Category: Quizzes

It is probably the most asked question at my “Quiz Camps” (the 1-day workshops I provide to Speaking and Coach associations across North America) is “What’s the best lead magnet quiz platform?”

I see it every day. People asking questions like that on Facebook, LinkedIn and in forums, and I see super helpful friends jump in and say, “I use X – it is fantastic” or “Y all the way” and they think they are helping. But realistically, the posters have asked the wrong question.

There is no ‘best’ platform out there, there is only the best quiz platform for you. 

Before you invest in any technology, the number one question you should ask yourself is,” What programs am I using now, and will the technologies integrate?”   

It can be so frustrating to spend all that time creating an amazing quiz, only to find it does not integrate with your CRM, or your email marketing system.  Just like any business endeavour, you must spend a bit of time planning before you take the leap.

So, I created the chart below, outlining my three favourite lead magnet quiz platforms, and how they integrate with various software you may be using in your speaking business.

Note – this table is accurate as of February 2020. It is always a good idea to double-check to be sure before building your quiz.

PS – just found this blog series? Learn how to grow your list virally using quizzes here

In my blog series on creating quizzes to help grow your email list, I opened up a can of worms. I suggested including the option to ‘skip this step’ when requesting the email address of the person taking the quiz. In other words, they can take the quiz and get the results (or at least some of the results) WITHOUT providing their email.

You’d think I had expressed a political opinion, that is how vehement a few people were on both sides of this question, so I thought I’d open it up to you to make your own call – and share what I see as the pros and cons of mandatory opt-ins.

No to “skip this step” – enabling mandatory opt-ins to see your quiz results

That’s my basic take on the situation. What do you think?

As with every marketing campaign, and yes, a lead magnet quiz is the beginning of a marketing campaign, we begin with the strategy.

What’s your Goal?

There are four main types of quizzes and each has a specific goal and outcome. Your first step is always to determine why you are creating the quiz, and what you want that quiz to accomplish. Here are some common outcomes of lead generation quizzes.

Fun

Yes, sometimes quizzes are just that – fun. Let’s say you are giving a day-long training for a client, and you want to add a bit of gamification to your event. A quiz given to the participants to complete over lunch,‘testing’ them on the morning’s content would be one example. Add to that including a prize awarded right after lunch and you have a great way to ensure everyone is in their seat and to offer ‘brownie points’ to those who score the highest. 

This fun quiz also lets you (and your client) know if your audience is paying attention. Are you gathering emails?  Maybe yes, maybe no, the choice is yours. The point of the quiz is simple. Fun and engagement. It has added benefits, but they are peripheral.

Lead Generating

The best performing lead-generating quizzes are often simple personality quizzes with the goal of getting as many bodies as possible on your list.

Lead Generating plus Targeting

This lead magnet quiz requires more thought and strategy. Yes, you want to grow the list, but you want to pre-qualify prospects as well. Let’s say you have a 3-level program or 4 specific keynotes that you deliver, and you want to get a general idea of which program that prospect is ‘most likely’ to be interested in.  You can create your quiz and results in such a way as to tag a prospect based on their answers and add them to a list that includes those products.  You are not ‘recommending’ anything to them, but you are keeping track of their preferences for further marketing down the road.

That’s it for your goal – but we are in a position of service – what you deliver matters too!  The old adage “What’s in it for them?” matters here too.   Before you choose a title or even a topic for your quiz, think about what your audience might be interested in. What value will they receive after taking your quiz?

The bottom line, no matter what your specific goal or outcome almost every quiz should:

• Position you as an expert in your field
• Make your prospects feel like you understand and care about them
• Be a steppingstone to beginning a marketing relationship 
• Act as a primer to slowly introduce your products and services

The Title

The title is by far the most important part of creating a quiz that is ‘more likely to go viral’, or at least gain a larger number of respondents. The title is the bait, and just like fishing, you can have the biggest boat, the most delicious recipe, and the best technique – but if the fish aren’t biting, you are going hungry. In fact, 80% of readers decide whether something’s worth checking out or not based on its title.

Here are some tried and true title formats that you can modify for your own lead magnet quiz. 

• How much do you actually know about blank?   (adding the word ‘actually’ turns a simple question into a challenge)

• Only a true name your target audience can name the quiz outcome.

• Are you ready to action – Are you sure? (as with the word actually – adding ‘are you sure’ adds the element of challenge)

• Which blank are you? 

• Can you answer 10 questions every target audience should know?
  
  
• Only 3% of target audience can answer these questions? Do you make the grade?
  
  
  

There are many types of quizzes you can create for your speaking business, but let’s focus on the four main quiz styles.

The Personality Quiz:

The most popular quiz to use as a lead magnet because it brings the ‘fun factor’. Right now, it seems everyone wants to know their personality type, or their celebrity style, what their brand colours say about them, or what kind of potato they are.

Personality Quizzes quiz categorize individuals into groups based on their answers. The results of these quizzes are carefully crafted to give the business owner insights into the respondents and can provide valuable information on how to then market to them in the future.

Depending on the quiz platform that you use, you can also use your questions to craft dynamic content (personalized results that include key concepts generated by their answers) and to add tags to your prospects for each personality type.

The Knowledge Test:

This quiz style also works well as a lead magnet, but it is usually more focused, so it requires a very specific target audience. This type of quiz tests the knowledge of an individual and gives results based on their score.  For instance, a “How much do you really know about blogging?” quiz could help you segment your list based on different knowledge levels, and then provide follow up content customized to their experience.  However, it assumes that everyone taking the quiz is interested in blogging.

If you have a new blogging training program rolling out in the next 6 months, this quiz could be a goldmine of information, telling you not only about marketing your product, but potentially giving you insights into adding or removing elements of your training program.  That said, lead magnet quizzes are short and fun, so the insights you would gain in your lead magnet version would be minimal.

Where knowledge tests can also shine is within your existing list.  A knowledge test can ‘act’ like a survey, gaining insights from your current clients – but without the “asking for something” vibe.

The Recommender:

This type of quiz recommends products. The customers answer a series of multiple-choice questions and are led to a specific product that matches their needs. It is especially useful in helping customers self select more in-depth products with multiple differentiators.

I have seen product recommender used as a lead magnet but sometimes with poor results.  Remember, a lead magnet implies that you are gathering cold leads. People are subscribing who do not yet know you. As a speaker, building relationships is even more important because what you are selling is you (and obviously the results you bring to an organization). It is almost never a good idea to jump right into selling (or recommending products) when you have no previously established connection.

The Risk Assessment:

How vulnerable are you? The risk assessment helps your customers discover what their current risk exposure is based on their current business practices. For the more ‘fact-oriented’ corporations and businesses out there that do not respond to the personality type quizzes, a risk assessment can be a good option. They are great for exposing and capitalizing on a pressing issue.

You can absolutely use risk assessment as a lead magnet, but the copywriting has to be very strategic. Remember, leads do not know you, so you have just pointed out a potential flaw to a stranger. How would that make you feel? 

Chances are the prospect is now in a state of doubt or worry (to a point) AND you have not yet earned the right to sell to them, so following up with a huge value item for free is your best way of gaining trust and leading them gently into a sale. 

Risk assessments also give you key information to craft a custom follow up campaign.

Which quiz style is best for your business?

The short answer is potentially all of them. Each has a specific use and outcome and can be integrated into your business depending on your goals.

If your goal is a simple, fun lead magnet, my top pick is the personality assessment and that is the topic of the next few blogs.

Catch up in the blog series starting with Quizzes, Polls and Surveys, or move forward with Creating a Quiz for your Lead Magnet

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