What is a Lead Magnet?

A lead magnet, often referred to as an Irresistible free offer or white paper is a method of inbound marketing, a strategy that focuses on attracting customers using content on the internet like your blog or social media.

Over the last few blogs we’ve talked a lot about email list building and lead generation. Today, I want to dive into an extension of this by explaining what a lead magnet is and how it fits into List Building and Lead Generation so that you get a complete picture of it all.

A lead magnet is often referred to as a Free Offer, Free Download, Freebie and Irresistible Free Offer amongst many other names. And there are a variety of ways to create one. Let’s define what a lead magnet is before we get started.

What is a Lead Magnet?

A lead magnet, an offer or piece of valuable content that we as marketers offer our audience as an incentive to join our mailing list. You might also call it a bribe to get people to join your mailing list.  The key here is that your audience can only access the content after they leave their email address.

A great lead magnet is one that interests your ideal client and:
• Solves a specific problem
• Easy to take in, not complicated
• Has High Value

Here are some examples of great Lead Magnets you can create for your lead generation and email list building efforts:

1. Checklist
2. Cheat sheet
3. Worksheet
4. Template
5. Scripts
6. Resource List
7. PDF report
8. Planner
9. ebook
10. Journal Prompts

Your lead magnet needs to be irresistible – something your email list can’t refuse. It has to be attention grabbing.

A great lead magnet can do a lot for your business:

• Build trust and credibility
• Increase your email marketing list size
• Help Position you as an expert in your field.
• Generate more interest in your service or product offer.

Remember, your lead magnet will need to have a high perceived value, speak to your audience and align with your service or product offerings to be successful.

Now you may wonder what I mean by perceived value. The content you provide might seem small to you, however, if you have an ideal client struggling with that particular pain point then the perceived value is much higher. This is where knowing your ideal client comes in very handy.

Here are 3 things you must know to create your Lead Magnet or Irresistible Free Offer –

1. Who is your audience?
2. Know their struggles – where are they hurting? What are their pain points? What’s a problem they can’t solve?
3. Know their needs – where do they need help? What trick or tip can you give them to move them along in their business?

You can read more about how to define your target market or ideal client on this article, Why A Defined Target Market is So Important.

If you are just starting out to build your email marketing list, you may want to check out our FREE 10 Things to Avoid When List Building Report here. This will help you save time and be more effective with your Email Marketing List Building.

What Lead Magnet will you create today to grow your email list?

PS. If you need help with this, connect with me for a free consult to get started.