How to Boost Lead Generation on Your Website
Build the heat with 20 irresistible lead magnet ideas that customers will never forget.
There is a big difference between working hard and working smart. Businesses that want to increase website leads while decreasing the effort turn to automated lead generation.
One solution? A great lead magnet!
Creating a lead magnet to improve lead generation is a savvy tactic to level up your business online. In this post, I’ll dive into 20 lead magnets that work great to build customer relationships and inspire conversions with your audience.
And the best part: Once these lead magnets are set up, you can pretty much forget about them.
What Is a Lead Magnet? Why Do You Need It?
Lead magnets are high-value, easily-digestible pieces of essential information that your customers want and need.
Common lead magnets are eBooks, whitepapers and discounts, but there are so many others that we will talk about here.
Most businesses use a lead magnet to get more customers signed up on an email list. In other words, it’s an incentive for customers to receive email marketing from you.
Now, if you’re thinking, “All I’m asking for is their name and email. What’s the big deal?”
It’s a huge deal. Think about how many promotional emails you get in a day. Even if you voluntarily signed up for them, they get annoying very quickly. Inbox clutter has only gotten worse over the years.
Now more than ever, people are extremely hesitant to give out information, including a name and email address. Then there are spammy emails that you have no clue how you ended up seeing - and the distrust only grows.
If you want to get conversions via email, you give customers a worthwhile experience.
And it all starts with the lead magnet.
How Do Lead Magnets Boost Lead Generation and Conversions?
There are so many benefits of lead magnets for lead generation!
And, if you want to do less manual work while gaining more customers, get on the lead magnet bandwagon.
Here are a few scenarios where lead magnets play a huge impact in online conversions:
Scenario 1: Someone visits your site, but then moves the cursor to leave. Boom! Pow! A popup appears with a lead magnet for 20% off. Don’t leave! Here is a sweet deal. To the customer, doing business with you is becoming more worthwhile...
Scenario 2: You post a giveaway online to hike up likes, followers and email subscribers. If they give a little information, they could win big.
Scenario 3: People are browsing around your site, but how do they really know that you care about them? Will you nickel and dime them for everything? They’re flipping through your website - trying to think of every excuse to not do business with you. They see you have an eBook packed with tons of free, valuable information. “Why would they just give all this away for free?” a client wonders.
Scenario 4: A potential client came to your site months ago, but the lead turned cold. They got your free resource list and have been trying to “get by” without you. Since then, they have been using your lead magnet - the one with your name, logo and contact information. When they’re ready to be your client, they’ll know exactly who to call.
As you can see, lead magnets are way more than just “giving away something for free.” It is a tactic to build value, trust and recognition with customers.
And the best part: Once you create a great lead magnet and set it up, it runs automatically without you having to do extra work.
You can focus on the next step in the process: writing spectacular, conversion-generating email marketing campaigns to close the big sale.
Contact me to help you do that.
20 Sizzling Lead Magnets to Cozy Up Leads
Great lead magnets = more money in your pocket. And… if you can’t offer a free pony to every customer, then these 20 lead magnets are pretty good alternatives.
#1 - The Checklist
There is something so satisfying about checking off items in a checklist. Plus, it probably makes someone more likely to accomplish whatever they need to do.
A great way to use a checklist: Give customers a checklist for a task that you would have to do yourself prior to getting started with them.
For example: I could make a “website copywriting audit checklist” for potential clients. Then, if they want to work with me, and have the audit completed, it saves me time.
Hmm… I should do that. Why haven’t I done this already?!
#2 - The Cheatsheet
If hustling intelligently is wrong, I don’t want to be right. Being savvy isn’t a crime. It’s amazing how your expertise could speak volumes on a tiny cheatsheet. Give them a drop in the bucket to let them have a small win.
#3 - The Template
You could offer a basic template to get the job done, but if they want more complex help, they’d have to come to you. As long as the free template enables them to still complete the task, they’ll find value from it.
#4 - The Workbook
This is perfect for coaching services! It may be a good way to weed out unqualified leads. You’ll know the people who fill out your workbook are proactive.
If a client doesn’t want to put in work to make their dreams come true, will you have that much success working with them anyway?
#5 - The App
This one should be a real “why didn’t I think of that?” kind of tool. The more your app can integrate in your customers’ everyday lives, the better.
Even though creating an app as a lead magnet takes a lot of work initially, the payoff could be explosive!
#6 - The Toolkit
It’s important to frame a toolkit as something that you figured out so they don’t have to. You did the grueling trial and error so that they can quickly and easily see results. Who wouldn’t love you for that?
#7 - The eBook
Make your eBook educational, entertaining or inspiring - something that is absolutely worth the read.
If they can read your eBook and walk away a changed person, amazing! If they can get some sort of mini win, even better.
#8 - The Webinar
A webinar requires so much work, however, the ROI can be incredible! When done correctly, webinar lead magnets provide value to your customers and help build trust.
Suddenly, you’re sitting on a live call with hundreds of potential leads. You build rapport and answer their questions.
Webinars can spark a firestorm of attention, which brings you to the forefront of their minds.
Writing and launching a successful free webinar is no easy task.
Read this: How to Create a Webinar that Makes Money and Drives Leads
#9 - The Guide
It’s like having a mentor who can help them through the process from start to finish - but they can complete it on their own time - without the old wise guy.
#10 - The Resource List
Save your clients time by consolidating all the applicable resources they need. If you want a great lead magnet for a B2B company, consider a resource list!
#11 - The Demo
A free trial of your service? Amazing! Let them dive into your offerings, fall in love and be more than willing to pay after the trial ends.
#12 - The Infographic
When information is translated onto an infographic, it’s an eye-opening way to clearly understand information - and that’s a great way to communicate the importance of your services.
#13 - The Script
Scripts with a proven track record can help your clients get a small win of their own. Even though it may be hard creating a script that will work for everyone, the more detailed your script can be, the better.
#14 - The Calculator
If you have the capability, complex calculators can be extremely helpful to your audience.
They don’t necessarily have to be based in numbers, either. Let potential clients see projections in different scenarios.
A great calculator can show potential results - and hint that your services can provide such outcomes.
#15 - The Quiz
Give them something fun and fascinating to learn about themselves! Who wouldn’t love to know what color My Little Pony they would be?!
#16 - The Giveaway
Enter to win something amazing! Hell yeah, I’d enter my name and email to win a year of free social media marketing!
#17 - The Upgrade
This is great if you already have people actively using your site, especially if they keep using free versions.
If you run a site like Canva, Later or Bannersnack, you might get free accounts to convert after they have a taste of your paid versions.
#18 - The Browser Tool
Help save them money like Honey or rate domain authority like Moz. Either way, they’ll see your tool every time they go online.
#19 - The Discount
Buy the same item for less? This is a no-brainer for anyone. Plus, if they get a discount, they might as well buy more stuff at a discount…
#20 - The Free Shipping
Nowadays, why pay for shipping at one store when you can probably get it for free somewhere else?
Or, you might as well fill your cart to activate the free shipping minimums. Yes, I’ll buy the $10 sunglasses to get rid of the $5 shipping charge.
What Makes a Lead Magnet Convert?
Just because you create a lead magnet for your site, doesn’t mean it will be effective.
From solving the right problem to creating something that is usable for your target audience, awesome lead magnets need to be tailored just right.
If you’re ready to shift towards an effective and automated style of lead generation, contact me.
I can help you brainstorm a lead magnet to fit your audience - and help you create the content needed to get paid conversions from the little freebie.
