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What kind of lead magnet to go with?

What kind of lead magnet to go with? E-book, White paper, Brochure, Infographics, or something else?

18th of April, 2023 | Infowithart

What kind of lead magnet to go with? E-book, White paper, Brochure, Infographics, or something else?

If you’re a business owner or a marketer and want to tell about your product, there’s no doubt you’ve come across E-books, White papers, Reports, Brochures, Case studies, Infographics, and Slide decks. You might even have an idea, but maybe you need to decide which one to choose. Are they all the same for you?

In order to understand which document you need – you should define who your target audience is, so the marketing funnel is an easy way to segment customers by awareness.

Generally, there are three primary levels of the funnel:

Awareness — (top of the funnel, or “TOFU”)

At this stage, potential customers know that they need to solve a problem or fulfill a need. They’re just starting their search for a solution. They are looking for some useful information through a variety of search channels.

Consideration — (middle of the funnel, or “MOFU”)

People in this stage have begun to zero in on a solution. Instead of searching for a question, they may be researching specific solutions.

Decision — (bottom of the funnel, or “BOFU”)

At this stage, people are looking for exact differentiators by Googling specific brands or providers or comparing product features and pricing pages.

So, let us help you with these two not-an-easy questions – “What is it?” and “Which one to use?”. Just follow the information below and use it as a cheat sheet.

White paper

A white paper is in-depth research on a specific topic and the problems that surround it. It is meant to educate readers and help them to understand and solve an issue. There are some key characteristics:

A document containing narrative text in an authoritative, academic tone.
Provides facts, not just opinions.
Include statistical data, and often survey and experiment results to support the topic.
Includes an introduction or executive summary.

Use white paper to engage prospects, establish yourself as an expert in a particular field, or explain a product or service. Mostly it is used for customers that have a general understanding of a particular field but looking for deep research.

Best for: MOFU

E-book

Like a white paper, an ebook is also educational in nature, but a little more entertaining than a white paper, similar to a “how to” guide.

Includes graphics, interactive features, and links to other multimedia assets.
It is usually written in a more casual tone rather than academic.
Tend to feature more white space and more design elements.

An eBook will be preferable to explain your value and establish credibility with your audience. You can also use it to capture leads, by requiring an email address to download the content. So choose this kind of document for the potential customers.

Best for: TOFU

Report

This kind of document is usually based on research and may be written by the vendor or a third-party research company. The reports present the results of a study or investigation of a certain topic, which ultimately shows the sponsoring company in a positive light.

Can be published either on an annual basis or after any significant event.
Often more copy-heavy, rather than picture-led.

A report is a perfect choice when you need to make a summary of the significant event you had or the job you have completed (during the whole year or some period of time). Use this kind of document for either existing customers or some former customers you’re hoping to bring back.

Best for: MOFU, BOFU

Brochure

Brochures are sales documents intended to create interest. They contain information about a company’s products or services, along with contact information.

It usually comes in printed versions, but nowadays digital brochures become more and more popular.
The size can vary, but the A4 landscape works particularly well. Also, it is usually folded.
Generally colourful with lots of photos or graphics and filled with promises, using advertising techniques.

Choose brochures as a sales pitch to persuade a potential client to buy your product. So it is ideal for prospective customers.

Best for: TOFU

Case studies

Case studies are examples of your product or service in action. The best case studies focus on a common problem among your core audience, and how you created a unique solution to this problem. In other words, they are extended testimonials on how a product or service helped someone in the real world.

Written in a journalistic style.
Usually contain many quotes from the customer.
They usually include four main components: the challenge, the solution, the result, and the client’s testimonial.

Case studies are typically used at the consideration stage as they showcase your brand’s success stories.

Best for: MOFU, BOFU

Infographics

The purpose of infographics is to tell a story and explain/show how something works. They are a powerful way to present information, particularly statistics, and data.

Include an illustration, graph, chart, or a combination of those elements.
Can be standalone pieces or part of an article or blog post.

You can use infographics on your own site or blog, furthermore, other sites often reference and link to them, so they can help generate website traffic.

Best for: TOFU

Slide decks

A slide deck is a collection of slides used as visual aids during a pitch or presentation. Think of each slide as a single card in a deck with unique content, meanings, value, and structure.

Always in horizontal orientation (for easy viewing on monitors).
Can be created in several formats – PowerPoint (PPTX), Google Slide, Keynote, and PDF.

Slide decks can be used to pitch a startup or idea or for presenting a proposal in a professional or academic setting. They are great for customers that want to know more about your product or service but aren’t quite ready to ask for a quote or have a conversation with you.

Best for: BOFU

Resources:

What kind of lead magnet to go with? E-book, White paper, Brochure, Infographics, or something else?

Decision — (bottom of the funnel, or “BOFU”)

At this stage, people are looking for exact differentiators by Googling specific brands or providers or comparing product features and pricing pages.

So, let us help you with these two not-an-easy questions – “What is it?” and “Which one to use?”. Just follow the information below and use it as a cheat sheet.