Lead magnets, freebies, opt-ins, whatever you want to call them they’re now the lifeblood of digital marketing.
If you want leads coming in autopilot whilst you sleep then you need some form of lead magnet or lead magnet idea. The question is what lead magnet is right for your creative business? Better still how do you create a lead magnet and what lead magnet ideas are worth spending time developing.
The options are plentiful but like many things in marketing just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Not all lead magnets are created equal. Finding the right lead magnet ideas for your business can be daunting.
What exactly is a lead magnet?
Lead magnets are something of value you give to your prospective ideal client in return for their contact information such as name and email address when they land on your website, landing page or find you on social media or anywhere else.
It needs to be upfront and centre where they can see it easily.
The key is finding something that solves a pain point for your ideal client. An effective lead magnet is something that gives great value and is a quick win.
Lead Magnets For Creatives
One big no-no is to create something that is 50 pages long or is too difficult for people to use. The idea is to grow your email list and generate leads so it has to be simple.
Remember, they want a quick win and if you provide them with something that’s like a version of ‘War and Peace’ it will never get read. It’ll sit on their desktop or in their download folder never to see the light of day.
But why is a lead magnet so valuable?
The quicker you can get someone off social media and onto your email list the better. This is where you can really build a relationship with them and grow your audience.
A person’s Inbox is actually a very personal space and it’s an honour to be allowed in there.
Plus, you don’t own social media platforms. If Instagram was to close its doors tomorrow what would you do?
Social media is simply the invite but your email list is the main event.
Once you get your new leads on your email list you can really have a more intimate conversation with them, provide value, show your expertise and be that ‘go to’ person they need.
Whatever your niche is you want to be the person that is top of mind when your target audience thinks about what it is you do.
Lead Magnet Ideas?
By giving them something of value that they simply can’t resist.
That’s where our 5 irresistible lead magnet ideas come in. Now obviously there are a lot more than five that I can think of, but I want to give you the ones that I have seen work the best. These are great lead magnet examples that you can easily implement yourself.
Lead Magnet Examples:
No 1 – Cheat Sheet
One effective lead magnet is the cheat sheet because it’s easy to skim read. As I said earlier, you want to make them incredibly easy to digest and get a win from or feel like you’ve learnt something from it.
You don’t want it to be just too hard to get through.
That’s not a good experience and it doesn’t get them engaged with you or wanting to read your emails.
Go for those quick wins we mentioned and something they can read quickly and easily. A cheat sheet lead magnet idea is great at doing that.
Some of my cheat sheets are up to ten pages long. That’s fine. But, again, they’re easy to read and broken up with great imagery, case study, easy headings and not too much text.
One I use is The Sales Funnel Roadmap as this lead magnet takes people through a more detailed breakdown of what goes into putting together a high converting funnel.
It’s full of actionable information but broken down in a fun, easy to consume way.
Another one that’s been popular recently is 32 BLOG POST IDEAS CREATIVES. Although 32 blog ideas sound a lot it’s a very quick and easy cheat sheet as there are ideas in there for every type of creative entrepreneur.
It sparks the imagination and gets people up and running with blog post ideas. It’s quick wins with actionable information yet again. A great lead magnet idea.
Pros of a cheat sheet – quick and easy to digest. They’re set up in a way that looks good so people naturally are drawn to them. Bite-sized information is delivered in a simple format and is easy to download.
Cons of a cheat sheet – it’s usually basic information as that’s what they’ve been designed for, can be even checklist format. If you want to go deeper into something with your ideal prospects then think about the next option, which is a Guide. This will allow you to explore a subject in more detail.
No 2 – A Guide
This is more of a deep dive into a topic or subject and you take your potential customers on a journey with you in more of a storytelling format.
Ideally, they’ll be a beginning to get them excited, middle with the meat of the content, and then the end that leads them to the solution.
The key here is to have people come away from finishing your piece of content feeling like they’ve really learnt something.
You want them to feel like this is something they would have happily paid for and are amazed they’re getting it for free.
A Guide is all about giving unbelievable value that delivers content in an easy way whilst still giving the detail. This type of lead magnet is the meatier big sister of the cheat sheet.
Pros of a Guide – without a doubt it’s the value you’re giving. It allows you to really showcase your expertise and elevates your expert status.
Cons of a Guide – it’s not a quick thing to put together. It will take you time to create the content and then design the guide. I recommend using Canva for both this and the cheat sheet as they have some great templates.
The other thing to remember with a guide is that there is a fine line between too much information and not enough. You want to get that balance right.
No 3 – A Quiz (my favourite)
Who doesn’t love a quiz? Let’s be honest nearly all of us at some time or another have probably done one of those quizzes in Cosmo, I know I have.
They are one of my great lead magnet ideas because they’re quick and easy to fill out. But one of the things I love the most allows you to segment your audience based on the answers they give you. That in itself is incredibly powerful.
A quiz uses conditional logic so depending on the answers the quiz taker will receive their results based on their answers usually online.
This means you can now deliver targeted emails to different segments of your email list. Talking to them directly about things you know they’re interested in. No more generic emails.
They’re also great for using on things like Facebook Ads.
Pros of a Quiz – they’re quick, easy & fun for the person taking them. They can also often help people to see what it is they really want in terms of venue, style, dress type etc. But the other big pro is that for you, as the quiz creator, if you use the right questions you get to find out a lot about your ideal customers and this is always valuable.
The more you know the more you can tailor your solution so that it fits your ideal customers needs perfectly.
Cons of a Quiz – they take a bit of setting up so it certainly isn’t a quick lead magnet. My favourite quiz tool, and I’ve tried many, is Interact
No 4 – A Video Tutorial
This one is ideal for anyone that has something they can demonstrate so for example, creating a Canva tutorial, designing a mood board. As lead magnet examples go it is ideal for showcasing a process or simply talking to the camera with some top tips. All these work well.
We use video for the results of our quiz as it’s a more powerful way to connect with your audience and showcase your personality and the person behind the brand.
Pros of a Video Tutorial – your ideal client gets to see your personality and connect with you in a way that simply isn’t possible with the written word. It’s such a great way to sell what you do without really selling.
Cons of a Video Tutorial – if the thought of getting on camera makes you want to run for the hills then this isn’t going to be the best lead magnet for you.
The other issue is there is a little bit of production involved but really as long as you have good lighting, great content and a phone with a camera there should be nothing stopping you.
No 5 – A Template or Swipe File
Everyone loves something that’s done for them and that’s just what this is.
If you’re a yoga instructor then possibly a quick swipe file of ten easy yoga poses to do when you have a busy lifestyle. It has to be something relevant to your industry and will appeal to your potential customer and be easy to download.
As a mindset coach, another idea might be to put together a swipe file of seven mantras you can use each time procrastination creeps in. It’s something that could be printed and kept somewhere within easy reach.
I have a swipe file of nine copywriting hacks for the non-writer to make writing emails a breeze.
Pros of a Template or Swipe File – great value, easy to use and a quick fix for your ideal couple. They can download and use straight away without a problem.
Cons of Template or Swipe File – like some of the others I’ve mentioned it does take time to create but often it can be something you already use within your business. Don’t think you’ve got to recreate the wheel.
Never be frightened of sharing something of value from within your business.
It cements in people’s minds that you’re the expert and if this is what you give away for free imagine what your paid content is like.
So there you have it, my 5 irresistible lead magnets. Let’s do a quick recap:
- Cheat Sheet – a quick and easy download that gives people some set steps to achieve something they’re stuck on
- Guide – a more in-depth version of the cheat sheet that takes your client on a journey and really gets them learning something new or solving a problem.
- Quiz – a fun and easy to complete lead magnet that allows both you and your ideal client to learn something about themselves
- Video Tutorial – the perfect way to showcase your personality and teach your audience something fun
- Template or Swipe File – the done for you option for those people that want a quick fix and something that can use straight away.
So now it’s time for some action. In the next 7 days I want you to choose one of these lead magnets and get creating.
Don’t overthink this and don’t allow yourself any longer than 7. days.
It’s time to start building that email list and creating a more personal relationship with your ideal clients.
Don’t procrastinate on this. Once you decide which lead magnet you’re going to do you should find the content easy to create as it will be something you do all the time anyway.
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