Are you thinking about building your email list?

Are you tired of tire-kickers and looking for ways to build a genuine audience – the people who get you and what you do, singing your praises every time you do something? The kind of people who can’t wait to see what you do next, and get way too excited when you release content?

I don’t just mean your mom here – I mean real, live people on the internet. The good news is that there’s a lot of potential fans and customers out there – and the bad news is that you’ve somehow got to grab their attention.

How are you going to do that and build your list?

You’re going to be smart and use lead magnets.

So, what is a lead magnet anyway? At the most basic level, it’s a freebie that you use as a bribe to get traffic to give you their email address (and perhaps their name). Now, nobody just gives that away for fear of spam, so offering them something useful for free is a proven way to make this happen.

Please Don’t Fall into the Spam Trap…

But that doesn’t mean you can give them any old PLR trash, packed with out-of-date information and crummy late 1990s graphic design. We live in the information age where Google has put information at our fingertips.

People get spam every day. My inbox is a litterbox of spam, just like yours, with thousands of unread, unopened emails crowing about some random stuff I don’t care about.

I don’t want that. You don’t want that. They don’t want that!

We all want a nice, clean inbox filled with information that we care about – and a part of our defense is not giving out our emails willy-nilly.

That’s why you need to give them something insightful that they can’t get anywhere else. It’s a stepping stone to a beautiful relationship that you can build a foundation of trust on, transforming your lead into a customer who loves you.

No – more than information, you need to offer insight and value.

Nobody will give up their email for your free five tips on how to research keywords lead magnet – unless you’ve discovered an easy and efficient way to do so that saves them hours of super-boring research.

Think about it. Which free offer would persuade you to trade in your email address: Something you can easily Google in seconds, or something that you can’t find anywhere else?

What Can I Use as a Lead Magnet?

Honestly, there aren’t very many restrictions here. Most people use the trusty old eBook format. Others might create a video course. Yet more might do a quick start guide, a printable checklist, or even offer a free trial of their service.

You’ve likely seen these, and they come with plenty of different names:

  • Signup incentives might give you 10% off your first purchase
  • Signup offers might give you a reduced subscription for your first 6 months
  • Fremiums might let you use everything free… except for these awesome features. Pay up!
  • Content upgrades might unlock even more insightful information
  • Opt-ins let you agree to accept an email newsletter packed with tips and tricks

Check your inbox, and you might remember why some of these people are writing to you. Perhaps the information isn’t useful to you anymore, or they’re using sneaky tricks like the webinar that never stops, only gets updated, time and time again…

But I digress. ?

Whatever your lead magnet is, don’t be a long-winded waffler. Keep it short, digestible, and even fun. You want people to enjoy your content and find valuable insight in it – and the quicker you can do it, the better.

The Six Parts of a Successful Lead Magnet

All the best lead magnets out there share six traits, regardless of their niche or how they’re presented. Aside from touching on a pain point, they also help to show complete expertise by bringing together six classic components:

  • The ability to solve the horrible problem at hand
  • The promise of an easy way to make the problem go away
  • An incredibly specific solution that makes this easy
  • A high value in terms of savings (money, time, emotional distress…)
  • A quick and easy-to-digest format
  • …And easy access without having to wait around

So, how can you put this all together? Obviously, finding the big pain point is the beginning of any great lead magnet, as the whole point of your lead magnet is the ability to solve it.

Give them some tips, tricks, and even a unique method you use. All this builds trust by showing that you’re an expert in your domain. If you don’t give it all away in the lead magnet, opens the funnel up further for those who want more.

One easy way to make a lead magnet is just to go for a very specific solution – a “quick win” in other words. Now, this means that your lead magnet really has to dial right into what your lead is looking for.

For example, they don’t just want to save money: they want to know how they can save up to $700 on their heating bills every year. Don’t be general, get specific, and get right the solution. It’s worth going deep into that solution too.

Remember, people can find superficial information on just about anything in Google: showcase your knowledge and let them see that you’re not just another internet guy with a product, but someone who knows what they’re talking about.

Don’t be subtle, either – make sure people know that your lead magnet is going to do exactly this. You want your leads to be very clear on what they’re going to get in exchange for their email, and then deliver just that for maximum gains.

You can share this information quickly with a simple eBook or a short video and give away just that one little $700-saving trick, and then show that you’ve got plenty more information where that came from. You can even show them what’s behind your paywall if they decide to join.

Show them that your expertise for free is merely the tip of your problem-solving iceberg – and perhaps lay off the Titanic metaphors…

You can tempt them further by showing them the full value of your offering – and don’t be pushy about it. Nobody likes to be sold to. Instead, focus on being the person who brings value and respect to your relationships.

That means no tricks, no spam, no games, and definitely no awkward bait and switches for some extra cruddy dollars. I hate that, you hate that, your leads hate that. Think long-term, and never sacrifice your integrity for a cheap buck!

Your lead magnet is all about helping busy people to solve a problem. Give people instant value with a taster of your true expertise that doesn’t waste time, and you’ll find that lead magnets are one of your most powerful weapons in business.

It’s Time to Make Lead Magnets Easy Again!

As you can see, creating a lead magnet that works doesn’t have to be about creating a thesis-level argument. Think of it as a part of a powerful first step in your almighty sales funnel. You’re here to build trust in your offer, strengthen your relationship with your customers, and give your profits a nice little injection. Don’t let people tell you that your lead magnet must be “smart.”

It doesn’t. It just needs to give people a solution in such a way that it helps them now. All you need to do is figure out what insight you can offer your audience – and then share it.

Not sure what your value is? I can help you plan out a successful lead magnet – I’ve helped thousands of clients around the world to get their message across, and I can help you too. Contact me here or on Fiverr to get started!