To Grow Their Audience
When it comes to creating an irresistible lead magnet, saying the ‘free’ standard has been raised would hardly do it justice. To stand out, you need innovative Lead Magnet Ideas because the days when visitors would eagerly enter their email address in exchange for a freebie are long gone.
Nowadays, people are much more internet-savvy and often hesitant to share their email address, knowing it will likely lead to receiving future promotional emails.
That’s why your lead magnet (whether it’s a freemium, freebie, opt-in gift – or any name you choose) needs to be incredibly appealing and provide a solution to their urgent needs. This is essential for boosting your opt-in conversion rate.
Get these rules wrong and no one will want your lead magnet
There are 3 unwritten rules when it comes to presenting a lead magnet to your audience:
1 – It must capture attention and be something your audience urgently needs. Your guiding principle should be, “Targeted, specific, and relevant!”
It needs to have a strong value proposition that compels your audience to eagerly enter their email in the opt-in form because they can’t wait to access your freebie.
2 – It should offer information that benefits your subscriber – but without giving away everything.
The lead magnet should be valuable enough for them to take some action … but it should also entice them to consider purchasing your full product to fully experience the benefits they might be missing out on.
3 – The opt-in page should look professional, provide easy access, and include a clear call to action.
Avoid asking for too much information, such as their address, phone number, blood type, mother-in-law’s name, etc.
Just their first name and email are sufficient. In fact, in many cases, you might not even need to ask for their name. The more fields they need to fill in, the lower your conversion rate will be.
Now that we’ve covered the essentials and emphasized the importance of having a lead magnet that people genuinely desire, let’s dive into 9 different types of freebies you can offer.
This isn’t complicated. All of the freebies listed below have been proven to convert well. Just remember, though it’s a free gift, that doesn’t mean you can create something carelessly or release a subpar product.
You only get one chance to make a great first impression.
In fact, your lead magnet should be so exceptional that it makes your subscriber think, “If their free gift is this good, I can only imagine how much better their paid product must be. I have to get it!”
Your lead magnet is almost like an affiliate working tirelessly to generate sales for you. It serves as a calling card that showcases your expertise, attention to detail, and professionalism.
9 High-Converting Lead Magnet Ideas
Short reports
Typically, a short report should be between 3-5 pages in length. Start with a brief introduction, discuss the mindset needed, and share 1 or 2 actionable tips that the reader can apply right away. It should be clear, focused, and informative.
Keep it simple and direct. For new subscribers, they won’t know you well and won’t have patience for unnecessary fluff. By providing valuable and practical information in a straightforward format, they’ll appreciate the guidance and be able to engage with your content easily.
Infographics (or posters)
A simple infographic that outlines the key points of a topic can be incredibly helpful for your audience.
For instance, a copywriting infographic might showcase the essential elements needed for a sales page.
With this visual, subscribers can quickly see what their sales page requires – providing a convenient reference that simplifies their work. Naturally, after delivering the infographic, you can introduce them to your exceptional copywriting course that everyone’s talking about.
This is how a lead magnet paves the way for future promotional emails. By offering them a taste, you’ll leave them eager for the full course.
Templates
Fill-in-the-blank templates are highly sought after for sales letters, videos, blog posts, and a variety of other uses. With a tested template, your subscribers can generate content more easily without feeling overwhelmed by the idea of beginning from nothing.
Email templates, style guide templates, content calendars, social media post templates, and more are all examples of templates you might consider developing.
Checklists
A checklist is ESSENTIAL when a process involves several steps to complete.
For instance, if you’re offering a course on building profitable niche sites, a checklist will outline the tasks that must be accomplished in the correct sequence to create a functional site that ranks effectively.
While checklists are typically presented as bullet points (with checkboxes), they provide significant value to the subscriber, but to truly grasp and master the process, they’ll need to purchase your comprehensive course.
Want to know something?
Absolutely! Many of them will invest in what you’re offering just to fully benefit from the checklist.
Case studies
People are captivated by true crime shows, gossip magazines, and videos about celebrities’ lives. There’s a reason for this—they enjoy real-life stories and watching the outcomes of people’s decisions.
In the same vein, many marketers, whether beginners or seasoned professionals, appreciate case studies because they illustrate the marketing strategies implemented and the resulting successes (or failures). A real-life case study serves as a guide on what to do and what to steer clear of.
Your subscribers will find case studies incredibly valuable due to their detailed and transparent approach. This lead magnet fosters trust and credibility, especially when you can demonstrate what you did and the positive outcomes you achieved.
Videos/webinars
Videos are simple to produce. Just record a 15-minute video that highlights a few key points your viewers can apply. Below the video, be sure to include a link to your full course that is currently available for purchase.
If you opt for a webinar as a lead magnet, ensure it’s engaging, succinct, and credible.
Nowadays, many people are skeptical and cynical about webinars that consist solely of pitches filled with lengthy stories about the presenter’s journey from struggling in a dire homeless situation under a bridge to now enjoying caviar in a penthouse in Dubai—all thanks to his ‘push button’ viral marketing system.
When it comes to videos, less is more.
Mini-courses
A mini-course is an excellent method to familiarize new subscribers with your teaching style. It’s clear that if your mini-course is exceptional, your subscribers will regard you as an authority.
This will increase their likelihood of making a purchase from you.
So, ensure that your mini-course is remarkable. Provide them with some essential information… but NOT everything.
The reality is that most subscribers won’t even finish the free course. However, they will still feel that they’ve gained value, and many will choose to buy from you in the future.
Free trials
If you run a membership site or a paid software tool with a monthly subscription fee, providing free access for a week or a month in exchange for their email can significantly increase your subscriber base.
They have nothing to lose and can explore your offerings at no cost. Once the free trial concludes, they will have the choice to pay and continue or to leave.
This approach is incredibly simple. Those who decide to stay will likely become loyal fans of your service, while those who opt out can be remarketed to or removed if they’re not interested. As a result, your email list will be ‘cleaner’ and more targeted.
Resource lists
A resource list is essentially a compilation of tools, services, products, and more that you utilize.
If you’ve found success in your niche, people will be eager to know which products you’re using so they can emulate your actions and replicate your success.
No matter what niche you’re in, it’s common for champion bodybuilders to be asked about the supplements and training routines they follow. Similarly, successful marketers are frequently questioned about the tools and services they employ. Fiction writing novices seek advice from seasoned authors on essential reading, while travelers request recommendations for hotels and other accommodations.
Resource lists function like personal endorsements. Therefore, only recommend what you genuinely use.
Creating a PDF or web page with links to the resources you recommend. This will be beneficial to your subscribers who are in search of reliable products and services.
You can include affiliate links for all the products you recommend, but be sure to add an affiliate disclaimer to your PDF or webpage.
Time to magnetize!
Now that you know the different types of lead magnets you can create, it’s simply a matter of selecting one and developing it. Sometimes, you may want to create a few different types and split-test them.
You might find that checklists resonate well with your audience while videos yield lower conversion rates. From there, you can concentrate on driving traffic to your checklist opt-in page.
In addition to the tips mentioned above, consider using a reliable page builder like OptimizePress or Elementor to design your landing page.
You’ll also need a dependable autoresponder with strong deliverability rates, such as Aweber or ConvertKit. This will help you build your list effectively. It also ensures your emails reach your subscribers’ inboxes rather than getting stuck in the spam folder.
Begin sharing your lead magnets in the marketplace, and you’ll attract targeted, fresh leads to your business in no time.