What’s the Catch?

That’s the question on everyone’s mind when they find out they have to enter an email address to access a website’s content. In today’s technology driven world, people get a lot of spam. They don’t want to give their private information out easily.

But good lead magnets could make people more forthcoming with the personal data you are seeking. People feel better about giving you their email when they are trading it for something useful.

Grow your readership and the mindshare of your audience with these.

8 Lead Magnets That Are Recipes for Success

1) The Swipe File

The swipe file is popular because it offers a lot of value to the reader. It gives people something they can use to model their own work after. 

If you want to take the creative effort out of writing a headline or a sales letter, a swipe file is for you! These files do the heavy lifting, offering examples that can be modified for a specific product or outcome. 

2) DIY Problem Solving 

DIY content takes a lot of forms.  Here we are talking about lead magnets that solve the question “how to do something”. 

Templates, cheat sheets, checklist, generators & guides make users lives easier by helping them learn how to create something of value. Or in the case of generators, they do the creating for you.

Templates

Templates offer quick access to plug and play content that can be used as a resource for the downloader. Today’s world demands people be versatile, both in the office and at home. Templates help people quickly organize and create something of value, even when it doesn’t play to their natural strengths and abilities.

Cheat Sheets

Cheat sheets are usually worksheets of tips or instructions to solve the reader’s problem. They can even come in the form of infographics that show the correct way to do something. Cheat sheets help people save time. And time is money.

Checklist

A checklist contains a lot of useful information condensed into an easily digestible formula. These can be used by readers to help prepare for a particular project.

Generators

Living up to their name, generators quickly generate images or other content for readers to use on social media and other places where they might need to engage with people.

Guides

Guides usually contain more content than the other options and may contain any of the DIY elements we already discussed.  They offer a total solution for a problem being addressed by the reader. Often times, they are called “Ultimate Guides”.

3) Video Course or Webinar

Using email to unlock video is a smart move as far as lead magnets go. Visual people prefer to watch something than reading it. So putting helpful content in the form of a dynamic video course or webinar is sure to capture emails and attention from your audience.

4) Email Unlocks Quiz or Poll Answers

If social media has shown us anything, it’s people like to take polls and quizzes. They are always looking to share an opinion or learn more about themselves. That’s why, as lead magnets, polls and quizzes get a lot of traction.

Pro-Tip: Allow users to access the initial questions, but make them input their email to get results. Then watch your email list grow.

5) Membership or Private Facebook Group

Some marketers get emails for their list by offering access to an exclusive membership or group. Who doesn’t want to be considered VIP? These groups could offer special offers and savings or provide some other useful function to the reader.

For instance, if it’s a parenting website that leads magnet is for.  Offer access to an exclusive parent group where members show support for one another’s parenting struggles.

6) Calendars & Planners

Downloadable calendars and planners can make a big impact if you have a niche market. If you’re trying to appeal to gardeners, a planting calendar could be an important resource. Or if it’s mothers, maybe a family planning calendar.

Another niche, small business owners, are always looking for better ways to organize their day. With groups like this who value organization, that’s when planners come in handy.

If you know your niche, you’ll watch your email readership grow with calendar or planner lead magnets.

7) Printables

It’s easy to get creative with printables for a wide number of groups. In the era of Pinterest, printables offer everything from sewing patterns to coloring pages. But if you aren’t in a crafty industry, with a little pinspiration you can still offer blueprints or infographics to your target market.

8) Free Stuff

Who doesn’t love getting free stuff? Giving out something for free with lead magnets is sort of like being a company with a booth at a trade show. You want to be the table that everyone keeps coming back to take more pens, or memory sticks or stress balls. 

Only when you’re talking about a lead magnet, you are talking about something infinitely more valuable. If you want people to turn over their email you have to offer something helpful.

This usually comes in the form of software, free shipping, training, tool kits and resource lists.  Something that can really save time and money.

If you have an application, a plug in, a piece of software or a course you can offer for free, make that your magnet and you’re sure to see your numbers grow.

The Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction is the belief that whatever we focus our energy on will come into our lives. What better way to test that theory than with a lead magnet?

It’s important that the magnet be both targeted and specific. Targeted to reach a certain group of people. Specific enough to attract those who you want with some content of value. 

As mentioned earlier in this article, lead magnets work best when they solve a problem for the reader. You have to identify who’s problem you want to solve before you can unlock what it is you are solving.

So, keep focusing on it and good things will come to you. But in the meantime, check out our blog to speed up the process. With a few helpful tips from our marketing experts, you won’t be left asking yourself “What’s the catch?”