You wouldn’t share your personal contact info with just anyone, right? It’s a natural inclination to be hesitant to share your email address or phone number with someone you barely know. One way marketers overcome this hurdle is with a lead magnet. This is a free product or service that is offered in exchange for contact details. We recently talked about why your business needs a lead magnet, but which ones are effective? Here are some of the best lead magnet ideas that effectively convert readers into subscribers.
Giveaways
People love free stuff. Whether it’s a product or a service, one of the quickest, most sure-fire ways to capture e-mail addresses is to offer visitors a chance to win something. Create a lead magnet where entries require an e-mail address to be completed. If you’re lucky, visitors might share your giveaway with their friends and provide you with word-of-mouth advertising!
Free Shipping or Discount Code
This is one of the most common lead magnet ideas because it works so well. Play on visitors FOMO (fear of missing out) and love for a good deal by requesting their email address in return for a discount code or free shipping on their offer.
Video Course
Create an exclusive video course that is only available via e-mail. Provide valuable solutions to your potential customer’s most pressing problems. “Learn how to ____ in a day!” is one idea for a compelling video course title that draws people in.
E-Booklet
If you have too much information for a video course, or maybe your followers just aren’t fans of video, then consider an e-booklet instead. Again, you are presenting a solution to an issue your consumers face, but delivering written instead of video content.
Quizzes and Surveys
You might wonder why anyone would give up their contact info to take a quiz, but if you make it fun they will do it! Look at the success of Buzzfeed Quizzes as an example. When readers are prompted to enter an e-mail address to get the results of their quiz, they almost always do so.
Offer Expert Advice
If you offer a service instead of a product, give visitors a little piece of yourself. Share a bit of your expertise with them to draw them in more. Free brief consultations are an option but can be time-consuming. An alternative could be to submit a question for your weekly podcast or newsletter. Like a contest, entries would give the visitor a chance to be featured in your content and given advice.
Free Trials and Samples
Whether you have tangible products or valuable services, you can give consumers a little taste of what you offer. If your service includes something like an audit, checklist, or proposal, you can send a teaser with a mini audit or abbreviated checklist. Product demos are very popular…haven’t we all signed up for a one-week free trial of something before?
Content Upgrades
If you have a popular post on your site, offer a content upgrade that is exclusively for subscribers. For example, if readers love your article about “The Top 10 Strategies for ____” then offer them five more free strategies that will be e-mailed directly to them.
Once you have crafted the perfect lead magnet for your business, start exploring the most effective opt-in options. In no time at all, you’ll have built an impressive e-mail list!
What will you do with that e-mail list? Turn them over to an e-mail platform that will help you target and automate your marketing! Our personal favorite is ActiveCampaign. Check them out to see why we’re such big fans.