Looking for creative lead magnet ideas that will help you grow your audience?
I mean who doesn’t want hundreds of new subscribers each month?
I know I do!
Because every business and audience is so different, it’s important you think about your audience and their needs when creating effective lead magnets.
So, What's a lead magnet anyway?
A lead magnet is something specifically designed to provide value and attract your ideal target audience in exchange for their name and email address. It can be a digital or physical product or a service that has been created to collect contact information from prospective customers or subscribers who are interested in your business’ content, products or services so they can be marketed later on through email campaigns.
Effective lead magnets can be free or offered at a cost. Either way, it depends on what you’re offering and your audience.
Digital marketing experts have discovered this method as being extremely effective at growing a business quickly because it establishes the know, like and trust factor between potential prospects before selling them something.
Key Elements Every Lead Magnet Should Have
- Simple AND Value-Packed
- Easy to digest
- Leaves them wanting more
Where Should You Promote Your Lead Magnet
- Your Email Signature
- Website Homepage
- Website ‘About Us’ Page
- Your Bio on Social Media Platforms
- Mentions on weekly lives and posts
Side Note: Effective lead magnets can be free or offered at a cost. Either way, it depends on what you’re offering and your audience.
How to create a highly profitable lead magnet . . . In 5 steps?
- What is the problem you’re solving?
- Who are you targeting? If you need to find your ideal target audience, start here.
- Create a profitable lead magnet that is based on the needs and wants of your ideal customer.
- Create an effective sales funnel.
- Drive traffic to your sales funnel with qualified leads.
Within This Article
This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I’ve recommended – at no extra cost to you, of course. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can check out my disclosures here.
Side Note: These creative lead magnet ideas are listed in alphabetical order.
33 Lead Magnet Ideas that will grow your audience
1 - Apps
Did you know that many people actually spend more time on their phones every day than they do with friends and family? A great way of drawing in potential customers and giving them what they want is by offering something that everyone seems to use nowadays – like an app! Offer relevant, valuable apps to your audience as a lead magnet and build up an email list in no time at all!
2 - Ask Them
Why not just ask people who fit your ideal customer avatar to subscribe? This can be someone that you meet in person or online (ie. Facebook groups, people you already know, etc).
3 - Audio Downloads
I mean who doesn’t like it a good audio file, right? Making an audio file downloadable (ie. music, transcripts, podcast episodes, etc) is a great way to give your people value and listen on the go!
4 - Audits
Get more email subscribers by using the power of audits. You can offer to audit any aspect of your client/customer’s business. Take a look at how things are set up and then determine what needs to be done to improve it. (ie. website audit, social media audit, marketing audit, etc).
5- Books
Audiobooks, physical books or e-books (aka electronic books) are more than just a form of entertainment, they can also function as an effective marketing tool for businesses because many readers enjoy reading them.
6 - Calculators, Generators or Analyzers
Digital calculators are great in an industry like mortgage brokers, real estate agents, finances, etc.
Generators are digital tools that create certain things like names, titles, etc quickly. If you are looking for a way to make your audience feel like they can jump into action quickly, consider leveraging the power of generators.
An analyzer is a tool used to review something and then make suggestions to improve it.
If you write headlines or titles, Coschedule’s headline analyzer may help. I’ve found it to be extremely useful – especially when you’re just starting out blogging.
7 - Case Studies
Case studies are basically documentation showing your client’s or customer’s transformation – showing how your business was able to produce results.
8 - Coupons, Discounts & Free Stuff
Consumers love discounts, coupons and all things ‘free’ – like free shipping. People are usually thrilled and feel valued when they realize they can obtain one of these in exchange for their email address – which well worth it to them! Giving them an excellent coupon code that’s only available through signing up will make them feel like a valued customer so it seems like such small change compared to all these benefits. This is especially great option for e-commerce.
- Coupons
- Discounts
- Free Gift With First Order
- Free Shipping
- Free Trial
9 - Directories
A directory is a list of names and contact information for people, companies or organizations. You can provide your audience with an easy way to find the right resource they are looking for by having those resources at their fingertips! A good example would be listing wholesalers/drop shippers in one place as well as sourcing suppliers who have products specific needs like yours (i.e., if you’re interested primarily on sourcing electronics).
10 - Email Courses
Email courses are a great way to build your audience and provide them with the tools they need for success – all through email! I love email courses because it gets your subscribers use to opening your emails, is at no additional cost to you and can be fun for your audience.
11 - Graphic Design Elements
Coding – developers work with algorithms and programs to make websites or apps come alive. An algorithm is what coding is. If coding is valuable for the audience then this might be a great lead magnet option to choose.
12 - Guestbooks
If you have written guest posts, this is a great way to turn them into a lead magnet. When you write a guest post for another site, you cant publish that same article anywhere else – otherwise it would be considered duplicate content. But don’t let this stop you from using these informative pieces in different ways though – just compile all those different guest posts together and be sure they’re easily accessed at one place called “the Guestbook.”
13 - Host a Masterclass or Challenge
Do you want to create an engaging, high-quality lead magnet that will attract targeted prospects? A virtual masterclass or challenge is a great way of doing this – along with building the like, know & trust factor! These can be anything from short videos and slideshows all the way up through entire live challenges – but they always include valuable information for those who signup or purchase early on in order to provide value before even starting their journey!
Here’s how Mike Person from Simple Stupid SEO offers a great masterclass where he gives you SEO strategies to take your business to the next level.
14 - Interviews
You should never underestimate the power of an interview. Conduct an interview with industry experts within your niche! Interviews are a great way to create content and give credit where it’s due, which is something successful people love! They’ve got plenty of interesting stories and data they can share with others as well so it’ll be a win-win situation for both parties involved.
15 - Journals
Journaling is all about writing in a journal (aka as a diary) to help organize thoughts and feelings. It can be used as an outlet where individuals are able to write about any topic that they want, without fear of judgment from others around them. Definitely, something to consider offering if your audience is into this.
- Standard Journaling
- Sermon Notes
- Manifesting Journaling
16 - Lists
A list is a powerful way to make your content easier for readers – a quick win for them. I feel this is one of the easiest lead magnets to produce since you can either create one without writing your own content or using the content you already have written (ie. a list of websites, or a list of books, or a list of highly effective lead magnets ideas).
Here is a post offering a list of 200 + converting blog post titles as an opt-in.
17 - Live Chat
Live chats provide an interactive experience and allow customers to get answers to their questions or make purchases without having to wait. When a live person isn’t available, an automated chatbot is the next best thing! Chatbots can be very effective!
18 - Online Courses
You’re an expert in your field, right? Now’s a great time to get creative and teach others what you know. Online courses are a great way to teach your audience. There are tons of online courses for any topic. Here are a few platforms to consider offering online courses:
19 - PDF Downloads
PDFs are a great way to share information with others. There are just some options when it comes to offering a downable PDF as an effective lead magnet:
- Calendars
- Charts
- Cheatsheets
- Checklists
- Coloring Pages
- Guides
- How To Instructions
- Infographics
- Job Aids
- Learning Worksheets [for all ages]
- Lists
- Recipes
- Timelines
- Tools & Resource List
- Worksheets
Stephanie Rollins at Chatbots Decoded offers a guide to help with started with chatbots.
20 - Planners
These can be offered as a printable or physical product. You can choose to make them yourself or use print on demand. I personally love using planners!! I use them with added “mommy” inserts to help me balance my work and home life. If you discover your audience does too, I highly recommend using planners as an option.
21 - Plugins
A plugin is a small program that can be installed on your website platform to make your website look or function a certain way – basically provide extra features. If you’re good with this sort of thing and it seems like something of value to your audiences, then consider it!
22 - Private Groups
Platforms like Slack, Facebook Group, and LinkedIn provide the perfect opportunity to connect with your target audiences in a meaningful way. By creating an exclusive online space for community discussion about their needs, goals or challenges you can tap into new leads from those who are looking specifically for what it is that you offer!
23 - Quick Reference Guides
With quick reference guides, you can quickly find information on any subject without reading an entire article or chapter. This is because the tool acts as a shortcut for people who need just enough knowledge of their profession to do its job and get things done efficiently with minimal training time needed
24 - Quizzes
Ok, so I was introduced to using quizzes as a means to grow my audience a while ago however I just recently created my first quiz. Quizzes are a great way to start and build your email list.
25 - Resource Library
Do you have lots of different educational content? Make a virtual library and give your audience access to this in-demand material, all through an online database.
26 - Secret Insights / Behind-the-Scenes
The best part about this option is that you don’t need to create any new content. You simply require your ideal customers provide their email address in exchange for access to view exclusive information – like blog posts, emails or behind the scenes look at how something was made!
27 - Stock Images & Photos
Content creators are always in need of stock images and photos. Depending on your niche, you could offer these to your audience.
28 - Surveys
The best way to grow your email list is by finding out what people want and then giving them what they want. This can be done in a number of ways (ie. surveys, quizzes, just by asking, etc).
Here is a survey created for new entrepreneurs looking to drive traffic to their business.
29 - Swipe Files
A swipe file is a collection of tested and proven advertising content that can be used for marketing. The best part about using this strategy? You don’t have to worry about coming up with new ideas!
30 - Templates
You can create templates for just about anything:
- Emails
- Social media
- Spreadsheets
- Graphic designs
31 - Tutorials
A tutorial is a step-by-step instructional video or guide that teaches someone how to accomplish something. It could also be in the form of an online post, and it may cover all aspects from beginning through end with visuals for each stage shown live as well so viewers know what they should do next at every point along their journey!
32 - Webinars
Webinars can be great way to get in front of your audience and prepare them for when you pitch them with something they want, need or have an interest in. They offer that personal touch where people feel more connected than ever before! Just keep in mind that it really depends on your audience. Most webinars are 45 mins up to 1.5 hours long.
33 - Workbooks
If you’re looking for a way to make your courses, challenges, webinars or tutorials more engaging and interactive, consider using workbooks. They are an excellent addition that will help students retain what they learn!
Next Step
Use these powerful tactics and ideas for inspiration and to build an engaged community around your brand.
Choosing the right lead magnet to grow your audience can truly boost your email list. Determining which one to use is key! If you’re not sure exactly what’s an irresistible offer to your ideal target audience, start by defying how your ideal customer avatar is.
Was this article helpful? Drop a comment below and let me know.
Until next time!