# Capture Leads

The purpose of your advertising is not to make an immediate sale. It is to capture the contact information of interested prospects so you can build a relationship over time. Only about 3% of your market is ready to buy right now. Lead capture lets you stay connected to the other 97% until they are ready.

## Why Lead Capture Matters

Most businesses send their advertising traffic to a homepage and hope visitors will buy. Here is what actually happens:

| Scenario | Without Lead Capture | With Lead Capture |
|----------|---------------------|-------------------|
| 1,000 people see your ad | 30 might be ready to buy (3%) | 30 might be ready to buy (3%) |
| 970 who are not ready | They leave and you never see them again | 200-400 give you their email (20-40% opt-in) |
| Over next 12 months | You must pay to reach them again from scratch | You nurture them for free via email and they buy when ready |
| Customer acquisition cost | High — paying full price for every customer | Low — one-time cost to capture, low cost to nurture |
| Compounding effect | None — every month starts from zero | Your database grows, making each month easier |

Your database of leads is the most valuable asset in your business. It is the only marketing asset you truly own — you rent attention on social media, search engines, and ad platforms, but you own your email list.

## Lead Magnet Types

A lead magnet is something of genuine value that you offer in exchange for contact information. The best lead magnets solve a specific, immediate problem for your target market. Here are the most effective types, organized by format.

### Information-Based Lead Magnets

| Type | Description | Best For | Conversion Rate |
|------|-------------|----------|-----------------|
| Checklist | Concise, actionable list of steps | People who want a quick win | High (25-40%) |
| Cheat sheet | Quick reference guide | People who want shortcuts | High (25-40%) |
| Template | Fill-in-the-blank document they can use immediately | People who want to save time | High (20-35%) |
| Guide/Report | In-depth resource on a specific topic | People who want to learn | Medium (15-25%) |
| Case study | Detailed story of how someone achieved a result | People evaluating solutions | Medium (15-25%) |
| Whitepaper | Research-backed report with data and analysis | B2B decision-makers | Medium (10-20%) |
| Ebook | Longer-form educational content | People who want comprehensive knowledge | Low-Medium (10-20%) |

### Interactive Lead Magnets

| Type | Description | Best For | Conversion Rate |
|------|-------------|----------|-----------------|
| Quiz/Assessment | Interactive questions that deliver a personalized result | Curiosity-driven audiences | Very High (30-50%) |
| Calculator | Tool that computes a relevant metric for them | People who want to quantify something | High (25-40%) |
| Free tool | Limited-feature version of your paid product | SaaS and tech companies | High (20-35%) |
| Audit/Analysis | Automated or manual review of their current situation | Service businesses | Medium-High (20-30%) |

### Access-Based Lead Magnets

| Type | Description | Best For | Conversion Rate |
|------|-------------|----------|-----------------|
| Webinar | Live or recorded presentation on a specific topic | B2B and education-based businesses | Medium (15-25%) |
| Free trial | Time-limited access to your product | SaaS and subscription businesses | Medium-High (20-35%) |
| Free consultation | One-on-one time with an expert | High-ticket service businesses | Low-Medium (5-15%) |
| Community access | Entry to a private group or forum | Community-driven businesses | Medium (15-25%) |
| Video training | Multi-part video course | Education and coaching businesses | Medium (15-25%) |

### Physical Lead Magnets

| Type | Description | Best For | Conversion Rate |
|------|-------------|----------|-----------------|
| Free sample | Physical product sample | E-commerce and consumer products | High (25-40%) |
| Free + shipping book | Physical book where they pay only shipping | Authority-based businesses | Medium (10-20%) |
| Printed report | Mailed physical document | Luxury and high-touch businesses | Low (5-10%) |

### Choosing the Right Lead Magnet

Answer these three questions:

1. **What specific problem does my target market want solved right now?** The lead magnet should address this problem directly.
2. **What format best delivers that solution?** A quiz works for diagnosis; a checklist works for implementation; a trial works for evaluation.
3. **What naturally leads to my paid offer?** The best lead magnets are the first step in a logical sequence that ends with your product or service.

## CRM Setup Basics

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is the central nervous system of your lead capture and nurture process. Every lead should go into your CRM from day one.

### CRM Selection by Business Type

| Business Type | Recommended CRM Tier | Examples |
|--------------|---------------------|----------|
| Solopreneur/Freelancer | Simple, low-cost | HubSpot Free, Notion, Google Sheets (temporary) |
| Small business (1-10 employees) | Mid-tier with automation | HubSpot Starter, ActiveCampaign, Keap |
| Growing business (10-50 employees) | Full-featured with pipeline management | HubSpot Professional, Salesforce Essentials, Pipedrive |
| Enterprise (50+) | Enterprise-grade with customization | Salesforce, HubSpot Enterprise, Microsoft Dynamics |

### Essential CRM Fields

At minimum, your CRM should capture and track:

| Field | Why It Matters |
|-------|---------------|
| Name | Personalization in all communications |
| Email | Primary nurture channel |
| Phone | For high-value follow-ups |
| Lead source | Attribution — know which channel they came from |
| Lead magnet | Know which resource they requested |
| Date captured | Track recency and sequence timing |
| Lead score | Prioritize outreach to hottest leads |
| Status/Stage | Where they are in your pipeline |
| Notes | Sales team context for conversations |
| Tags/Segments | Group leads by interest, behavior, or profile |

### CRM Best Practices

- Enter every lead within 24 hours (ideally instantly via automation)
- Never let leads exist only in your email inbox, on business cards, or in your head
- Set up automated tagging based on lead source and behavior
- Review and clean your CRM monthly — remove duplicates, update statuses, re-engage cold leads
- Your CRM is the single source of truth for all customer data

## Opt-In Page Design

Your opt-in page (also called a landing page or squeeze page) has exactly one job: get the visitor to exchange their contact information for your lead magnet. Everything on the page should serve that single goal.

### Opt-In Page Anatomy

| Element | Purpose | Best Practice |
|---------|---------|--------------|
| Headline | Grab attention, communicate the main benefit | "How to [achieve desired result] without [common pain/obstacle]" |
| Sub-headline | Expand on the headline, add specificity | Include a timeframe, number, or proof point |
| Image/mockup | Visualize the lead magnet | Show the cover, the first page, or the quiz interface |
| Bullet points (3-5) | List specific benefits | Start each with an action verb or outcome |
| Social proof | Build credibility | "Downloaded by 5,000+ [target market]" or a short testimonial |
| Opt-in form | Capture information | Name and email minimum; fewer fields = higher conversion |
| CTA button | Drive the action | Use specific language: "Send Me the Checklist" not "Submit" |
| Privacy line | Reduce anxiety | "We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime." |

### What to Remove from Your Opt-In Page

An opt-in page is not your website. Remove everything that does not directly support the opt-in:

- Navigation menus (they create exit paths)
- Sidebar content (distracting)
- Multiple offers (confusing)
- Long-form content (save it for the lead magnet itself)
- Links to other pages (every link is an exit)
- Social media icons (send them to social? they might never come back)

### Opt-In Page Conversion Benchmarks

| Conversion Rate | Assessment | Action |
|----------------|------------|--------|
| Below 10% | Underperforming | Rework headline, offer, or page design |
| 10-20% | Average | Test new headlines and CTAs for improvement |
| 20-35% | Good | Optimize and scale traffic |
| 35-50% | Excellent | Scale aggressively, this is working |
| Above 50% | Exceptional | Likely warm/targeted traffic — check if cold traffic converts similarly |

## Speed-to-Lead

Speed-to-lead is the time between when a lead fills out a form and when they receive their first human or automated response. It is one of the most important — and most neglected — conversion factors.

### The Research

| Response Time | Conversion Impact |
|---------------|-------------------|
| Within 5 minutes | 21x more likely to qualify the lead compared to 30 minutes |
| Within 1 hour | 7x more likely to qualify compared to 2 hours |
| Within 24 hours | Baseline |
| After 24 hours | Lead is likely cold — they have moved on or contacted a competitor |

### Speed-to-Lead Implementation

1. **Instant:** Automated email delivering the lead magnet within seconds of opt-in
2. **Within 5 minutes:** Automated SMS or email with a personal touch ("Thanks for downloading! Any questions?")
3. **Within 1 hour:** For high-value leads, a phone call from your sales team
4. **Within 24 hours:** Follow-up email with additional value related to the lead magnet topic

### Technology Stack for Speed

| Component | Purpose | Examples |
|-----------|---------|----------|
| Email automation | Deliver lead magnet instantly | ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, ConvertKit |
| SMS automation | Follow up within minutes | Twilio, SimpleTexting, Salesmsg |
| CRM notification | Alert sales team of new leads | HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive |
| Calendar booking | Let leads schedule calls immediately | Calendly, SavvyCal, HubSpot Meetings |

## Lead Scoring Basics

Not all leads are equal. Lead scoring assigns a numerical value to each lead based on their behavior and profile, so your team can prioritize the hottest leads.

### Behavioral Scoring

| Action | Points | Rationale |
|--------|--------|-----------|
| Downloaded lead magnet | +10 | Showed initial interest |
| Opened email | +1 | Engaged with content |
| Clicked email link | +3 | Deeper engagement |
| Visited pricing page | +15 | High-intent behavior |
| Visited case study page | +10 | Evaluating your solution |
| Attended webinar | +20 | Invested significant time |
| Requested demo/consultation | +30 | Ready for sales conversation |
| Unsubscribed from email | -20 | Disengaged |
| No activity in 30 days | -10 | Going cold |

### Profile Scoring

| Attribute | Points | Rationale |
|-----------|--------|-----------|
| Matches ideal customer avatar | +20 | Right fit |
| Decision-maker title | +15 | Can authorize purchase |
| Company size in target range | +10 | Right scale |
| Industry match | +10 | Right niche |
| Location match | +5 | Right geography |
| Does not match target profile | -10 | Poor fit |

### Lead Score Thresholds

| Score Range | Label | Action |
|-------------|-------|--------|
| 0-20 | Cold | Continue nurturing with automated content |
| 21-50 | Warm | Increase touchpoints, add to retargeting |
| 51-80 | Hot | Personal outreach from sales team |
| 80+ | Sales-Ready | Immediate sales contact, priority follow-up |

## Exercises

### Exercise 1: Lead Magnet Selection

Brainstorm five potential lead magnets for your target market. For each, note the specific problem it solves, the format, and how it leads to your paid offer. Select the one that best balances value-to-prospect with ease-of-creation.

### Exercise 2: Opt-In Page Wireframe

Sketch (on paper or in a tool) your opt-in page using the anatomy framework. Write the headline, sub-headline, three bullet points, and CTA button text. Show it to three people in your target market and ask: "Would you give your email for this?"

### Exercise 3: Speed-to-Lead Audit

Time your current lead response process. How long does it take from form submission to first contact? Map out the steps and identify where you can automate or accelerate.

### Exercise 4: CRM Health Check

If you have a CRM, audit it: Are all leads being captured? Are lead sources tracked? Are there duplicates? Is your pipeline stages defined? If you do not have a CRM, set one up this week.

### Exercise 5: Lead Scoring Design

Using the behavioral and profile scoring tables as templates, customize a lead scoring model for your business. Identify which behaviors and attributes signal readiness to buy in your specific context.

## Checklist: Lead Capture Complete

- [ ] Created at least one lead magnet that solves a specific problem for your target market
- [ ] Built a dedicated opt-in page with all essential elements
- [ ] Opt-in page conversion rate is 20% or higher (or plan to test until it is)
- [ ] CRM is set up and all leads flow into it automatically
- [ ] Lead source is tracked for every new lead
- [ ] Speed-to-lead is under 5 minutes for automated response
- [ ] Lead scoring model is defined and implemented in CRM
- [ ] Follow-up sequence is triggered automatically on opt-in
- [ ] The lead magnet naturally leads to your paid offer
- [ ] Opt-in page has been tested with real target market members
