It’s easy to get stumped when creating lead magnets. Do you try and stand out or do you throw something up that’s already been proven successful for others? Where do you get lead magnets if you lack the confidence to make them yourself? These are 50 ideas for creating your very own lead magnet or getting others to do it for you. Some stand out, some are tried and true, but all work.
Lead Magnets: What Are They?
A lead magnet is a giveaway that entices people to opt into your list. You can put them on your website, blog, or landing page, making them very versatile. Regardless of where they are, however, lead magnets are always the entryway into your funnel.
If someone opts in from your homepage, they’ll still be getting your emails and offers even if they don’t immediately move to an offer as they would on a landing page. Therefore, it’s important that your lead magnet be valuable.
A valuable lead magnet will give your leads something that they can use and find helpful. Not only does it help them move closer to their goals, but it also boosts your own credibility. They’re a valuable asset in building trust with your leads so they’re more receptive toward becoming customers later.
Let’s dive into the 20 inspirational ideas to help you kick off those conversions.
1. A Checklist
These are basic lead magnets that don’t take a ton of effort to create, so you won’t be reinventing the wheel with this one. However, they convert well and it’s easy to deliver on what you promised on your opt-in form.
The most likely reason that they convert so well is because visitors know exactly what they’re getting in their inbox when they sign up. Unlike an eBook, where a visitor doesn’t know if it covers anything new for them, checklists are a little more predictable. Believe it or not, humans tend to like predictability.
They’re also easy to consume. They require virtually no time investment and condense a chunk of information into an actionable list for your prospects.
2. Resource Lists
A resource list is just what the title says, a list of resources. For example, if someone wants to teach English overseas, you might offer a list of companies that can help with that. Or maybe you can help someone promote their own site, book, or another form of expertise by offering them a list of websites that are receptive to guest bloggers.
Resource lists are nice because they provide instant value and are usually comprehensive.
3. Templates
A fill-in-the-blank template is nice because it helps people accomplish some sort of goal quickly. Most of the work is taken care of for your prospects and they’re guided toward what they should do in a painless way.
Templates work well as guides to advertising, emails, copy, and more. Some niches aren’t that responsive to them, however.
4. Swipe Files
Swipe files are like templates except that you can copy them without adding your own information. They’re limited in use, but because they can cut down the work your subscribers have to do, they can be very popular ways to get sign-ups. They’re the true plug-and-play lead magnet.
5. Workbooks
A workbook can be similar to a checklist but more involved. It takes a little bit of time to make a good one, but the idea is that your prospects learn by doing. A workbook will help them learn a new skill by giving them exercises to work from, allowing them to practice and brainstorm before applying any new skills.
6. Case Studies
Case studies allow you to highlight someone else’s success, or maybe even your own success, by giving a behind-the-scenes look at how you or the person you’re showcasing made their success happen. Some of them provide an over-the-shoulder look at how the pros do something, making them highly valuable to your potential customers.
They can be a PDF, or they can be in video format. Just make sure that you let your leads know exactly what they can expect to get when they sign up.
7. A Printable
This is something that the user can print out. Pretend you’re running a prepper or survivalist blog and you want to build your email list. You can offer your prospects a printable grocery list or bug-out bag list. You create the categories, such as dried vegetables, meat, snacks, etc., and then your leads can fill in what food items they want to stock up on after they print it out.
For example:
Dried Goods: _________ __________ ___________ __________
Pet Supplies: ____________ __________ __________ _________
Canned Goods: ____________ ___________ __________ _________
8. Inspiration and Example PDFs
Want to teach people how to design a great logo, write a good resume, or try some new scroll saw designs? Some marketers send PDFs or other files just full of examples to inspire people and get their creative juices flowing.
Granted, you have to put in some effort to really make these worthwhile; otherwise, they may as well be a blog post or some other article on your website. You’d have to create a bundle of examples and give those away to your leads, but they’re very helpful to people.
9. Prompts
In the same vein as the above, prompts are great ways to get people thinking and brainstorming. If you run a blog on journaling, for example, writing prompts are excellent things to give away. You only have to ensure that you’re being creative with your prompts instead of boring. A good way to get prompt inspiration for your lead magnet is on Pinterest.
10. Email Courses
Back in the day, these were all the rage, although they’ve fallen a bit of favor in the modern world, replaced with eBooks and videos. However, an email course can be a great way to get leads even today.
You create a course, which can be video-based, and email a new lesson every day or every week to your new leads. Most people won’t mind having to check their email for a new lesson (and this can help ensure that your emails are hitting real inboxes) and find great value in them.
11. Exclusive Software or Apps
These can be anything from calculators that do just one thing, such as calculating eBay fees, to your own unique keyword research tool, headline generators, and more. The sky is the limit here, but you have to be tech-savvy or have a full team working on your website to make them. Software is considered highly valuable, though.
12. Spreadsheets
Being organized is an important skill to have in today’s world, and spreadsheets help us do that. Spreadsheets are fairly simple to make, so if you can help your prospects get organized and hit their goals, you could find yourself building a spectacular email list.
13. Membership Sites
Making at least part of your membership site open to your opt-ins is a valuable way to build your email list. Membership sites provide value through in-depth training and a sense of community, so creating a basic level just for your list is a great way to help them and then convert them into customers who can enjoy the full membership site.
The nice thing about membership sites is that they work for almost every niche. However, it can cost a bit more to add a membership site to your hosting package or theme.
14. Facebook Groups
Giving invites to a private Facebook group is another way for Internet marketers to build a list that’s similar to a membership site. Facebook groups are free to create, although they can be more limited in scope compared to what you could create with a full-blown membership site and forum. Regardless, they’re still perceived as valuable in the eyes of most visitors.
15. Private or Gated Content
Have you ever wanted to read an article, but a pop-up keeps telling you that you have to subscribe to read it? That’s called gated content, and it’s a great way to get sign-ups without having to create something new. You can just set some of your content, preferably something you’ve put more effort into, and put it behind a lightbox.
16. eBooks
eBooks are excellent giveaways because they’re considered valuable, but usually not valuable enough to actually pay for unless it’s being sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or some other retail site. With an eBook being used as a lead magnet, you also don’t have to worry about hiring a cover creator (using a site like Canva is enough), editors, formatting experts, or any other outsourcing.
17. Guides
Similar to eBooks, guides are in-depth how-to guides. The difference is that they’re usually shorter (though they still take a while to make), and there aren’t usually chapters. Guides are straightforward, which many visitors and prospects enjoy compared to a lengthy book.
18. Recipes
This is really only good for anyone in a specific cooking niche, but it makes an excellent lead magnet. Try and offer novel recipes with complexity based on the kinds of cooks you’re targeting. Obviously, if you’re targeting professionals, you can use the lingo, more expensive ingredients, and more complex cooking instructions.
19. Video Courses
Videos are perceived very highly, even higher than eBooks, despite the fact that you may have put more work into a book. They can be combined with an email course or a standalone video that teaches a skill. You can also make a series of videos that subscribers have immediate access to.
To do an effective video course, you have to have more tools than a word processor, but some people would rather talk into a microphone than write. You’ll usually need a screen capture software, a mic, maybe a webcam, and definitely some editing software.
20. Webinars
Webinars are excellent for not only bringing in new leads but also for converting them into customers on the spot. Even better, you only need to record the webinar once and then just deploy it over and over to whoever signs up.
Due to their length, webinars can go far in building trust, and because people were at least originally onboard to just watch live, their enthusiasm will carry on, infecting any viewer who watches the replay later.
The Sky’s the Limit
When it comes to lead magnets, the sky really is the limit. Hopefully, this list has given you some ideas you can use or at least inspired you to think creatively about what you can offer to get more sign-ups. Your list is an invaluable resource, but you’ll only build it if you offer invaluable resources to others.
