Lead generation is the 3rd part of the marketing funnel (GREEN). The idea is to get the potential customer to provide their email address in return for something of value. This confirms that they are an ideal customer because they desire something free that you have to offer.

The entire sales process starts from lead generation;
Hence sales and marketing teams need to understand the importance of lead management.
Studies reveal that almost 80% of the leads generated via the marketing process get discarded, ignored, or lost.
And it poses great harm to the overall revenue.
That is why experts suggest using a lead management system to nurture the leads over time.

It's a way of warming up potential customers to your business and getting them on the path to eventually making a purchase.
Visitor clicks a CTA that takes them to a landing page where they fill out a form to get an offer, at which point they become a lead.

The main goal of marketing is to get potential customers into a sales funnel. This funnel is designed to convert potential customers into leads, convert those leads into prospects, and then close those prospects to generate sales.

There are different tools that are used in each step of the sales funnel:

Awareness: Advertising, SEO, Blogging, Events, Promotions, etc. are used to raise awareness and to generate traffic. This is all about developing a brand that has authority in the industry and strong brand awareness.

Leads: Special landing pages, free opt-in offers, and lead magnets are used to generate leads. Leads are people that are interested in the information you offer to help them solve their problem. They are not yet interested in your product or service but they may be open to hearing about it more in the future.

Prospects: Leads turn into prospects when they begin to ask questions about your product or service. They begin to actively consider using your product or service to solve their problem. Lead Nurturing is used to turn leads into prospects. This is done using email marketing and other free offers (like a product trial).  

Sales: Closing a sale is the next goal. This is getting the prospect to actually place the order and pay for the product/ service. You need to convince them that your product or service is the best to solve their problem and that it is worth the money they are going to spend. Giving them a special offer is a great way to close the sale. Other bonus benefits and money back guarantees could also be included to help them overcome objections they may have and cause them to choose your product or service.

Repeat purchases (Loyalty): Finally, the goal is to keep customers coming back to purchase again and again. This is done through good customer service, loyalty programmes, VIP memberships, and discounts on new products and services.

ELITE Chess Sales Funnel

Awareness: Blog posts about improving at chess, Free online chess competition advertised via Facebook and other platforms.

Leads (Lead Generation): Lead magnet, short Ebook, "10 tips for improving your rating," sign up via email to participate in chess competition.

Prospects: (Lead Nurturing): Email nurture sequence, free 5 min video game analysis and improvement tips after chess competition, free video chess improvement course after watching 5 min video.

Sales (Convert prospects into customers): Special coaching offer, starter pack, more affordable group coaching, etc. Or sell more intensive online video training course.

Loyalty (Upsell existing customers): Discounts on all programmes and online courses.

Your audience no longer wants their attention bought -- they want it earned.
This means lead generation strategies need to be revamped across the industry to better meet the needs of target markets.
The first step in this evolution is to create compelling content, and the second is to use that content to convert visitors into leads.
Of course, this is easier said than done.

A lead magnet is an incentive that marketers offer to potential buyers in exchange for their email address or other contact information.
Lead magnets usually offer a piece of digital, downloadable content, such as a free PDF checklist, report, eBook, whitepaper, video, etc.

If you want to generate leads online, then your business needs a lead magnet. Period.
Why? Because email is a very personal thing.
People aren’t simply going to give you their email address without a good incentive, even if they like your brand.
As a marketer, it is your job to give them a compelling reason to do so.

A: You have a blog post on the top 10 ways you can improve your customer service. At the end of the post, you ask readers to join your email list for “updates”.

B: You could ask readers to join your email list and get a free, downloadable PDF case study, detailing a real-life example of one business who used these 10 strategies to improve their customer service.

1. Solves a real problem - if your lead magnet doesn’t solve a real problem that your ideal customer has, or if it doesn’t give them something they really want, it won’t work at all.

2. Promises one quick win - your lead magnet should promise (and deliver) one quick win for your ideal customer. In other words, it should help them to easily achieve something.

3. Super specific - don’t create a lead magnet about something general. The more specific you are about the benefit of your lead magnet, the better it will convert leads.

4. Quick to digest - PDF checklists tend to convert really well because they are so quick and easy to digest. eBooks or lengthy reports may make your prospects feel overwhelmed.

5. High value - your lead magnet should have both high perceived value and high actual value.

6. Instantly accessible - your lead magnet will work best if it is something that can be delivered right away. People love instant gratification.

7. Demonstrates your expertise or UVP - when someone consumes your lead magnet, it should demonstrate your expertise or your unique value proposition. This helps turn leads into customers down the road.

https://optinmonster.com/9-lead-magnets-to-increase-subscribers/#:~:text=What%20Is%20a%20Lead%20Magnet,%2C%20whitepaper%2C%20video%2C%20etc.

Canva is great to use for most document lead magnets.
Make sure that it is neat and beautifully designed.

Once it’s done you can use one of these websites to create a cover image:

https://www.adazing.com/cover-mocks/ 
https://diybookcovers.com/3Dmockups/ 

For now, try to focus on a simpler lead magnet such as a checklist. You can develop more lead magnets if you continue with your client after the programme.

1. Create your lead magnet
2. Download the entire lead magnet from Canva
3. Download the front page of the lead magnet and use it as an image on your home page.
4. Add an opt-in module and customize it for your brand.
5. Upload the pdf lead magnet to the media section of your wordpress blog.

1. Call to Action (CTA): This is the button that blog readers and website visitors click to access the resource you're offering through this lead magnet.

2. Landing Page: This is where your lead magnet captures information provided by the visitor. After visitors click the CTA, they're brought to a landing page where they'll fill out a form with their name, email address, and any other relevant information you've deemed important.

3. Thank You Page: The visitor is then led to a page where they can download your resource, officially adding them to your mailing list.

4. Kickback Email: The kickback email is your follow-up message to the lead a short time after the exchange takes place. This email marketing campaign starts a conversation with the lead to keep them engaged with your business.

An introduction to lead generation - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wtWyvrR2gmK9FHNeoyx_E8AAFiJrv0NQ/view?usp=sharing 
Best Practices for Lead Generation - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DQlQH3bLo46bMdXS2DbfWJSCed3vrNIC/view?usp=sharing 
Lead Magnet Ideas - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xhEYULz3YAVnRGwNYnRpTFW-JnOsEiwV/view?usp=sharing