Lead the Way

Lead magnets can generate sales, especially when they provide value to the customer.

In today’s spa market, retailers say the most effective way to capture prospect information isn’t pressure; it’s value. From pricing guides and liquidation lists to familiarity-driven branding campaigns, successful lead magnets give customers a reason to voluntarily share their information.

Once that information is captured, what happens next — segmentation, nurturing and follow-up — often matters just as much as the initial offer.

Timing the season

For Dana Hyde, co-owner of CK Spas in Quebec, Canada, hot tub season isn’t year-round, though occasionally they do have winter hot tub sales. “Every year is slightly different than the other,” she says. “We’ve had years where it really kicked off in March, and other years where it only kicked off in May.”

The sales season really depends on how long it stays cold in Quebec, Hyde says. They usually do a presale for Valentine’s Day, where customers can reserve a hot tub for the spring, but they’re not going to get one installed while there’s still snow on the ground.

With reduced winter hours, CK Spas keeps a list and prepares a schedule for customers for starting their spas up once it’s warm enough.

Because seasonality directly impacts showroom traffic, CK Spas leans heavily on digital lead capture during slower months.

Hyde has an online form to gather leads, which helps filter customers into categories — those looking for a new hot tub, those looking for a refurbished hot tub and those too far away for CK Spas to offer quality service. “If they’re looking at a new tub in a specific brand and we know there’s another retailer close to them, then we’ll refer them,” she says.

By taking in relevant information like postal codes, the form prevents wasted time on both sides. Hyde emails leads once or twice but prefers not to be aggressive.

Rather than pushing for immediate sales, CK Spas uses its email list as a long-term value tool.

Customers and potential customers are added to the email list, and from there, they learn about sales, promotions and incentives and can ask questions.

“Sometimes we send out emails saying, ‘Hey, we put up a new blog.’ Or ‘We put up a video of how to do this or that with your hot tub,’ ” Hyde says.

That softer, educational follow-up often pays off later.

Even prospects who don’t purchase immediately convert later through service or chemical sales.

The company also uses Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to connect with people interested in hot tubs. 

For CK Spas — particularly because the business sells refurbished units with warranties — Facebook is especially effective in attracting used-spa shoppers who are already searching.

Putting numbers on it 

While educational content helps nurture long-term relationships, many retailers say pricing-based offers generate the strongest response.

Cole Taylor, vice president at Southern Leisure Spas & Wellness in Texas, says his team uses a document similar to a buyer’s guide and seasonally sends a liquidation price list when they acquire hot tubs that are scratched or have a small cosmetic defect at a discount. 

“We run ads and gain lead info,” he says. “ ‘Sign up and get our inventory liquidation list.’ That’s a good one.”

Taylor has found that traditional content-based lead magnets don’t convert the way they once did. People are less willing to exchange their information for a list of the top 10 health benefits of hot tubs, a white paper or an article, especially when they can quickly find those answers online. “They want pricing or some kind of free offer,” he says.

In other words, the value exchange must feel substantial.

Manufacturers often send leads. Most dealers, he says, either don’t put pricing on their website or aren’t allowed to, so many people request quotes on the website, which is a widely used way to get potential customer information.

Taylor typically offers a 12-page buyer’s guide with color photos and pricing, which helps potential customers know what to expect and gives them time to think about what kind of hot tub they’re interested in. They ask for basic contact information as well as budget, buying time frame, if they have a size in mind and, sometimes, if they’re looking to finance or pay outright.

The goal isn’t just to collect a name and email — it’s to gather qualifying information that helps sales teams tailor the conversation.

Generic newsletter sign-ups also tend to convert well, and every few months, they try something different with marketing. 

Taylor has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and enjoys finding the best lead magnets. He studies traffic, conversion rates and cost per lead and is quick to pull an ad campaign if it isn’t hitting the targets.

Lead magnets are part of a broader funnel strategy, Taylor says. Online offers are designed to capture and qualify prospects. Once someone is in the CRM, the approach shifts and they receive personal follow-ups. 

Beyond giveaways

Not every successful lead magnet involves a downloadable guide or coupon.

Angi Hess, vice president and general manager of Spas and More! in Missouri, says the company’s largest sources of leads are manufacturer referrals and Facebook ads, both of which feed directly into its CRM system. She also uses magazine marketing, CCTV, podcasts and other ways of capturing potential customers’ information.

The best quality leads are coming through Facebook or through commercials on iHeartRadio’s CCTV streaming, Hess says. 

Those leads are tracked and nurtured through the company’s CRM, Hess says, which allows the team to categorize prospects, follow up and monitor conversion patterns.

Potential customers receive an exploratory phone call to help tailor the purchase and share the Spas and More! story.

“The biggest thing that we have found where our leads are getting more presence is marketing with familiarity versus actually giving something away,” Hess says. “Since we started partnering with some local sports alumni, it’s putting faces in front of people and drawing more attention. It’s been more beneficial to us than giving away a free cover lift or a $500 coupon or something along those lines.” 

For Hess, familiarity itself becomes the value exchange. Brand recognition builds enough trust that prospects willingly engage and share their information.

First-time visitors see manufacturer advertising and come in because they’re curious about the product. Returning buyers are targeted with social media or email to discover more products and services.

When someone comes in, they’re often ready to buy. And when a customer is in the store, team members will mention a current promotion or coupon, and honor it, or even offer something like a cover lift, Hess says.

“The almost-end goal is getting potential customers into the store to buy and become customers. We save our lead magnets for online,” Taylor says. “And for events, we use coupons for lead magnets.”

Across retailers, that theme is consistent: digital lead magnets capture and qualify interest while in-store interactions close the sale. Whether it’s a pricing guide, liquidation list, educational email, event coupon or community familiarity campaign, the most effective lead magnets offer something customers genuinely want.