9 Types of Lead Magnets That Will Quickly Grow Your Email List How do you make sure your messages stand out and get opened? Here are nine types of lead magnets that can help.
By Vlad Gozman Edited by Chelsea Brown
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you're anything like most internet users, your email inbox is crammed full of messages from brands you love, brands you're interested in and brands you've never heard of. There's no way you can read (or even keep up with) all of them. So, how do you make sure your messages stand out and get opened?
One way is to offer a lead magnet, also known as an opt-in incentive. A lead magnet is a piece of content that's designed to capture a user's attention and persuade them to sign up for your email list. There are many different types of lead magnets — from ebooks and white papers to free trials and coupons — and they can be very effective in growing your email list. To help you get started, here's a list of nine types of lead magnets that you can use to quickly grow your email list:
Related: Earn More Email Subscribers and Customers with Powerful Lead Magnets
1. Free trial
Offering a free trial is a great way to get people to sign up for your email list. It's an especially effective lead magnet for SaaS products, which can be difficult to understand and use without some guidance.
This removes the barrier of entry for potential customers and gives them a chance to try out your product before making a commitment. Of course, this has to be done right. Your free trial should be long enough to give people a chance to use your product and see its value, but not so long that they forget about it.
2. A fun quiz
From fashion to pop culture, quizzes are popular because they're fun and relatively easy to take. They can also be very effective in growing your email list. For example, you could create a style quiz for a fashion brand or a celebrity trivia quiz for an entertainment website.
Even B2B companies can use quizzes as a lead magnet. For example, a company that sells project management software could create a quiz to help users find the right software for their needs. With no-code quiz makers, you can easily create quizzes, polls and other types of content without any tech skills required.
3. Ebook
Ebooks are a popular lead magnet because they're relatively easy to produce and can be very helpful to your target audience. For example, if you sell products for new parents, you could create an ebook with tips on how to get your baby to sleep through the night. In comparison, a B2B software company might create an ebook with tips on how to reduce IT costs.
The key to creating a successful ebook lead magnet is to make sure it's relevant and targeted to your audience. It should also be well-written and informative, with a clear call-to-action at the end.
A white paper is a type of lead magnet that's more in-depth than an ebook. They're usually around 2,000 to 5,000 words and cover a specific topic in detail. For example, a company that sells email marketing software might write a white paper on the best ways to improve email open rates.
4. Case study
A case study is a type of lead magnet that tells the story of how one of your customers used your product or service to achieve success. For example, if you sell customer relationship management (CRM) software, you could write a case study about how one of your customers used your software to increase sales by a certain percentage.
Case studies are an effective lead magnet because they provide social proof that your product or service works. They also help to build trust with potential customers by showing that you're transparent about your successes (and learning experiences).
Related: 8 Proven Strategies to Get People to Open and Read Your Emails
5. A contest or giveaway
People love free stuff, which is why contests and giveaways are such popular lead magnets, whether it's a free product or even a gift card.
In order to make sure your contest or giveaway is successful, be sure to promote it across all of your marketing channels, and put some thought into the prize. It should be something that's relevant and valuable to your target audience.
6. A downloadable template
Downloadable templates are another popular type of lead magnet because they're useful and easy to use. For example, a home decorating website could offer a downloadable room layout template that helps users plan the perfect furniture arrangement. Or a business consulting website could offer a downloadable proposal template that helps users create professional-looking proposals.
7. Coupons or discounts
Coupons and discounts are popular lead magnets because they offer a tangible benefit that's hard to resist. For example, you could offer a 10% discount on your products or services, or you could offer a free shipping coupon for orders over $50.
To make sure your coupons and discounts are successful, be sure to promote them across all of your marketing channels and make them easy to find on your website. You should also consider putting an expiration date on them to create a sense of urgency.
8. Access to exclusive content
People love feeling like they're part of an exclusive club, which is why offering access to exclusive content is such an effective lead magnet. Entire business models, like Clubhouse and (originally) Tinder, have been built on this concept.
For example, you could offer exclusive access to blog posts, video content or even physical products. Or you could offer a free membership to your email newsletter for a limited time.
9. A free consultation
A free consultation is a great lead magnet for service-based businesses — like consultants, lawyers and financial advisors. It's an opportunity to show potential clients what you can do for them and build trust and rapport.
To make sure your free consultation is successful, be sure to promote it across all of your marketing channels, and make it easy to schedule on your website. You should also consider offering a free initial consultation to new clients as a way to increase leads and conversions.
Related: 7 Things Your Opt-In Forms Need to Do to Gain Email Subscribers
If you want to make sure your messages stand out, using one or more of these nine types of lead magnets is a great strategy. Make sure your lead magnets are valuable, easy to use and promoted across all of your marketing channels.
