and quickly design beautiful graphics. Whether it’s a checklist, social media post, or a full-fledged presentation, Canva has you covered.
Once you’ve signed up for a free account, type “infographic” into the search bar at the top. Look for a free template you love, and click it. Then…
- Update the text with your headline, a couple of intro sentences, and your list.
- Swap out the colors for the ones that match your practice.
- Add in your practice’s website URL or your contact information at the very bottom. This will help people remember where they downloaded this wonderful lead magnet.
And voila! You just created your very own lead magnet!
You Have Your Lead Magnet. What Now?
It’s one thing to create a lead magnet. It’s another thing to get it on your site and into the hands of your future readers. Here are a few tips to get you going:
- Upload it to your website and link it in your email marketing. If you’re not sure how to do this, consider outsourcing the task to your VA or an expert on Upwork. Make sure all the tech stuff is worked out so that:
- There’s a form on your website where readers can enter their contact details.
- Your form is connected to your email marketing tool or CRM.
- Your visitors have a way to download the lead magnet after they submit their information.
2. Promote it! There are TONNNNS of ways to do this.
- Write social posts.
- Have a little card at your front desk that tells your patients about it.
- Include it in your blogs.
- Talk about it during your lives on social media.
- If you happen to be on another person’s live or podcast, make sure you offer it.
The key is to keep reminding people that this resource exists and is theirs for the taking. We know it may feel redundant, but that’s okay. Keep sharing about it and collecting those email addresses.
Start Building Your Email List to Grow Your Practice
Whether you’re just now building your list or if you’re looking to bump up your numbers, email marketing is a powerful way to grow your practice. One way to supercharge your list-building is to create a powerful lead magnet.
So, set aside a couple of hours over the next week or two and get yours created. And if you have one already, that’s great! You can either upgrade your existing one or create a second lead magnet that solves a different problem. Remember, it’s all about casting your net and drawing in the quality catch.
