Creating the right downloadable offer is essential to any marketing campaign that chooses to include one. The right downloadable offer is something of value that a website visitor must complete a form in order to get access to.

In order for the marketing effort to be successful and result in converting that lead into a customer, the download needs to allow the potential customer to try out the product or service. This shows them first hand that the product or service delivers as promised and that the full version can solve their problem or enhance their life/business.

Now that we understand what kind of value the right downloadable offer should give, what types of downloadable content can you create? Keeping in mind that these offers are free, they need to make sense financially, and they also need to be scalable. The following examples require initial investment and resources, however they can be re-used as many times as needed without requiring additional costs:

• eBook

• Guide

• Webinar

• Free Tool

If you have a larger budget, these 3 offers are also great options to explore:

• Free Trial/Product Demos

• Consultations

• Discount/Coupon

Once you have decided which type of downloadable offer is the right one for your campaign, you now have to ensure that it provides value and will most likely result in a conversion. There are 3 main elements that need to be considered when creating a downloadable offer that delivers value:

• Is the offer valuable to your target audience?

• Does the offer align with the products and services that your business offers?

• Is the offer targeted to the right customer persona at the right time?

Offering value to your target audience may seem like a no-brainer but in order for this element to result in a conversion, you need to ensure that the offer will be valuable to your target audience. A few things to consider:

• Does this offer showcase my product or service’s ability to fully fill a need or want?

• Does this offer give good insight as to how the rest of my products or services will solve this common issue?

• Does this offer give just enough to create trust and instill a value associated with my company or brand?

Downloadable offers give you a chance to reach a specific target audience looking for a specific product or service. It is also a good opportunity to get leads for other related products or services that you offer.

Once you have your offer type and target audience you will need to leverage your offer effectively. Here are some best practices for leveraging your downloadable offer effectively:

• Create multiple offers. When targeting your target audience at different points in the purchasing funnel, your offer will need to cater to each point.

• Include a lead capture form. In order to capture our target audience, you will need to gather some information about them. Requiring that a lead capture form is filled out in exchange for the offer is ideal.

• Create calls to action and place them strategically. Throughout our content you should have calls-to-action with the goal of obtaining a conversion by the end of the content.

• Track performance. In order to optimize each marketing effort, you will need proper tracking. Ensure that all of your tracking methods follow the potential lead from the initial point of contact all the way to the completion of the conversion form. This will help you to better understand which elements of your content is working well or which elements may need some more optimization.

Each offer will provide value to your customer but at the same time, instill a trust between your company and the potential lead. In addition, you’ll get the contact information of a potential buyer and can then sell them through a more face-to-face process.