When my partner told me that he wanted to quit his job and start an architecture consultancy, it was an exciting milestone. But none of us could have predicted that three months after he did it, there would be a worldwide pandemic. Spend less time on lead management
Business came to a screeching halt, and we knew we had to focus our efforts. We decided to start with email marketing, a proven channel that would give us flexibility in how we communicated with leads and customers. Of course, before we could email anyone, we needed an email list. And to build an email list, we needed something valuable to offer subscribers.
Lead magnets are one of the most effective tools for growing an email list and generating leads. But what exactly are lead magnets, and how do you create ones that actually convert visitors into subscribers?
In this complete guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about creating high-converting lead magnets.
What is a Lead Magnet?
A lead magnet is an offer of free content that is used to entice website visitors to subscribe to your email list The “magnet” aspect comes from it attracting and capturing leads,
Common types of lead magnets include:
- Free ebooks or guides
- Checklists
- Cheat sheets
- Free video training
- Email courses
- Quizzes
- Free trials
- Coupons/discounts
- Templates
- Calculators
Essentially, a lead magnet is trading valuable content in exchange for a website visitor’s contact information, usually their email address.
Once they subscribe, you can then nurture those leads via email marketing and social media to turn them into customers
Why Are Lead Magnets Important?
Lead magnets are important because they help you grow your email list. An email list full of engaged subscribers is one of the most valuable assets any business can have.
With an email list, you can:
- Build relationships with potential customers
- Deliver targeted, relevant content
- Make sales via email promotions
- Get referrals and word-of-mouth marketing
Additionally, an email list helps ensure you have multiple ways to reach customers if other channels like social media ever disappear.
Lead magnets provide the incentive for visitors to join your list. Without an irresistible lead magnet, most visitors will never subscribe.
How to Create a Lead Magnet That Converts
Creating a high-converting lead magnet is part art, part science. Follow these best practices to maximize your lead magnet’s effectiveness:
1. Identify Your Audience’s Needs
Don’t create a lead magnet just because you think it’s interesting. The most important step is understanding your target audience’s needs and pain points.
Ask yourself:
- What are their biggest challenges and problems?
- What information are they seeking?
- What outcomes are they trying to achieve?
Then create content that directly helps them overcome those challenges.
2. Choose the Right Lead Magnet Format
Match the type of lead magnet to your audience’s preferences. For example:
- Ebooks/guides – Best for informative, educational content. Use for audiences that want depth.
- Checklists/cheat sheets – Best for actionable takeaways. Use for audiences looking for quick wins.
- Videos – Best for demonstrations and “showing” instead of “telling”. Use for visual audiences.
- Email courses – Best for delivering value over time. Use for audiences needing lots of education.
Also consider your own abilities. Creating different types of lead magnets requires different skill sets.
3. Make Sure the Content Delivers Value
The #1 rule is to over-deliver on value. Pack your lead magnet with as much helpful information and takeaways as possible.
Aim to solve a specific problem or need from start to finish. Don’t just overview a topic – go deep.
The goal should be to provide so much value that customers are eager to work with you.
4. Keep the Lead Magnet Focused
While you want to deliver value, don’t dilute your lead magnet by trying to cover too many topics. Keeping it hyper-focused on solving one specific need or challenge is best.
This helps ensure the lead magnet stays succinct while also building your authority around that topic.
5. Make It Easy to Consume
Structure your lead magnet for easy consumption:
- Readable length – Don’t make it overly long. Shoot for “skimmable” content when possible.
- Scannable layout – Use bullet points, numbered lists, charts, images, etc. to facilitate quick scanning.
- Conversational tone – Write in a friendly, human-sounding voice. Avoid overly formal language.
People have short attention spans. Cater to that by making your lead magnet super-easy to digest.
6. Promote It Appropriately
You need visibility for your lead magnet. Some promotion options:
- Link to it prominently from your website’s homepage and blog.
- Share it on social media, email, and paid ads.
- Repurpose content into a blog post using the lead magnet as a downloadable.
- Strategically place lead magnet links in relevant website content.
Don’t take a passive approach – actively promote your gated content.
7. Include Lead Magnet Onboarding
Once someone opts-in, onboard them by:
- Sending a welcome email to deliver the lead magnet download.
- Giving instructions related to using the lead magnet.
- Providing next steps for getting more value from you.
Proper onboarding helps lead magnet subscribers get the most value, which improves conversions.
Lead Magnet Ideas and Examples
Here are some lead magnet examples from various industries to spark ideas:
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Lead Magnet Best Practices
To maximize conversions, keep these lead magnet best practices in mind:
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Offer something highly specific that solves a burning need. Avoid vague, generic topics.
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Make it clear the lead magnet has a ton of value upfront. Describe tangible benefits.
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Keep lead capture forms short with only essential fields. Don’t ask for too much info.
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Send lead magnets automatically upon opt-in to deliver value right away.
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Pair lead magnets with compelling, benefit-focused copywriting.
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Test different types of lead magnets and compare conversion rates. Iterate based on what performs best.
Creating a high-converting lead magnet takes effort, but pays dividends in the form of more leads and customers. Dedicate the time needed to understand your audience and create content that delivers massive value.
With the right lead magnet tailored to your market, you’ll be able to capture significantly more email subscribers and grow your business.
What type of lead magnet should you create? What topics or formats do you think your audience would find most appealing? Brainstorm ideas, pick the best one, and start building your lead generating machine today.
What is a lead magnet?
A lead magnet is a piece of content or some other perk that attracts potential customers to your business—enough that theyll give you their email address in exchange for it. Once youve gotten their contact information, you can then use your lead generation funnel to turn those leads into customers.
4 steps to creating lead magnets that convert
Ill walk you through how we did it, and I hope you can take inspiration to build your own lead magnet funnel and nurture workflow.
- Understand your customers pain points
- Build valuable content to help solve those problems
- Create an enticing opt-in
- Segment your leads to personalize the experience
3-Step Lead Magnet Tutorial: How To Create A High-Converting Lead Magnet
What is a lead magnet?
The easiest way to collect emails is a so-called lead-magnet – something valuable users receive after providing their addresses. Lead-magnets are quizzes, free downloadable stuff, checklists, and more. In a word, they are anything that may intrigue people or make them interested.
How do I send a lead magnet to people who join my list?
To deliver the lead magnet to people who join your list, you can use Getsitecontrol’s built-in feature, named follow-up emails. Follow-up emails are automatically sent to everyone who signs up through your opt-in form. Before you set that up, you’ll need to upload your lead magnet file to your website’s server.
How do I create a top-of-funnel lead magnet?
For top-of-funnel lead magnets, you don’t need a form requiring details. Just first name, last name, and email will do. Make sure that each lead magnet is properly tagged with a lead source so you can track the ROI down the road. 1. Giveaways First up, giveaways.
