What problem were you hoping a quiz would solve for your business?
I wanted a more tangible way of growing my list while using a lead magnet that’s better than your average freebie. As a podcaster, I’m always creating fresh content, so I needed an easier way to serve up content recommendations to my growing audience to help them continue growing on their plant parent journey.
Before creating the quiz, I talked for years about the Plant Parent Personalities. They would naturally come up in conversation whenever I was discussing plant care tips. After talking with thousands of listeners, it was pretty simple to repurpose these ideas into a quiz.
| Key Takeaway: To create a stronger connection with quiz-takers, give them personalized recommendations based on their result types. Like Maria, you may have an archive of content that you can pull from. If so, simply repurpose your existing content, and you won’t have to reinvent the wheel. If not, think about what kind of content you’ll need to create so your quiz has lasting value. |
What inspired you to create a quiz?
I like to call the quiz my “quarantine baby” since I created it during the COVID-19 pandemic when I was going a little stir crazy in a 500-square-foot apartment. I didn’t know how long we’d be quarantining in NYC, so I thought I’d make the best use of my time by creating a quiz for my podcast.
I was first inspired by Jenna Kutcher, who talked about her quiz on an episode of her Goal Digger podcast. When I took her Secret Sauce quiz, I spent time studying her landing pages and making notes about what I liked. After doing more research, I decided to take the plunge and create a quiz of my own.
I’m also a huge fan of personality tests like the Enneagram, so creating a personality quiz seemed the best fit for my interests and brand.
| Key Takeaway: It’s smart to get inspiration from other quiz creators before making your quiz. If you’re not sure where to start, here are 30 successful entrepreneurs who have used quizzes to elevate their brand and generate more leads. Like Maria, take time to study the examples you’re drawn to and consider why you gravitate toward them. |
What kind of results have you seen from the quiz?
Much like I predicted, the quiz has become my top email list growth tool. Before the quiz, I passively built my email list to 4,200 subscribers over three years. I had a newsletter and a few freebies at the time, but I wasn’t actively focusing on growing my list.
On the day I launched my quiz, over 1,000 people took it in 24 hours! I couldn’t believe it. I’ve used the quiz to more than double my list to 8,600 subscribers!
The best part is that all of my leads have come from organic traffic, meaning I haven’t had to spend money on ads. However, I’m interested in exploring Instagram paid ads in the future.
| Key Takeaway: Before launching your quiz, note your current metrics, and track your progress after launching. You can review your Interact analytics at any time, which will give you a clear idea of how many people have taken your quiz and subscribed to your email list. |
How did you persuade over 1,000 people to take your quiz on launch day?
I first made an IGTV video where I talked more about the Plant Parent personality types to hype up the quiz. I encouraged viewers to share the video and screenshot their own quiz type to post in an Instagram Story, which helped quickly grow the reach of my quiz.
I also told viewers to put their Plant Parent type in the comments of my IGTV video to inspire others to take the quiz and get their own results.
I promoted the quiz in those first couple of weeks, but my one regret was making it optional to opt-in for my emails in the beginning. I wanted to continue nurturing my relationship with quiz-takers through email marketing, so I see it as a missed opportunity. Since then, I’ve changed it inside Interact so opting in is needed to receive results.
| Key Takeaway: Even better than attracting lots of attention on one day is consistently adding new subscribers to your email list every day. Maria was able to accomplish both by creating social media content and promoting it on other podcasts. Instead of waiting for people to land on your website, think about ways you can strategically drive more traffic to your quiz. |
Your quiz result landing pages are a favorite of ours! Walk us through your strategy.
I really wanted to give multiple points of value when someone receives their Plant Parent personality type. One of the first decisions I made was to work with illustrator Molly Mansfield to create custom art for each type. It’s one of the first things people see on the landing page, so I knew it had to stand out!
Since I’ve recorded hundreds of podcast episodes at this point, I knew the value in hand-selecting a list of episodes that are perfect for each personality type. Giving curated resources makes these landing pages feel more personalized and fun.
I also decided to include:
- A funny, plant-inspired quote from a popular song
- A list of suggested plants that fit with their lifestyle
- A list of suggested projects for new Plant Parents based on their type
- A personal bio so they can get to know me
- A call-to-action asking quiz-takers to screenshot and share their results on social media
At the end of the landing pages, I give quiz-takers an opportunity to explore all of the Plant Parent personalities if they want to.
| Key Takeaway: Quiz result landing pages are a smart way to deliver more value. You’ll have more room to add bonuses, recommendations, and freebies when you use a landing page. The design of your landing page matters just as much as its content, so be sure to thoughtfully format your page so it feels like an exciting step of the quiz-taking experience. |
How have you been able to repurpose the quiz?
I was excited to highlight the quiz when I was featured on Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income podcast. It’s one of my very favorite podcasts, so I decided to create a specific landing page tailored to his large audience.
I knew the quiz would be the best way to introduce myself to incoming leads from his podcast. Also, I included content from other places on my website, so I didn’t need to create anything from scratch. I may do this in the future when I’m featured on other podcasts.
| Key Takeaway: We love how Maria created a unique landing page just for this podcast’s listeners! She knew more eyeballs would be on her website, so she thoughtfully created a landing page with an embedded quiz. This way, she can make a great impression no matter when someone listens to her interview episode. You can do the same when you speak at an event, are interviewed on a podcast, and more. |
What is your best advice for new quiz creators?
Just do it! Start by focusing on service. Think more about what someone’s going to get out of the quiz than what you’re getting out of it. Then, figure out how to blow their minds so they’re inspired to share it with everyone they know.
Also, don’t be afraid to hire someone to help you with the quiz if you’re worried about the tech setup, design, or content creation. I wrote all of my quiz content but worked with Sarah of Digital Grace Design on designing the landing pages. With her help, my quiz feels custom and branded. There’s no way I would have been able to do this entire project by myself. Sarah elevated my ideas for the quiz, and her eye for design definitely made it more shareable on social media.
If you want to build your list and create a community around your brand, quizzes are your answer. Make sure to give personalized recommendations that make your audience feel special. Have fun with it!