The Persuasive StoryBrand Lead Generator Your Business Can’t Do Without

In this post, you'll learn:

• The 6 persuasive principles behind every successful Storybrand lead generator
• You'll gain the insights to improve or create a more persuasive lead generator
• You'll find additional resources from a link to download a free copy to Marketing Made Simple book to having your lead generator reviewed by me, a Certified StoryBrand Guide

Every time a potential customer visits your site and leaves without buying or enquiring about your products or services, you have a lost opportunity.

But you ask, “How can I convert every visitor? That's not possible.”

“You're right!” But the goal is not to convert every customer right away; it's to engage them and start building a relationship with them.

If you're familiar with StoryBrand and the 7 part StoryBrand marketing framework, you know that every website needs two calls to action. 

1. A direct call to action such as 'Buy Now' or 'Schedule a Call,' and
2. A transitional call to action such as 'Download for Free' or 'Get the Free Videos.'
   

A transitional call to action is the best way to give your customers a compelling reason to provide you with their email address for an exchange of valuable information that could help their business right away.

Though many know about the importance of calls to action in StoryBrand, what you may not have known is why StoryBrand Lead Generators are so powerful. The answer is found in the classic book titled Influence by Robert B. Cialdini. 

Cialdini's seven principles of persuasion are:

1. Reciprocity
2. Commitment
3. Social Proof
4. Authority
5. Liking
6. Scarcity
7. Unity
   

An effective StoryBrand lead generator uses several of Cialdini's persuasive principles.

Can you guess which ones?

1. Reciprocity
2. Commitment
3. Authority
4. Liking
5. Unity
6. Social proof to some level
   

Lead generators are effective because they are persuasive when appropriately implemented.

1. Reciprocity: Give a Little Something to Get a Little Something in Return

People are wired to want to return favors and pay back their debts.

The idea of reciprocity says that people, by nature, feel obliged to provide either discounts or concessions to others if they've received favors from those others. Psychology explains this by stressing that we humans hate to feel indebted to other people!

When you create a powerful lead generator, you create an opportunity to build a relationship with your visitors with a free download in exchange for their email address.

Then you start nurturing the lead by continually adding more value until you later ask for a sale.

That's reciprocity in action.

"When you give value for free, customers feel indebted to you and your brand - even if it's not conscious. When you give away great content and value, customers want to return the favor and are more likely to place orders" - Donald Miller (Marketing Made Simple p. 117 Hardcover)‍

2. Commitment & Consistency

If your lead generator promises "3 free videos that will teach you to get more leads", your leads will more likely commit to opening each of the sent videos daily.

Why?

The principle of behavioural consistency suggests that we have a deep need to be consistent with our past behaviors. Once committed to something or someone, we are much more likely to go through and deliver on that commitment. Commitment and consistency are powerful motivators to increase engagement and persuade your clients or users.

When you deliver on the promise of 3 free videos that will _______________ (solve a specific pain), you get potential customers to make an initial commitment to watch the video series that you want them to engage with.

It's a small, low-stake commitment that helps convert customers.

3. Authority

This one is obvious. You already know that you establish authority on your website by showcasing client testimonials or endorsements and logos of organizations you've helped.

But you also establish authority through your StoryBrand lead generator. When you provide upfront value to your potential clients, you are more likely to be perceived as an expert or high-authority in your given field.

As your prospective customer engages with your content through a well-timed and executed email series, you start to establish trust and authority with your prospective client.

Though you're building authority, you've been positioning yourself as the guide. Brands that serve as guides share empathy and authority with their potential customers.

With every valuable content that your customer engages, you show them how your brand is the right guide to help them solve a particular problem.=

4. Liking 

People prefer to say "yes" to individuals and organizations they know and like.  

At the core of a successful lead generator campaign is that you're building a relationship with your prospective client.  

This is your opportunity as a brand to provide a remarkable experience from the moment your prospective client finds you attractive enough to give you their email address.

5. Unity Principle: Empathy / We are like you

This might be a stretch, but I see a strong correlation between Cialdini's seventh principle, unity, and the StoryBrand principle of empathy.

If you have clarity about your customer's real problem, you can authentically empathize with their unique challenge. 

Throughout your lead generator, whether a series of emails, downloadable PDFs, or a video series, you're more likely to connect with your customer if you demonstrate empathy.

As Donald Miller says, "Empathy without authority falls flat, as does authority without empathy."

6. Social Proof

People are influenced by other people's behavior.

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people reference the behavior of others to guide their behavior.

Social proof is how we buy products from Amazon, how we choose restaurants, and how we book our travel.

If you have simple statistics such as hundreds of downloads in the past month or testimonials on the asset you're giving away for free, you'll be able to increase the number of conversions.

Look at tools like Nudgify or Proof's Pulse to add social proof to your landing page to boost conversions and credibility.

But don't forget to include social proof inside your lead generator campaign, too, where case studies along with before and afters can serve as powerful social proofs to boost trust and credibility.

Now it's your turn

1. If you don't have a lead generator, create one. Don't know where to start? Get a free copy of Marketing Made Simple, with a few examples.
   
2. If you have a lead generator, audit your content. Where can you improve the persuasion principles to make your StoryBrand lead generator more effective?
   

Additional resources

1. Marketing Made Simple PDF Book free or buy hardcover
2. Storybrand website examples
3. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
4. A free 15-minute call with me, a StoryBrand Certified Guide, to review your lead generator campaign