6 Formats of Offers that help in Lead Generation

Generating leads is a marketers most important objective. To pursue this objective, marketers need to offer something to potential clients which should be perceived as high in value. People need to perceive the importance and value of your offer is greater than what you are asking for return.

These “offers” can come in variety of formats. These offers actually help in lead generation by a simple method 

(1) fill out the form and download, and/or 

(2) then get the link in an email. 

The later is more effective since it proves the credibility of the email address provided.

So here are the type of offers that generate the most amount of leads.

Ebooks or Guides : Using an ebook is a very easy and inexpensive way to build your database. All you need to do is brainstorm on questions like What does your audience need help with? What topics do they most often ask about? and write books about them. Ebooks provide a lot of value up front, but also entice customers to want more from you. Apart from offering your ebook at your website, you can also place them on other websites like amazon. Having your ebook listed in these marketplaces creates a great deal of opportunities when readers are looking for information in your field.

Presentations : Presentations offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to showcasing. You can focus on features of listing that u want to highlight. You can even attach documents, links and images on your slides. Also you can place them on your websites and social media site like shideshare which will help you get more back links and hence generate leads.

Research Reports : Apart from e-books, you can offer research reports which are clear, accurate and more focused. These reports could be output of either Desk research or Field research. Also they could be obtained from Questionnaires or interviews (Telephone/Personal). You can even consider your group's annual report since it  is one of the ways to communicate your achievements and plans, as well as specifying relevant financial details from the previous year. Now If people can see their support and money at work and what you have been able to achieve, it is easier to convince them to continue that backing.

Whitepapers : White papers range from a short, single page document to hundreds of pages, but they are generally just formal document on a non-fiction topic. Unlike e-books, White papers are designed to be a formal, research-driven product, and hence readers are more likely to accept the claims you make.

Marketing Kits: Ok, What does a marketing kit consist of? Company Profile, List of your product & services, Product description, Process Description. Customer Testimonials, Case Studies, your success stories at trade shows and conferences etc. A good marketing kit is so powerful it stops and makes people think. It is an enabler for attracting new customers, educating existing customers, forming new partnerships, educating suppliers, and informing media prospects.

Live Webinars : This is the latest type of format used by marketers. Webinars are on specific topics and attendees can watch, listen, and ask questions from their home or office computer and hence more interactive they are. To attend the webinar, interested people need to sign-up for the same and hence you build your lead database. Also since you interact with your guest directly, your are at better chances of impressing them and hence converting your leads. These webinars can also be recorded and distributed later.

Well these were some formats which I think work better as either priced or free offers. Others include blog post, newsletters, demos etc. Now not all offers are equal. Some formats of offers perform better than others at converting leads. So, it’s important to test different types of offers with your audience to determine what works for you.