The exchange of value is important to any online business if it stands a chance of attracting leads and growing an email list. There are a number components that need to be in place to help you do so, including a lead magnet.

Today I’ll outline 10 lead magnet ideas that you can utilise to bring in more email list subscribers.

What’s a lead magnet?

Let’s start by covering what a lead magnet is, why it’s important and how we can use them.

A lead magnet, also known as a lead generator, is an item that is given away free online, in exchange for an email address. During this exchange the user will only get access to the subscribers to your email list and subsequently give permission for marketing emails to be sent to them.

1 – Checklist 

This is a quick and simple way to outline the steps involved in a process so that someone can keep on track and do things in the right order, or not miss important steps.

The checklist can be provided as a downloadable document. The most common format is PDF, but you could also provide it as a Word or Google Doc, or even a spreadsheet.

2 – Coupon

Shoppers love a bargain, so it’s a common thing to provide a discount coupon code via email along with special offers to get people on an email list.

We all do it! Especially when it is something we are going to buy anyway.

3 – Recorded Audio

You could give away an audio recording that makes it more convenient for the user. This could be a special podcast episode where you go into some exclusive content, or it could be another piece of content that you repurposed into audio e.g. a training session or even a blog post.

4 – Live Webinar

Doing live presentations, demos or training are great to get email signups as you normally are required to register using an email address in order to attend.

This is super helpful for sales conversions as well as you get to build trust and answer questions live.

5 – Recorded Video

Just like a live webinar, you could also create a video in advance and offer it as on demand without the need to be live.

This could also be a replay of a live webinar because not everyone would be able to make it live.

6 – Product sample

Depending on what the product is, a free sample could be sent out to an email subscriber with the hope that they’ll like it and buy the product.

This works best for digital products eg. an online course that gives away a few lesson for free.

But, it can also work for physical products. For example, a fabric store that sends out small sample cuts.

7 – Consulting

If you are a consultant or coach, offering a limited free session can be an effective way to onboard new leads.

8 – Software Trial

This works great for testing whether a software fits the user’s needs. The idea is they fall in love with it which means they will want to continue using it. But, if they don’t but now, you have their details to follow up.

9 – Quiz

Quizzes work because it causes curiosity. People want to know how they would do and naturally want to participate.

10 – Competition

Running giveaways and other competitions can help you get email signups.

Who doesn’t want to win a prize for free? I would imagine most people would enter a competition if the prize is valuable enough to them.

Conclusion

There are so many options available to create a lead magnet. The key thing here is to know what your audience wants and create some value around that. Make it compelling so that to them it becomes a “no brainer” or a logical next step.