Author: Christopher Jan Benitez

  • How to Rank YouTube Videos High in 2021

    How to Rank YouTube Videos High in 2021

    You don’t have to be an SEO professional to get your videos to the top. But the surprising thing is that the number of YouTube channels that earn over USD 10,000 per year grow 50% yearly.

    You can easily optimize your videos for higher rankings yourself by spending zero dollars and finally become one of those who quit their 9:5 day jobs to earn money online.

    Let’s walk through the simple 7 step process to get your channel the attention it deserves.

    First, let’s start with the basics.

    YouTube is just one of the typical search engines. When a user types in a specific question or request, the algorithm automatically displays search results according to the query. Similar to Google SERP (Search Engine Result Pages), YouTube places Advertisements at the top, followed by the Organic results. Content relevancy and its quality, are those focus points for the algorithm to know what content to show first. That is why to rank higher on YouTube; you must play by its rules. And this is where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) comes into play!

    If you’re beginning your YouTube journey or maybe you already have an established channel but want to boost its traffic, this article is the perfect fit for you!

    So what are those precious seven tips you need to follow to rank high on YouTube in 2021?

    1. Keywords, keywords, and keywords.

    We cannot stress enough how important keywords are. Because the algorithm’s job is to match search results with the user’s query, those YouTubers who understand and follow this simple logic, win the whole game.

    “It is much easier to create content that people are already searching for than to invent one from scratch.”

    Why? Because users already have issues, they want to solve and are looking for the ready-to-use video to solve them.

    But how to know what videos people are eager to watch? 

    Here you have two options.

    The first one is to invest in paid tools with a pool of proven data for you to use. If you want to find low competition keywords with high traffic and business potential, track your ranking progress, and find out what keywords your competitors have the most traffic for, Ahrefs or SEMrush may become your best friend. If all you want is the extended analytics of what keywords to use, you are welcome to use Keywords Everywhere or Keyword Tool.    

    The second option that you have is to do the keyword research yourself. But it doesn’t mean it’s ineffective. How does it work?

    The fastest and FREE way to figure out what people are looking for is to use the best source of trending topics – YouTube autocomplete. You might have noticed that an algorithm automatically suggests you a list of search terms to complete your query when you type something in a search bar. It is NOT a randomly generated list, but a precious asset you have for free to research what exactly users are searching for.

    It doesn’t matter what option you will opt for, do it!

    2. Optimize your Title

    Now, as you’ve done your keyword research and have created an incredible video on a topic people are interested in, you have to help the YouTube algorithm realize how priceless it is.

    This is when it’s time for title optimization to do its job!

    Your video’s name plays a significant role in its ranking as it’s the perfect place for you to nicely organize your preplanned keywords into a Title. But the most important part with your video’s name is not only to use those relevant keywords but also to come up with a clickable phrase that will push people directly to your content. Tip: Stick to simpler word combinations so that users won’t have trouble digesting what meaning you want to convey.

    If you’re eager to dive into this topic deeper, we recommend you check out a priceless blog post by EzRankings on How to Optimize your Videos for Better Ranking on Google Search.

    3. Optimize your Description

    YouTube shows the first 125 characters of your description, but don’t limit yourself to that.

    Users tend to read video summary as well to decide which video is the most relevant for them. That is why it is a good idea to use your main keywords at the beginning of the summary, followed by brief information about the video and your channel overall.

    The description is the most important place where you create connections with the audience as you can put useful links to things mentioned in the video and the affiliate links that can potentially bring you revenue.

    TIPS for SEO-friendly descriptions:

    • Include as many keywords as you can;
    • Write in your unique style to engage with your audience;
    • Don’t forget to include important URLs of your channel, other relevant videos, and your social media accounts to increase your brand awareness.

    4. Don’t forget to add Tags

    After mastering your Title and Description, it is important to add relevant tags to your video.

    Here you can choose as many options and combinations of your keywords as you wish because this step is necessary for YouTube’s algorithm to distinguish one video from the other. Don’t worry; those Tags won’t be visible to your viewers.

    Tips:

    • Tags don’t have to super-specific;
    • Use Chrome Extension for YouTube called Tube Buddy. This is a Keyword Rank Tracker that has a function of Tags search rankings for you to use;
    • Use VidIQ app to research what Tags work well for your competitors. This way, your video could appear in the “Up Next” as you will be in the same niche.

    5. Write a Killer Script

    The average visitor on YouTube checks out 8.89 pages per day.

    This means that your Title and Video description might spark interest in the audience, but boring and irrelevant content will force users to scroll to the next. That is why you have to work hard to create valuable content to decrease your videos’ bounce rate.

    Having a prepared script doesn’t mean you would sound unnatural. It will work out vice versa as when you have a ready-to-use plan, the content you are sharing will sound more professional and will be more valuable for your audience.

    Tips:

    • Include a brief introduction at the beginning so that viewers would know what to expect from your piece of content;
    • Don’t forget to include a short reminder about your channel for those who see it for the first time;
    • Add the trigger to watch your video till the end by hinting at precious information you would provide them later.

    6. Create an engaging Thumbnail

    If you are one of those who think that as long as your content is good, Thumbnails are not important, it is the perfect time for you to change your mind!

    Two main things grab users attention: the Video Title and the Thumbnail. These should be the two focus points when increasing your videos clickability. As humans, we tend to pay more attention to visuals as these are much easier to comprehend. That is why Thumbnails with visual details processed 60,000 times faster than text!

    Of course, you can skip this step. In this case, YouTube will automatically generate a Thumbnail for you by choosing a random shot from your video. Why ignore such a valuable step that will boost your engagement and help you thrive online?

    Tips:

    • Use a free tool called Canva to create a top-notch design for your Thumbnails;
    • Add brief information about the video, but don’t fully duplicate the Title;
    • Don’t forget that it is easier for people to interact with other people, so put your professionally taken photo if possible. It will increase the clickability.

    7. Focus to Keep them Watching

    You can be creating the most amazing content with great Title and Description full of high ranking keywords, but if people decide to close your piece within the first minutes, you failed!

    The thing is that the YouTube algorithm takes into account the relevancy of keywords and how long you are keeping your audience watching. This is how the search engine understands what content is truly valuable.

    For YouTube SEO, watch-time is extremely important, so retention of the audience is crucial. You need to make sure they are as visually entertained as possible if you want to keep people watching your videos. Too many creators are just sitting and chatting in front of a camera, but that’s not entertaining.

    Tips:

    • Try incorporating b-roll, transitions, and voiceovers to make sure your videos look cinematic;
    • Work on you editing so your video would look more professional;
    • Get to the point quickly. Tell the audience about the video, how you can help them, and then get started right away;
    • Analyze the time spent on watching your videos to compare what content stands out.

    Know Now How to Rank YouTube Videos?

    The potential of YouTube is huge. This platform is a helpful source of brand awareness as well as lead generation.

    To succeed, you have to remember that content is the King, but it is your job to frame it well to become friends with the YouTube algorithm. Keep in mind that your top priority is sharing your audience’s knowledge, not persuading them to buy your products.

    We hope you found these tips helpful, and you will use them to successfully implement SEO optimization for your high rankings on YouTube.

    Be authentic and invest your time in engaging content, and it will pay off.

    julia burova

    Julia Burova

    Julia is a professional business development manager with proven experience in customer acquisition, strategic partnerships, and outbound marketing. Now she takes care of global marketing and business growth at Wincher, an SEO tool.

    • 4 Signs Of A Serious Freelance Copywriter In 2021

      4 Signs Of A Serious Freelance Copywriter In 2021

      Whether you’ve been a copywriter for two years or ten years, writing experience alone isn’t enough to be considered a serious freelance copywriter. Working freelance means you need to know how to do everything from writing to running a business, networking, and finding clients to work with.

      In 2021, finances are going to be tighter as everyone struggles to recover post-COVID, and businesses will continue to prioritize the online aspect of their operations and focus on digital marketing. This means that businesses looking to hire copywriters will have high expectations and expect impressive results. They’ll choose writers with lots of experience that can provide an excellent copy, but also have ideas and expertise to offer. 

      In this post, we take a look at the four signs of a serious freelance copywriter in 2021. Let’s get started.

      Signs of a serious freelance copywriter

      If you’re wondering how to become a freelance copywriter, then you need to understand what makes the difference between someone who is good with words and someone who can run a successful business selling their writing skills. These are the four main areas in which you will be judged: 

      You know how to run a business

      To turn your copywriting skills into something you can do successfully as a freelancer, you need to come up with and follow a clear business plan. 

      Your business plan will include your objectives, goals, and strategies for achieving them. It will cover your competitors, what strengths you have and how to focus on them, and who your target customers are, and how you can connect with them. 

      The plan will also help you to sort out the financial side of freelance copywriting — identifying what you need to spend, how much your operating costs will be, and importantly what rates you’re going to charge your clients. It’s important to have a clear idea of what you charge, as you need to know how much money you need to earn a living, and what your expertise and experience are worth.

      If you want to learn more about running a successful freelance business, then use a site like Bplans, which has lots of resources and guides about setting up and managing a business. 

      With your business plan providing an outline of how you’re going to be a successful freelance copywriter, the next thing you need to do is to create a website and establish your brand. Even if you have potential clients and work opportunities lined up, having a website is an essential part of running a professional freelance business. It’s a place where you can display your expertise, examples of your work, and attract more clients in the future. 

      You have an extensive portfolio

      To be a serious freelance copywriter you need an extensive portfolio of previous work that demonstrates your experience. Ideally, your portfolio will be made up of a wide range of writing samples from different sources. It needs to prove you can effectively adapt your writing style and tone of voice for different projects and audiences, and that you can research and write about various topics and angles. 

      Even if you’re specializing in a certain subject, industry, or type of copywriting, you still need to be versatile — no two clients or projects are going to be exactly the same. And it’s important that you have an in-depth understanding and knowledge of any industry you’re focusing on. As a freelance copywriter, you don’t just need to write down some words, you’ll often have to come to the table with ideas and opinions. 

      For example, if you’re specializing in e-commerce copywriting (a growing niche) then you need to be familiar with all aspects of the industry — use a site like Ecommerce Platforms to read e-commerce platform reviews and understand the sites you’ll be working with, consider guest posting for relevant sites to build up your experience and portfolio. 

      You could even set up your own blog providing insights and advice for e-commerce businesses, which will demonstrate your copywriting skills and also help boost your website’s organic traffic from potential clients. 

      You understand SEO

      freelance copywriter must know SEO

      The majority of copywriting work you do in 2021 is going to be digital. Whether it’s for a website, social media, or paid advertisements and marketing materials, having a good understanding of search engine optimization is a key part of being a successful freelance copywriter.

      When you’re writing online copy it’s not just about choosing the right words, it needs to be SEO optimized. Your clients will want the copy to improve their search rankings and increase organic traffic. 

      You don’t need to be an expert in SEO, but you should have a good understanding of on-page SEO including how to find the right keywords and how to use them effectively in your copy. You should know what page titles, meta descriptions, and alt text are and what role they play in rankings. Use a site like Moz as a starting point to brush up on SEO by reading their beginners guide and follow their blog to keep on top of the latest updates. 

      Some of your clients might have good knowledge of SEO, but others, especially smaller businesses, might expect you to be able to offer insights and recommendations about how to write copy that’s going to rank well. And following SEO best practices can make the work you do for your clients far more valuable. 

      You know how to find work

      If you don’t already have clients lined up when you start out as a freelance copywriter then you need to learn how to find them.

      You might start off freelancing by applying for smaller pieces of work on sites like Fiverr to build up your experience. But businesses in 2021 are going to be looking for well-established copywriters with a good reputation. 

      If you’ve already had some experience as a copywriter or in the marketing industry then you probably have a number of contacts you can reach out to. Send out personalized pitches that are going to prove your value. 

      It’s also important to be selective about who you work with, you need to build lasting relationships with long-term clients, which will work out far more valuable. Working with the same businesses reduces the costs of traveling to meet potential new clients and time spent putting together pitches, and you’ll get to understand how they work and what they require. 

      To be a serious freelance copywriter in 2021 you need to be able to effectively run a business, find the right clients to work with, and have extensive knowledge and expertise that you can share.

    • 8 Most Popular Blog Niches that Drive Traffic and Make Money

      8 Most Popular Blog Niches that Drive Traffic and Make Money

      To help you make money faster by blogging, you must know the most popular blog niches and start from there.

      Blog niche refers to the concept of targeting a particular audience through the blog description. Creating a blog is not an easy task for bloggers as a lot of creativity has to be followed. One of such is starting a blog niche that involves a lot of creative work done through thinking.

      The bottom line of the body niche is to identify and gather the target audience through the contents. An added advantage of the blog niche is that it helps the content get popularity faster by focusing on particular content.

      Below, I’ll be discussing with you the most popular blog niches, what makes them popular, and should you create a blog for this niche. After reading this post, you should have a better idea on which niche you should target with your blog.

      Food

      Many great chefs worldwide use the technique of showcasing their talent and ability through various forms of media.  But, the present generation made it even easier to search for a food recipe.

      Gaining popularity through food blogs involve various strategies that can be followed as per the convenience. Some of which is the hosting of online food cooking courses by cooking experts. These courses have a trending market as most of the people don’t know how to cook.

      Another strategy is by giving free recipes to the readers for trying out the dishes and commenting as well. It will increase the popularity among the readers and pass on the blog’s existence to other readers to create blog traffic. Hence, a green flag can be given to the creation of a food blog.

      Finance

      It may involve a lot of research before stepping to create the blog. The reason behind the halt is due to the power play of the financial market in the economy. One wrong suggestion can lead to the most significant disaster.

      Such a tragedy can be prevented by giving the best tips and recommendations to the readers. Investment companies are mostly run finance blogs as a subsidiary department for promotional purposes, thus creating profitable blog niches that drive traffic to the website and the firm as well.

      In reality, experts in the financial sector can get a lot of popularity from other departments or other blogs. Some of the famous market tactics are taught in finance blogs. These blogs start from providing financial suggestions to teach how to invest correctly, save money for the retirement period, etc.

      Like food blogs, finance blogs also can create classes and training in investment subjects.

      Personal Development

      Another critical and successful blog is personality development subjects.

      Many teenagers and individuals feel inferiority complex and tend to be an introvert instead of an open-world kid. These attributes may seem familiar in childhood, but in the future, this introverted behavior may topple his life due to the lack of proper exposure.

      The personality development includes the approaching of a boy towards a girl and discussing other psychological moves of the individuals. The bloggers, while creating a personality development blog must be a half psychologist or a half psychiatrist in nature.

      Students and others in this field may see it as a bizarre one, but personality development blogs have the most loyal readers all around the world. Many people search for relief and believe the personality development subjects as a life-changing moment for their career and life.

      Making such blogs serve as a way of income for people because of the site traffic.

      Fashion

      This one is an exciting concept, having approached and overall high readers and users of all the time.

      Fashion is the immortal intangible asset and advantage for many women to increase their fashion sense to an excellent level. Style, on the other hand, is an inbuilt creative thought which is restricted within a particular woman’s mind leaving their ideas and creativity useless.

      But, thanks to the advent of digital content creation, many women entrepreneurs are improving the fashion sense all over the world by creating blogs. Due to many people being interested in fashion, these blogs have gained a lot of traffic and fame over the past years.

      Though invited by various women, fashion blogs still have more steps to be covered to reach the momentum of popularity. To put it in the bottom line, even the fashion sense has to gain a lot of fame and be approached by the readers on the internet.

      Fashion blogs can gain such momentum by spreading awareness and giving free suggestions and tips to their readers. Once a fashion blog gains viewers, no one can take away the loyal viewers of such a good blog.

      Health

      Nowadays, health has become a priority for most people in major cities and remote places globally including even the prevailing pandemic.

      Many people can’t go and get a consultation from the doctor for their problems, because the reasons may be categorized into various factors. The health segment management was abysmal during the early days as there was no expert advice for giving healthcare tips. 

      The current technology has made the world a smaller village in terms of technology. On the same side, technology has a lot of healthcare websites to guide the patients properly, but only a handful of blogs are recognized by people. The recognized blogs are created by giving the content a proper niche since many websites do not provide proper website content to their readers by giving false information.

      Fitness

      This one is an interesting concept where the blog has a universal reader community for such blogs.

      Physical fitness is essential for people, as body fitness is also a factor for a healthy body and a healthy mind. A healthy body can be structured into a fit one based on proper exercise. Proper exercise should be a habit and should be taught by the fitness coach in an appropriate manner.

      Fitness tips are usually given in the gym, which includes fees to join. Some people don’t have the time to join the gym, and some people may not know the fitness tips given by the fitness instructor. 

      For the above dilemmas, a fitness blog can be a solution to solve the problem of getting into shape. Fitness blogs are owned by the gym trainers and gym beasts popular for their fitness packs. Such fitness freaks and also other bloggers who have enough knowledge about fitness development can start this blog.

      Fitness development blogs can gain popularity by giving proper and proven tips and suggestions to bodybuilding readers.

      Travel

      Want to know about a place you want to go? Then searching for it on the internet is the right choice to extract the needed information.

      This expertise is given to the travelers who try to have their peace of mind in traveling and knowing about the classes. Travelers can start a blog and can post about the places on the page of the blog.

      The best description with the best niche may gain popularity among the blog, and thus, having proper website content is important.

      Many travelers have used this advantage to earn a lot of revenue apart from gaining popularity. Travel blog through adequate information about the places can be a golden egg for bloggers to gain popularity and income.

      Money Making

      Netizens always look for opportunities to earn money through the internet, but the advent of cyberspace didn’t have many opportunities to provide such tasks.

      After experiencing increased web traffic, digital marketing came into the picture by offering brand solution suggestions. Netizens can now use this opportunity to gain revenue by attending various task programs and online workshops hosted by brand solution companies.

      These companies, with the help of the blog, give many sectors of income generation. The money-making tasks include forex trading opinions, surveys, cryptocurrency, and other niche for internet users.

      BONUS: Academic Blog

      academic blog as a niche
      A woman in graduation cap with an open book in her hands on the background of classroom vector flat design illustration. Horizontal layout.

      Every student has to follow his passion for achieving the output of his career. It may sound crazier as there are some ways through which the students can reduce their financial burden. One of such ways; is to write an academic blog with maximum profit. Some of the steps are discussed to understand the importance of making money by building a blog. The blog needs an appropriate name to establish itself with the content objective of the blog. 

      After giving a name for their blog, students need to decide the format of the blog page. Students need to provide rich content for the blog coupled with content name and body context, but, the log content is not enough to generate revenue for the bloggers. Thus, affiliate marketing comes into the picture. Students can refer and sell other products on their platform to earn a commission from the product owners. Apart from selling other products, students can establish their blog by selling their products for free or minimum cost. If the students have sound knowledge, they can also offer marketing services to other web platforms.

      A good blog is made based on satisfying the reader’s expectations. Readers are the trump card for the bloggers and content curators to create new posts and articles for reading. Content is an essential tool in attracting readers and other web users to approach the product. Students can find these blogging skills effective as it helps them on both the educational and financial sides.

      Mary Jones

      Mary Jones is the co-founder and editor-in-chief at TopMyGrades, which focuses on career counseling for university students in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. Mary helps students with their marketing reports and assignments. She has extensive content editing experience and has worked with MSNBC, NewsCred, and Scripted in the past. She has also authored blogs on Lifehack.org, Wn.com, Medium.com, Minds.com, and many more digital publications.

      • 5 Freelance Laws You Must Observe

        5 Freelance Laws You Must Observe

        In today’s world, keeping the current situation in mind, several startups and small businesses are relying on contract and freelance personnel.

        With a constantly growing number of professionals, this workforce provides many advantages such as variety, opportunity and flexibility. Freelancing also gives you the independence to work towards your interests at your own pace.

        So, for the student that aims to work in a versatile industry, freelancing might be the best way for them to gain the knowledge they need to get their dream job, all while keeping up with a hectic curriculum.

        While being a freelancer has its own benefits, there are certain complications that revolve around this career option.

        So if you are a freelancer, or planning to become one, here are five freelance laws you need to be aware of to protect yourself:

        1. Plagiarism and Property Rights

        Freelancing requires an in-depth understanding of plagiarism and property rights for two major reasons- first is to make sure you aren’t guilty of it, and the second is to safeguard your work.

        If you are not cautious about the content you release, you may find yourself in a legal confrontation over copyright or plagiarism.

        Freelancers can get charged for infringing another individual or company’s property rights or copyright, even if it was done unknowingly.

        Content writers and college students are also inclined to face coincidental plagiarism, and that’s why it is important for them to utilise online plagiarism checking software that is readily available online.

        To prevent any future disputes regarding plagiarism, it is important to understand it’s advantages and working.

        So how exactly does a plagiarism checking software work?

        Plagiarism detectors are accessible online and help to determine whether your content has been duplicated from another source. This software gives us access to several sources and databases that allow individuals to proofread their work effectively and quickly.

        It searches for content similarity by scanning the database and detecting text elements and then compares it with other elements.

        After the process of comparison is completed, the software then highlights the similar elements, if there are any.

        Plagiarism detection software functions similar to the search engines, like Google, which index different content on the web. The main dissimilarity between the two is that the plagiarism software compares and identifies similar elements on the web instead of simply searching for them.

        2. Contract Violations

        contract violations

        A contract is a legal document protected by the law. It defines the duties and rights of the parties that have entered an agreement.

        When the terms and conditions are clearly stated between parties, it prevents future misconceptions and drawbacks. It eliminates ambiguity and enforces smooth professional relationships.

        Freelancing without a contract is a risk simply not worth taking. It could lead to clients refusing to pay for your work, and without a contract set in place, you wouldn’t be able to take action.

        That is undoubtedly not a situation you should look forward to.

        Make sure that all your clients agree to file contracts that include every detail such as the duration, number of iterations, and the pay.

        If your client expects you to work beyond the agreed iterations, ensure that to put down a rate of pay for your extra work.

        3. Trademark Infringement

        A trademark is the Intellectual Property (IP) of a freelancer that safeguards the logos, signs, and symbols which define and differentiate them from others in the industry.

        The trademark registration procedure is similar for both companies and individuals, and it is often best to hire a law firm to steer this process for you.

        As a freelancer, you can protect and establish your brand identity by applying for a trademark that is unique to you.

        However, it is important to ensure that your future trademark is authorized and authenticated since trademark infringement has hefty legal implications.

        4. Conflict of Interest

        It is your responsibility to check if you have any agreements that interdict you from operating as a freelancer while working with your existing employer in order to avoid any possible legal implications.

        Although it is possible to be a freelancer alongside being employed, it is essential to ensure that your freelance work does not affect your working hours and productivity as an employee of the current organisation.

        Violating agreements and disclosing confidential company information could lead to serious repercussions and could also lead to the termination of your duties.

        Make sure you understand the paperwork you sign, such as non-disclosure agreements and non-compete agreements to distinguish between your two professions.

        5. Taxation

        As a freelancer, you are essentially self-employed. While working for oneself has its own advantages, it can also cause occasional complications- especially with filing taxes.

        If you earn your income as a freelancer, you often end up filing taxes as a businessperson. Ensure to collect and transcript the various sources of your income carefully, as freelancing involves having several sources of income.

        The most advisable method to manage your tax payments would be to hire the services of a tax professional to ensure you adhere to the tax regulations of your country.

        Taxation - freelance laws

        Conclusion

        Author Bio:

         As an Assignment Expert, Bella delivers online sessions at Expert Assignment Help, helping students with writing essays and assignments. She is the co-founder and education consultant at Top My Grades. Beyond work, you can find her baking a fresh batch of cookies in her kitchen.

        assignment expert
      • 7 Lead Magnet Ideas to Implement Right Now

        7 Lead Magnet Ideas to Implement Right Now

        Converting visitors into prospective sales is where the success of a company lies. Visitors come and go without leaving a lead – quite literally. That is why the marketing departments have come up with the “magnets” to rope in visitors, offer incentives, and convert them into buyers. 

        However, is that as easy as it is said? 

        Not essentially. 

        Strategizing with lead magnet ideas to optimize your visiting traffic into returning ones, and potentially into customers, is not an easy game. This is mainly because lead magnets are popular bait, and you need to come up with relevant and value-adding stuff to gain the favor of your target audience. 

        Buyer’s Journey Stages 

        The buyer’s journey stages, as it clearly indicates, are three progressive steps that every prospective lead follows to become a buyer.  

        buyer's journey stages

        Image Source

        Awareness Stage:

        The prospect is completely unaware of your brand, or of the solution, it offers to a problem. A visitor might have stumbled upon your website via organic search, so at this stage, you have to focus on making the prospects become “aware”.

        Consideration Stage:

        As the prospect makes it to the middle of your customer journey funnel, it “considers” and weighs the options against the problem. Countless businesses are offering similar solutions, if not completely the same. In that case, what makes your brand credible?

        Decision Stage:

        If a lead has made it to the decision stage, all it needs is a slight push to be converted into a consumer. Just a click away, the right or wrong move can influence their buying decision. 

        There’s a different mind map of the prospect at every stage of the funnel. Lead magnets, therefore, vary for each segment of the buyer’s journey. 

        The Awareness Stage 

        Educate with eBooks 

        In-depth, detailed, and comprehensive eBooks are a powerful way to attract qualified sales leads by giving them a free download to an inclusive guide. They act as a strong lure because eBooks are a reserved property and require extensive time and knowledge to compile.

        Make sure your eBook is thoroughly researched, is relevant to the brand’s core values, and has visual appeal. Using original infographics, charts, and images is an effective way to get your message across. 

        Increase Productivity with Checklists

        You can use checklists as a lead magnet considering the target audience of your company. 

        Visitors find these quick lists helpful in optimizing their productivity – for instance, an ultimate to-do-list for backpackers so they do not miss out on anything. You can stash away valuable insight or tips and tricks in these “cheat sheets” in return for their email addresses.

        Businesses customize the checklist lead magnet by turning it into steps of a process, top requirements, or best practices. As they are easy to consume and condenses a lot of information into an easy-to-scan list, it propels the prospect from the first stage to the next. 

        interactive quizzes

        Bring Interactive Quizzes 

        Interactive quizzes are one way to entertain and interact with users while can be tailored to keep them invested in your preposition. Quizzes are custom-made – it is so much you can give and take from only a few interesting questions. They can be creative, whacky, and still remain relevant to the problem at hand. 

        For instance, if your company sells athletic wear, you can create a quiz to get users to find out which sports movie character they would most likely play. Or, if you are an interior designing company, you can host a quiz asking people of their likes and dislikes to offer an end-result telling which design will suit their taste best. 

        The Consideration Stage 

        Exclusive Webinars

        The king of converting leads, Neil Patel, recommends webinars as a strong magnet to attract genuinely interested sales leads. Webinars are classified under the “educational” lead magnets – schooling your visitors about something they didn’t already know. 

        In return for an email address, prospects can watch live or pre-recorded presentations as many times as they want. Offer valuable insights, wisdom speech, and informative content with, perhaps, a host-interactive session or an attractive offer at the end to make it to the prospect’s shortlist. Knowledge is the key, and an exclusive webinar behind a gate is a promising way to catch potential buyers. 

        Make sure you design the webinars in a way that it compels the prospect to “consider” your brand. 

        Whitepapers 

        Whitepapers are compelling reports or guides with exhaustive knowledge on a complex issue. They are a marketing magnet that takes on the form of an authoritative and credible problem-solving stance and has rich, in-depth methodologies presenting solutions. 

        Readability is imperative, always. Keep the text boxes short, to-the-point, and backed by visuals to grab the reader’s attention. Since whitepapers are golden freebies for consumers to read, evaluate, and make a decision; you need to keep them power-packed with original facts and stats. 

        The Decision Stage 

        Prospects at this stage are waiting for the final push to help them make their decision. Consider the lead magnets under this section as the final straw to your conversion. You need to come up with personalized content that would interact with your final prospects and creatively address their pain points. 

        Provide Discounts 

        Discount coupons are the prime lead magnets to convert visitors into buyers. This magnet came into existence when the internet wasn’t ever found. So, you cannot undermine the effectiveness of discount coupons acting as the most successful incentives. 

        Offer whooping discounts to first-time users, free shipping perks, giveaways, and free gifts on first deliveries. 

        netflix

        Seal the Deal with free demo/trials/consultation

        Did you know that ASOS introduced a “try before you buy” model to gain the blind trust of their customers? And it worked – it worked better than anything else. Using this tactic, they not only conquered the hearts of their loyal customers, but it was another powerful generation of leads and referrals. 

        Seal the deal for your customers at the last stage of the funnel by offering them free trials/demos or consultations of your services. 

        Final Thoughts about Lead Magnet Ideas

        Backed up marketing metrics and data, you can easily monitor the performance of your lead magnets and devise improvisations accordingly. There is nothing more challenging than converting visitors into buyers – and once they have converted, there’s nothing worthier.

        julia burova

        Julia Burova

        Business Growth at Wincher – SEO rank tracker

        Julia is a professional business development manager with proven experience in customer acquisition, strategic partnerships, and outbound marketing.

        • How to Start Landing High-Ticket Clients as a Freelancer

          How to Start Landing High-Ticket Clients as a Freelancer

          One of the first questions asked by anyone trying to get into freelancing is: Where do I find clients? Getting work from clients is the lifeblood of a freelancing career—it’s how you make the money to pay your bills.

          And while you could start off on sites like Upwork and Fiverr, you may find that you’re not getting the high-paying gigs you had hoped for.

          So how do you land the high-ticket clients? Whether you’ve been freelancing for a while or you’re just getting started, these tips should help. 

          1. Build a portfolio 

          When you’re freelancing, a resume usually won’t be enough to convince a potential client that you’ll do a great job. You’ll need a portfolio of past projects and work samples to really win them over. So, before you start trying to track down any high paying clients, you should build a professional portfolio that showcases your best work. 

          First, you should create a general portfolio that you make public. You should make this portfolio available on your website, your social media pages, freelance job sites, and any relevant industry sites. Make this portfolio look nice and presentable so that potential clients immediately trust you. For ideas and inspiration, research other professional portfolios or use an online portfolio building tool. 

          In your general portfolio, include the work you’re most proud of and try to make the samples as diverse as possible. Demonstrate that your skills are versatile and can translate to different topics and different industries. 

          If you’re making a pitch to a specific client, however, you’ll want to tailor your portfolio so that it aligns with their needs and goals. Show them that you can work in their industry, write in their voice, design with their style in mind, etc. 

          2. Network 

          Networking is important for any professional, but it’s absolutely essential when you’re a freelancer. 

          33% of freelancers report finding work through referrals, 15% get work through social networks, and 14% get work through networking sites like LinkedIn. Thus, if you want to start landing high-ticket clients, you’ll have to make an effort to build a professional network. 

          how freelancers find work

          There are a variety of effective ways to go about building a network. You could start by asking family members and friends if they know of anyone looking for the services you provide. It takes very little effort on your part and they may be able to connect you with some great clients. 

          You should also try to use social media to generate business for yourself. Create profiles on networking sites like LinkedIn, as well as any networking sites relevant to the industry you work in. Advertise your services on other social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using either your personal profile or a profile you create specifically for your freelancing services. 

          Reach out directly to companies you want to work for and people you want to connect with via these social media sites. Try to not only connect with potential clients, but also other people in the same industry as you. It’s important to build relationships with people in your industry, even if they’re not clients, because they may be able to provide you with work opportunities in the future. 

          3. Know your worth 

          Many freelancers undervalue the services they provide for too long, resulting in low pay that they can barely use to make ends meet. In order to get the high paying jobs that you dream about you’ll first have to realize your own value. 

          To start, you’ll need to determine a fair rate for your services. Look around online and do some research into what other freelancers in your industry charge. Alternatively, use Referral Rock’s online rate calculator tool to determine your freelance rate. 

          Image courtesy of Referral Rock

          When you’re just starting out and trying to build a portfolio, it makes sense to charge a low rate—but don’t do this for too long. You’ll find that charging next to nothing for your services isn’t a sustainable strategy for attracting and retaining clients. When you set a low rate, you attract low-paying companies who are unlikely to be flexible in raising their rates in the future. 

          Besides, most reputable companies are looking to hire a great worker rather than the person who charges the lowest price.

          Companies are often willing to pay well above bottom-tier rates in order to ensure that they receive quality work in return. In fact, many companies will actually be put off by freelancers who charge very low rates, as they assume the work won’t be as good or the freelancer won’t handle the project with much care. 

          So, even if you start off by charging a low rate, quickly raise it. Steadily raise your rate as you accumulate more experience, learn more, and sharpen your skills.

          If you hesitate about setting high rates, keep in mind that, as a freelancer, you’re often much cheaper for a company to hire than a full-time employee since you’re used on an as-needed basis and the company doesn’t need to provide you with the same benefits or bonuses that it would with a full-time worker. 

          Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, when a potential client expresses interest in your services, don’t be afraid to talk about money.

          If a company offers you a project at a price below your usual rate, it isn’t rude or ungrateful to ask for more money.

          Negotiating over pay is a completely normal part of any business relationship and, if you don’t negotiate, you could end up leaving a lot of money on the table.

          So be firm with your rate (of course you might lower it based on the client, project, the promise of continued work, etc.) and don’t be afraid to say no to potential clients whose budget is too low. 

          4. Work in a niche 

          Finding a niche is a great way to build a steady client base and start earning more money as a freelancer. When you pick a specialty and become an expert in that area, you effectively reduce the amount of competition you face and provide a greater value to potential clients within that niche. 

          For example, if you brand yourself as just a general freelance writer, you’ll be competing with tens of thousands of writers with years of experience, and long, impressive portfolios. However, if you were to brand yourself as a freelance writer specializing in interior design, you would face far less competition and have a much more specific client base that you could pitch to. 

          By becoming an expert in one area, you’ll build up a specialized knowledge and skill set that not many people have, and more clearly define who your client base is, making it easier to pitch to the high-paying ones. 

          Conclusion

          Following these tips can help you step away from those low-paying clients and work with ones that pay you what you’re worth.

          Not only can you earn more money by doing this, but you’ll be able to devote more time and energy to projects you care about instead of jumping from one low-paying assignment to the next.

          samantha rupp

          Samantha Rupp

          Managing Editor, 365businesstips.com

          Samantha Rupp holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She lives in San Diego, California, and enjoys spending time on the beach, reading up on current industry trends, and traveling.