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You know what it takes to build one – an email list.

And the fastest way to grow your email list is to offer your readers a juicy sign-up “bribe” or lead magnet.

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    Lead Magnet Definition

    A Lead Magnet is something that you give away on your website in exchange for an email address or other contact information so you can convert website visitors into leads and eventually nurture them in your funnel.  

    The give away usually comes in the form of a digital product such as an ebook, video, audio file.   

    When I started this blog, I was curious to find out what types of lead magnets others are using.  

    Here’s my compilation of 101 persuasive lead magnet ideas that will skyrocket your email list.

    Take your pick!

    Table of Contents

    1.  Lead Generation Quizzes

    A quiz converts very well because it can be really entertaining and make people curious.

    In a quiz the user has to answer a series of questions, and then gets the result. But in order to get the result, he has to enter his email address.

    Ramit Sethi's earning potential quiz works well because it promises to give you a custom report on how you specifically can start making some extra money in as little as an hour.

    2.  Cheat Sheet

    Cheat sheets make for awesome lead magnets because they give the user a list of guidelines to achieve a specific benefit.

    How many people will remember a 3,000-5,000 word blog post even if it’s loaded with info and filled to the rim with graphics or videos?

    But what if you could provide a downloadable one-pager cheat sheet for all that info? People will gladly give their email address for a 1 page cheat sheet that contains a quick solution for any issue.

    For example, the RazorSocial cheat sheet lead magnet gives 31 tips on driving traffic to your website from social media.

    For consultants, a cheat sheet or a consultancy agreement template can be equally valuable, offering a quick reference to essential contract elements.

    3.  Create a Template

    Unlike a checklist or a cheat sheet, with a template, your reader just has to copy-paste the outline and fill in the blanks. Email templates work because they are so easy to use.

    The Magic Email Template is an impressive example.

    Small business owners can find it very easy to use the email templates. They can just copy and paste the format, modify a few words to make it relevant to their business and then send it to connect with influencers in their industry.

    You can use a mockup generator to create beautiful images for your template.

    4.  Give a Swipe File

    Swipe files are better than templates since all you have to do is copy them in their entirety.

    There is no need to tweak or add any extra information. This makes swipe files even more irresistible as a lead magnet.

    In this example from Digital Marketer, the Ultimate Social Media Swipe File includes 72 headlines for social media posts that you can simply, well, swipe!

    5.  The Toolkit Bundle

    A toolkit is mostly a collection of tools your reader will need, all in one place.

    It also converts well because everyone wants to know what tools the pros use!

    Ian’s list of marketing tools is no exception. It is a massive hit as a lead magnet!

    Another exciting thing about toolkits is that you can become an affiliate for those products. Not only does the toolkit provide a useful resource to your visitors, but it can also generate additional revenue for your business.

    7.  Lead Magnet Check List

    Check lists are similar to cheat sheets, except that they are, by nature, actionable. They essentially condense everything that the user needs to know into one, actionable list.

    They’re also super quick to create.

    You can summarize your popular blog posts into a checklist, and turn it into a content upgrade. Once you combine that content upgrade with a 2-step opt in, you get a big boost in your conversions.

    For example, the On-Page SEO Checklist: How to Fully Optimize Your Posts, can be printed and consulted by a blogger every time he/she wants to optimize a page or post.

    7.  Free Report

    A free report is attractive because it provides valuable information being given for free.

    What’s important is the offer.

    If the topic of your free report is high in demand, but in low supply in your market, your prospects will be delighted to have it.

    Ryan Deiss’s free report on ‘How to sell 100 Books a Day on Amazon’ had an over 60% conversion rate when he used it as a lead magnet for his NumberOneBookSystem course few year ago because there were few such reports in the market.

    8.  Share Your Manifesto

    A manifesto is nothing more than a simple declaration of your intentions, views, and motives. It helps your audience understand your brand. It makes for a great lead magnet because your ideal audience will naturally be drawn to it.

    If your manifesto is able to capture the hearts of even a small a fraction of your market, you will have managed to capture a strong list of leads.  The Strategic Profits manifesto is a good example of that.

    9.  A Free Guide

    Guides are the most used lead magnets, after reports.

    A guide, like this IMPACT guide,  is essentially a how-to piece of content with a goal attached to it whereas reports tend to be short pieces of content on a certain topic.

    If you can create a guide on a topic that is high in demand but with few guides in the market, you’ve got yourself a winner.

    10.  Create a Free Ebook

    EBooks can be useful in building your authority in your space. However, writing an eBook is a time-consuming project. Therefore, you need to consider the topic and the takeaways very carefully. It should be something unique and vital to your audience.

    For example, Eben Pagan’s eBook on ‘What I Learned from Selling $100 Million Dollars of Online Product’ works well because it gives the reader a specific learning.

    However, if you can get the same result from a simple checklist, then, by all means, go ahead and create that list instead. Or you can simply use AI ebook creator to get the entire book, and test the waters that way

    11.  Host a 30 Day Challenge

    Challenges can be a great way to build trust with your audience.

    This ’30 Days List Building Challenge’ is a great example for this category.

    Why should you opt for a challenge lead magnet?

    1. Challenges have a start and an end date that creates urgency. This makes the offer more compelling.

    2. Challenges foster a sense of community– everyone is doing the challenge together, at the same time.

    3. Challenges make it much easier to prompt desired behavior through peer pressure. Most bloggers may not have the discipline to do the things necessary to build a list in 30 days, but they are much more likely to jump on the bandwagon when challenged to do so.

    12.  Resource List

    A resources list is a collection of valuable assets and they are huge time savers. When you put together all of the best stuff in one comprehensive format, you’re saving your users a ton of research time.

    Amanda Genther’s Digital Product Rolodex is popular for these reasons. It provides the list of software you’ll need to deliver an online course or write an eBook plus the top tools that can be used for these.

    (Photo credit:  Amanda Genther)

    13.  Comic Strip

    Comics are commonly used for entertainment purposes, but rarely as a tool to teach how-to content.

    However, they can be effective as a medium to impart some interesting thoughts, learnings or ideas on a subject.

    Moreover, comic strips are unique and if you can create them, people would be happy to exchange their emails to get them.

    Jaime Buckley uses the fundamental characteristic of comics - they make you laugh - to get sign-ups for his parenting site. Parenting is serious business but if you can incorporate an element of fun and joy into that activity, it sure gets more pleasurable.

    14.  Free Email Course

    Email courses are easy to put together because they don’t require you to create anything fancy or downloadable: it’s essentially just a simple autoresponder series sent regularly through email that teaches users how to accomplish something specific.

    Email courses can be used to turn prospects into customers.

    The Tiny Designer's 5-part email course is about the big design that we can make together.

    15.  Video Training

    A potential subscriber is more enthused to consume a video over text or audio content since it is perceived to be more valuable. It is also generally more entertaining and helpful to watch a recording than reading a book.

    Your video series does not have to feature you either. You can create a video course with a screencast and keep your voice in the background. You can even create an animated video series, but that would require significant investment.

    Another format is to do a live video training. It is highly efficient and much more interactive since your audience can see you and interact with you in real-time. For an effective live video training, consider using m3u8 player ensure smooth streaming and compatibility.

    Pro Tip:  Check out this article to learn even more about Video Marketing.

    (Photo credit: Noah St. John)

    16.  Event Recordings

    event recording

    Whenever you conduct a live, in-person seminar whether it is free or chargeable, record the event.

    You will then have a batch of highly valuable video and audio content to repurpose in any form.

    The folks at Business of Software charge hundreds of dollars for people to attend their event live.  And then they put all of the content on their site for free, including turning some of that content into a highly effective lead magnet.

    17.  Video Splinter

    If you have an awesome video course, give the few initial minutes for free as a lead magnet as seen on 5 Minute Makeover. It’s like showing a movie trailer to get views interested.

    This is a great way to entice your audience to buy the entire course plus get their email addresses. More importantly, the list you build using this lead magnet would be qualified and interested in your product.

    Of course, the free portion should have some valuable information to offer.

    18.  Audio Splinter

    This is similar to video splinter, with the difference being that your subscriber gets an audio file.

    Boagworld.com gives subscribers one segment of your audio course that is sure to generate interest and give it away in exchange for your prospects email address.

    19.  Audio Course

    An audio course, as seen on Fragrant Heart, can be an excellent lead magnet to convert traffic into email subscribers.

    It’s a different way to consume information and it allows you to pack a lot of information within a little time.

    Also, due to the sheer amount of high quality information that you can provide in an audio course, it can have a monetary value. In other words, you can say that it is “valued at $X” but you are offering it in exchange for an email address.

    The one other advantage audio has over other sources like video is that you can hear it while driving to work or walking in the park. This makes it very practical for busy people to consume.

    20.  Audio Training

    An audio training is similar to an audio course and a splinter of a longer audio. However, it is a complete stand-alone training course that teaches your prospects to do something.

    Audio trainings, like the "How to get Anything You Want" training, do very well in markets where your audience is usually busy and prefers to consume content on the go.

    21.  Giveaways

    One effective lead magnet that companies like Appsumo capitalized on is the giveaway. Who woudn't love to win free stuff?

    If you really want your giveaway to be effective, however, make sure it does two things:

    1. Qualify your leads by offering a relevant prize (something that only your target audience would want)

    2. Incentivize participants to share (you can do this by offering additional entries for each social share)

    22.  Create a Private Facebook Group

    Facebook groups as lead magnets are usually a great success. People value communities and the prospect of talking and discussing issues with other like-minded people.

    For example, Persuasion Nation has a private Facebook group for entrepreneurs.

    23.  Host a Webinar

    Like video lead magnets, webinars are also perceived as valuable. In fact, they have another component that makes them more irresistible: urgency.

    From SEO webinars to product demonstrations, hosting webinars provides a platform to showcase expertise and engage with your audience.

    Since live webinars occur at specific times, and may be available only for a limited number of people, they play on the “fear of missing out”.

    Amy Portferfield gives amazing webinars.  I've personally attended a few of them.  They work so well that her recorded webinars run daily.

    Pro Tip:  Check out this list for a great webinar software to use.

    24.  Host a Free Workshop

    The most valuable thing you can offer is an in-person meeting.

    However, instead of a live, in-person seminar, where people pay a lot of money; you can offer a free online workshop. Workshops are flexible and people can safely stream them online with their Linux VPS if they prefer this type of a private server.

    This would be a pre-recorded event that can be downloaded in exchange for an email address.

    25.  Give an Example

    Examples are great lead magnets because it gives a preview of what your customer will be getting.  

    For instance, Bidsketch (a proposal software) uses a Sample Client Proposal as a lead magnet.  This gives Bidsketch the benefit of a freemium app without giving away the functionality of the software for free.

    26.  Script

    Scripts are great lead magnets if your target audience needs something to help them speak or write. They are similar to templates.

    For example, Authority Unleashed created a scriptwriting guide that you can use create your videos.

    27.  Give High Value Content

    In this lead magnet example, you have a pro like Neil Patel giving away a step-by-step course, valued at $300 for free. It is a great lead magnet where his audience would be more than willing to give their email address in exchange for that information.

    If you can create a lead magnet where the perceived value of the content is higher than the price (which is an email ID) it would work very well.

    However, don’t build a course or eBook from scratch just for this purpose. If you already have a bundle of content (could be a set of videos, recordings of your live events, or transcriptions of your lectures) go ahead and repackage that into a bribe.

    You can also leverage existing resources to create your lead magnet. For example, you can curate content from other websites, combine it with your own content, and then use fonts and editing tools to make it look like a professional PDF.

    If you’re a coach or a niche expert you can offer free 10-15 minute coaching sessions in exchange for an email address.

    To make it more interesting, you can apply a question limit like: “I’ll Answer 3 of Your Most Burning Questions”.

    This tactic works particularly well when you’re promoting a particular product or program.

    You can also use these coaching sessions to understand the important issues of your audience and find ideas for future blog content or paid products.

    29.  Free Trial

    Most software companies like Ninja Outreach have a call to action to sign up for a free trial on their homepage. That’s an easy way to get email addresses of potential buyers.

    If you don’t own a software but have a products or a services company, you can still benefit from the free trial led magnet.

    You can offer a free sample box of your product or 50% off on your service in exchange for an email address.

    30.  Software Download

    Instead of giving a free trial for your software or tool, you can even have a free version. The visitor can download this version in exchange for an email address.

    The free version will obviously not have all the features of the paid version but it gives your prospect the opportunity to use your software.

    It also gives you the opportunity to seek feedback or convert the prospect into a buying customer at a later stage.  This works great for plugins like Yoast SEO.

    31.  Software Demo

    A free demo of a product like Nutshell uses as a lead magnet shows potential users how to get the most out of your product before trying it out.  This could be a live demo or a recorded demo using webinar software.

    The main benefit to this type of lead magnet is that your leads are highly qualified, when you compare them to leads who simply signs up for an ebook.

    A person willing to watch your product in action for 30 minutes has high buyer intent.

    32.  Membership for Life

    You can even give a free for life account membership to your users for your online tool in exchange for their email addresses like Shoeboxed does.

    Many users will convert to paid users over a period of time.

    33.  Lessons from Expert

    Everybody wants to hear directly from experts like Neil Patel - what worked for them and what didn’t. If you can give them that info, such a lead magnet would be very popular.

    Have you successfully ranked a new post in Google Search? Have you been able to pick up a new habit and stuck to it longer? Have you failed at a business idea?

    If you can create a case study based on your experiences and learnings as you worked towards reaching a goal, it would be immensely valuable for anyone starting out in your field.

    This works because it saves your audience from reinventing the wheel.

    34.  A Resource Full of Value

    This freebie is so full of value that no visitor to your blog will be able to leave without signing up.

    You don’t teach anything in this freebie but just give them what they desire the most.

    A great example is this “$13,355 in Blogging Gigs” freebie by Sophie Lizard.

    Here Sophie has handpicked 64 blogs that pay $50 to $1000 per post.

    This would be an extremely tempting bribe for anyone looking for freelance writing gigs.

    35.  Gated Content

    If you don’t have the time to create a lead magnet but still want to build your email list, content gating is an excellent idea.

    Instead of allowing readers access to all of your content for free, you can block or gate certain sections of your posts that users can access by entering their email address like Marketing Profs.

    However, your content needs to be really good so that readers are willing to enter their email address. MarketingProfs is a good example.

    36.  Podcast Transcript

    If you do many podcasts, then transcripts may be a cleaver lead magnet for your business.

    People love to listen to podcasts such as Superfastbusiness.com, but sometimes they prefer reading the transcript if the connection is slow or for some other reason.

    Use this opportunity to turn your listeners into subscribers.

    Offer your podcast transcripts as PDF files for free in exchange for email addresses.

    37.  Free Book + Shipping

    A bunch of physical books can be used as a great lead magnet. All you need to do is collect a small fee to cover your shipping costs like DotComSecrets.

    Such an offer works well because physical books have a higher perceived value than eBooks. So a free physical book is a really irresistible deal.

    Moreover, because the user has to pull out their credit cards to pay for the shipping, this lead magnet effectively gets you a new customer.

    Existing customers are so much easier to convert to a higher offer than people who’ve never bought anything from you before.

    Russell Brunson uses the free book plus shipping lead magnet very well.

    38.  Generator

    Generators can be used to create something quickly, without having to think. If a generator would be useful for your audience, you should gate it.

    Sumo.com has this great headline generator which they are using as a lead magnet.

    39.  Spreadsheet

    Spreadsheets are basically a programming tool and can be used to create all kinds of useful resources.

    DebtHelper uses a free budget spreadsheet to collect email subscribers. They even include a bonus video guide on how to use the spreadsheet.

    40.  Curated Newsletter

    How does the promise of handpicked content delivered weekly to your email sound? Good.

    Same goes for your prospects.

    A curated newsletter has high value because it promises your prospects that you will research say 50 articles a week on certain topics, hand-pick the best 5-10, and deliver them with your insights to their inbox ever week.

    With so much irrelevant content floating around teh web, this is something a lot of people will want.

    Hiten Shah’s Product Habits newsletter is a great example of this.

    41.  Roundup Post

    Roundup posts are usually very popular and easy to put together. Plus, you can turn it into a lead magnet.

    What is a roundup post? It is essentially a list of tips or techniques - on one specific topic - from experts in your industry.

    You can simply summarize all of the expert responses into actionable takeaways, and offer that as a lead magnet. However, remember that while summarizing, you have to ensure that the key points and essential information remain the same. It may take your time, but worth a shot. In some cases, if you don’t have much time to summarize your text manually, then you can also use an AI based summarizer to do that quickly. It will create an extractive summary of your given text which will be to the point.

    You can also take few a popular posts on a particular topic and create a downloadable report or PDF like cursivecontent.com’s Content Marketing roundup.

    Either way, it would make for a great content upgrade to high-performing posts.

    42.  Content Upgrade

    Another very simple content upgrade is to provide a downloadable PDF format of a long form post.

    Here’s a great example of SuccessissWhat’s roundup post on beating procrastination. The post is lengthy but is available as a downloadable PDF in exchange for an email address.

    43.  Calculator

    Calculators can be great lead magnets.

    Here is an example of Visual Website Optimizer's lead magnet tool that calculates significance of your A/B split test.

    If you're in the field services industry, you can offer a profit margin calculator or if you sell content marketing services, the calculator can discover what your content marketing budget should be.

    Calculators deliver massive value instantly, making them popular lead magnets.

    44.  Worksheet

    Worksheets are great for delving deeper into a particular area of your topic.

    They can include exercises that your prospect needs to fill out in order to accomplish a specific goal.

    The Digital Marketer lead magnet is compelling since it’s very specific (how to create a customer avatar), has a high perceived value (worksheet) and highly relevant to people looking for ways to define their target audience.

    45.  Calendar

    Calendars can also be very useful and attractive to your target audience in a variety of industries.

    For example, Blogilates is in the fitness industry and is offering a workout calendar. This works very well for their audience who can access workout routines on the calendar and don’t have to think about what exercises to do each day.

    To get access to the calendar you need a password which will be sent to you once you sign-up with your email. Ingenious, right?

    46.  Free Web Apps

    A web app is a free tool that requires a login to use. The number of free applications can be unlimited or restricted to limited use. However, users have to sign up by email to get the login. If you want, you can even make an app that will have even more features and opportunities for users making their experience smoother.

    For example, RightSignature allows you to create a free account. It is an online document signature tool that allows the user to send 5 signed documents for free. However, when you sign up for it, RightSignature gets your email.

    47.  Sample

    Free samples are excellent means to let your audience use or consume a small part of your product or service.

    Usually, if they have an amazing experience with you, they’ll come back for more and eventually turn into fans.

    You see a lot of 'free samples' being distributed in grocery stores.

    The same can be replicated online.  For example, The Copy Cure offers a sample of their online course online course before asking people to pay for it.

    It’s a simple lead magnet that can help you build a list of highly qualified prospects.

    48.  Sandwich Content

    In a sandwich content you offer free content, but only a part of it is accessible without giving an email address.

    If your prospect wants to see the entire content, he will have to share his email address.

    The theory behind this is that if you start with free content, it gets people to start consuming and trusting you more. However, to be able to consume the entire content they have to give their email address.

    This works only if your free content is self-contained and has standalone value without being incomplete.

    For instance, if you are giving away 10 tips, don't stop your video in the middle of answer 4.

    Instead, give people 5 complete tips. Then ask them for their email address to learn 5 more.

    Brian Dean’s, “How To Rank For Any Keyword” Video is a properly executed sandwich content lead magnet.

    49.  Tutorial

    Any piece of content that teaches how to do one specific thing is a tutorial. It could be in the form of a video, or a PDF with a numbered list of steps.

    Your tutorial can be a series of videos in the sequence that gives instructions about a specific topic.

    Nick Stephenson uses this lead magnet to teach authors how to get their first 10,000 readers.

    When using tutorial as a lead magnet, use a list-style headline (“X Steps to XYZ”). People usually like to know exactly how many steps your tutorial is going to take, so this style of headline helps convert much better.

    50.  Members Only Area

    If you are thinking of creating your own membership site, you might want to consider offering free registration.

    The Copyblogger Membership is a great example of using a membership site as a lead magnet. They have used social proof and fear of missing out in the copy to make it more compelling for the audience.

    51.  Printable

    A printable is excellent if your users want something that they would want to have access to without using a device. It might be something like a list that your audience can print and use it when they need to. An excellent example is this menu planner from Rustic Redhead.

    Similar to a printable is a tear sheet where your prospect tears off a portion of it to either remind him of something or give it in exchange for something else.

    For instance, if you sell dog food or leashes, you can allow people to give their email address to get a coupon on your website.

    They can then tear off a small piece of that coupon and take it to your brick & mortar store to redeem it for a free sample or discount.

    This online menu maker works well if you have an established offline business and want more leads from your website.

    52.  Periodic Content

    A periodic newsletter is designed to deliver content on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

    For this to be effective, you have to update your prospects on things they want.

    Moreover, since your prospect knows when to expect the next email from you, they will keep a lookout for it, and open rates are usually higher.

    Say if you are in the fitness/nutrition industry, you can offer a daily workout newsletter, a weekly menu plan newsletter, or a monthly weight loss program newsletter, providing diverse options to make a menu of offerings tailored to your audience's needs.

    The Grow & Convert newsletter is a useful example. They update you once a week on how to become a top 1% content marketer. The newsletter is exciting enough to get prospects to sign up.

    53.  Free Job Quote

    Instead of a free consultation, you could offer a free quote for a job. Here’s how Small Business Loan does it:

    They are asking for detailed information which is not ideal for lead magnets.

    However, when it comes to getting a business loan, many prospects would be willing to give out their detailed information in exchange for a quote.

    So, it works in this case.

    54.  Book Launch Notifications

    If you are an authority on a subject, like James Clear, you can use this lead magnet to inform prospects and visitors on your next book launch.

    This works well if your website or blog gets a steady stream of visitors on a daily basis.

    55.  Lists

    A list is similar to a resource list. The items on this type of lead magnet are useful things or a set of sources or ideas that are not tools.

    Lists should make tasks easier and faster for your audience. Your visitor should be able to use the list to understand or learn something or accomplish a goal more easily. It can be super-specific as long as it retains its usefulness.

    This is one of the easiest lead magnets to produce since you can create one without writing your own content.

    For example, the lead magnet here gives a list of 110 websites that pay writers. It could be a list of 50 books you need to read to be great at copywriting or selling. It could even be a list of 101 effective lead magnet ideas!

    56.  Live Chat

    In many cases, your audience might want to talk to you more than read your content.

    A Live Chat lead magnet that Intuit deploys makes that possible for your prospects.

    Interactive live communication improves trust and opens up an exchange of ideas.

    Such interactions can be helpful in building long-term relationships with your audience.

    But make no mistake about it, Live Chat Widget is a very effective way to collect email adresses.

    57.  Quick-Start Guide

    A quick-start guide like this one works on the psychology that it will help your easily take action and achieve results as soon as possible.

    If your content is useful but maybe a bit complicated and toilsome, a fast-start guide can help your prospects deal with them with less effort. Make sure to use a mockup generator to create appealing visuals for your guide to make it engaging and easier to follow.

    58.  Mind Map

    Mind maps are effective lead magnets work because the information they contain is organized based on how the mind processes information.

    They’re particularly useful when the information you want to share cannot be organized in a linear pattern. Due to its unique and interesting format, mind maps usually work well in getting sign ups.

    59.  Infographic

    Infographics are highly effective, especially when you have access to well-designed PowerPoint infographic templates, because they are visually appealing pieces of content that contain huge amounts of information.

    They include interactive elements such as interface icons and charts, making it worth your prospect’s time to read the piece. 

    What you need to be careful about is the right kind of design for an infographic. If you get the design right, you will have a good infographic to hand out to interested parties.

    Image credit: http://www.isogostrong.com/

    60.  State of the Industry

    A detailed report on the state of the industry you are working in can help you assert your position as an authority.

    Social Media Examiner puts out the state of social media every year to brand themselves as the experts in the field.

    Such reports usually contain large amounts of data, expert analysis, and a breakdown that makes it useful and actionable to your audience.

    61.  Case Studies

    Case studies not only attract subscribers but also help you establish credibility and trust with your prospects.

    There are different approaches that you can take when designing a case study lead magnet. Either, it could show a successful outcome, or it could narrate how someone messed up and lost something in the process.

    In either case, you need to categorize and present the findings accurately.

    Here’s a case study by Marketing Sherpa on how to get the best return on paid search investment.

    62.  Planner

    A planner can be a good lead magnet if it helps your prospects organize their tasks.

    Planners can be a weekly calendar booklet with space to write on or one that has extra tips targeted to a specific niche like doctor, marketers, or even designers. It can even be a tour planner.

    63.  Write a Whitepaper

    White papers are similar to free reports that provide authoritative information on a certain issue.

    One major difference is that white papers give you detailed analysis how your competition (or industry players in general) is using specific tools or strategies like the Local SEO whitepaper from Sun Dog Interactive.

    64.  Survey List and Share Findings

    Have a small email list? Use it to attract even more subscribers.

    Here's how: Survey your list on a very specific topic. Compile the findings in a report and offer it as a lead magnet.

    People love industry insights. This report will attract other like-minded people to join your list just to read those insights.

    For example, Payoneer surveys its members every year to create a report on the average income of freelancers around the world.

    They offer the report as a lead magnet. This approach can be replicated in almost any industry.

    65.  Podcast Download

    Your regular podcasts can work as a lead magnet. Compile a bunch of related topics into a single episode and offer it to your audience.

    These episodes can be on specific topics or your best episodes or even never-before-seen recordings (which you now think can be relevant to your audience).

    66.  Audio Book

    Audio books can work very well if your audience is eager to learn but has no time or preference for reading books.

    Similar to audio or video content, audiobooks give your prospects a more engaging alternative that also helps them go through the information in the book while doing something else.

    67.  Package Bundle

    You can bundle of some or all of your lead magnets into a package and give it as one lead magnet.

    This works because the prospect is getting a lot of content – PDFs, video recordings, templates, calendar, etc. at one go. The more useful stuff you can give in exchange for an email address, the better.

    68.  Free Shipping

    This lead magnet works well for online merchants and stores. People love free shipping and if you give them coupons to avail that facility in exchange for their best email address, it seems to be a very small price to pay. Make sure you work with a reliable courier service or shipping company to guarantee your customers the best delivery experience.

    69.  Online Community Access

    People tend to look for communities they want to belong to.  Smart companies like York International use this knowledge to capture leads.

    Thus, they are likely to give their email address to enter exclusive online communities where they can interact and talk about common interests with other like-minded individuals.


    70.  Early Bird

    This lead magnet works on the simple premise that people love getting discounts and saving money.

    Early bird promos are simple to make and can get you a large number of leads that can even turn into long term customers.

    71.  Free Consultation

    A free consultation offer can help you gain tons of subscribers quickly.

    This lead magnet works particularly well if you’re in a services niche like SEO, web design or financial services.

    Take a look at this lead magnet by Credit Repair that is offering a free credit consultation.

    This type of lead magnet not only gets you subscribers but also gives you the opportunity to convert them into leads and paying customers.

    72.  Discount Coupon Code

    Everyone loves a discount.

    You can use this as an opportunity to get visitors to opt in to your email list.

    Give your visitors a discount code like Julep does, in exchange for their email, that they can use on your website to purchase any products. This usually works really well.

    73.  Free Product

    Businesses that sell products and consumables like M.A.C. makeup can use a free product lead magnet.

    If people enjoyed your free samples, they’ll be likely to come back and make other purchases on your website.

    74.  Webinar Replay

    Replays are a great lead magnet to attract new visitors who missed your live event.

    This lead magnet can be used to target audiences in different time zones since they know that replays are recorded versions of the live webinar.

    This is a great medium to expand your reach and capture new leads.

    75. Food Recipes

    If you have a nutrition or food blog or website that sells cooking related products or services you can use this lead magnet successfully.

    Wouldn’t your audience love to get a set of recipes and tips to cook up a storm?

    76.  Free Account Registration

    This is a simple lead magnet commonly used by many ecommerce companies that have an online store.

    You need to create an online account to make a purchase or add items to your cart.

    Image Credit:  Shopify

    77.  Referral Marketing

    A referral is a no-brainer lead magnet.  For instance, Eventbrite asks users to refer a friend and they get to win discount coupons or points that can be redeemed to extend membership benefits, etc.

    This is a great way to build your list without creating any content.

    78.  Event Updates

    Everyone loves to know about events happening in their neighborhood or about special events being held by their favorite restaurant, rock band or sports team.

    If you hold corporate events in various cities and towns, you can use the event updates lead magnet.

    79. Use Tool and Save Account

    Create an online tool, let users use it and then ask them to register with an email address if they want to download their creation. Simple and effective, right?

    Typeform uses this lead magnet format beautifully. They let you create online forms but you have to save your account if you want to save that work. You can also use a Typeform alternative if you are looking for more features.

    80.  Expert Review and Teardown

    If you are an expert in your field, the most natural lead magnet is to demonstrate your capabilities by offering your visitors a free expert review.

    Unbounce webinar registration page is a good example of this type of lead magnet.

    The webinar gives webmasters the opportunity to get their landing pages critiqued by conversion rate pros. The possibility of getting your website featured on the show is attractive to webmasters, and this is being used by Unbounce to capture email addresses.

    81.  Survey

    A survey with a compelling call to action can be an excellent lead magnet.

    For instance, you could ask your blog visitors to give you feedback on the readability and relevance of your posts to help you improve your website.

    Just make sure that you present the survey lead magnet only to users who have visited at least four pages on your blog and stayed long enough to read few posts (Heatmaps can give you the stats).

    82.  Branded Swag

    You can brand anything - shirts, pens, mugs, caps.

    Who doesn't love free things, especially if it is an item they can use every day. They will gladly exchange their email address for free gear or even the chance to get free gear.

    Giving free branded material not only gets you an email, but it also creates an additional brand awareness from your prospects using your gift.

    83.  Free Chapter from Book

    Have you written a book or are planning to write one?

    If yes, then give one chapter of your book for free. This makes for an excellent lead magnet.

    If your audience likes your book, you can upsell them on purchasing the full book.

    Here’s how Tim Ferris offers a free chapter of his “4-hour work week” book on his homepage:

    84.  Catalogs

    Catalogs can serve as an active lead magnet when offered to your prospects who are in the middle of your marketing funnel.

    If you have a product catalog, offer it as a lead magnet and ask for your prospects email address on the order form.

    To make it more attractive, you can give a discount on the regular price of products or limited period offers to prospects who order the catalog.

    85.  Personal Tips

    People love quotes that inspire or life tips from influential people. And if it’s backed by research, your visitors will be only too happy to subscribe.

    James Clear has used this effectively to create a lead magnet that offers self-improvement tips based on scientific research.

    86. Newsletter Subscription

    Newsletters are one of the most common lead magnets offered.

    However, they are usually not compelling enough to sign up for. If you use something plain like “subscribe to my newsletter” it will kill your conversion rate.

    Here’s how The Hustle writes compelling copy to entice their audience to sign up:

    87.  Predictions

    Predictions of future trends in a particular industry usually get plenty of attention. People want to hear what the future holds so that they can adjust their strategies accordingly.

    You can use this to build your list. Based on your expertise and experience, create a small resource with your top 10 predictions for the coming year.

    For example, this Gartner report provides top strategic predictions on surviving digital disruptions.

    Notice the detailed information they seek? Since Gartner is a top consultancy, most people will be willing to part with all those details.

    For smaller blogs and websites, only ask for an email address -- but don't forget to say thank you.

    88.  Exclusive Interview

    Use parts of the exclusive interview you bagged with a top CEO or successful entrepreneur as a free lead magnet.

    Exclusive content has a high value attached to it and will attract many new subscribers.

    Foundr magazine editor Nathan Chan uses his interview with billionaire Richard Branson as a capable lead magnet. The print version of the magazine published the entire interview first.

    89.  Slideshare Download

    Slides are a favorite, mainly when they are filled with useful information and are well designed. So use them to your advantage and give them as a lead magnet.

    If you regularly publish slides on Slideshare or create PowerPoint presentations, grab the most popular ones and turn them into a lead magnet.

    People can access them by giving you their email address.

    90.  A Library of Content

    Do you have lots of different educational content? Make a virtual library and give your audience access to this content in exchange for their email address.

    Once the user signs up, take them to a page where all the content is available for download.

    Using a library as a lead magnet, like Melyssa Griffin does, is a simple way to give more value to your users with content that you have already created.

    91.  Scorecard

    A scorecard is a fun and unique lead magnet. Mostly, it is similar to a quiz with a series of questions. At the end of the questionnaire, a score would be calculated to measure your achievement or progress towards a particular goal.

    For example, Amy Porterfield’s offer of a scorecard to ‘measure your entrepreneurial-ness’ should be exciting and enticing for people who are about to embark on an entrepreneurial journey.


    92.  Free Trial Issue

    A free trial issue for a lead magnet can work great if you sell physical magazines like Cigar Aficionado.

    By giving a free copy of a magazine to your prospect, you'll not only get their email information, but you may also be able to wet their appetite to subscribe to your magazine on a long-term basis.


    93.  Free Event Tickets

    If you run an events company or are hosting a free event, this lead magnet can work very well. You just need to create eye-catching posters about your free event with the help of an event poster maker.

    Everyone loves a free pass, more so if it’s an event about something they love or are passionate about.

    (Image credit:  Eventbrite)

    94.  Comparison Charts

    Too many choices can cause confusion and in such cases, most people will rather avoid taking a decision than choose the wrong product or service.

    You can remedy this by creating a comparison chart that helps your prospect simplify their situation and lead them to make an informed decision.

    95.  Brochures

    Brochures usually work well in the middle of your marketing funnel.

    If someone has shown interest in your information or product, you can move them closer to becoming a paying customer by offering them a brochure.

    Hospitality and tourism industries mostly use brochures as lead magnets.

    96.  Loyalty Programs

    A loyalty program is usually initiated by big brands like Starbucks.

    In a loyalty program, the customer is usually rewarded for staying with a brand for a long time.

    Using the right positioning and copy, it’s possible to use this as a lead magnet in the front end so that new visitors instantly get into a loyalty program by subscribing to your email list.

    However, this is most effective at the end of your funnel where you keep your existing customers around by giving discounts or points.

    97.  Business Assessment

    In a needs analysis, a sales rep will try to figure out your problems and needs. It is usually done over a call. It can also be in the form of a quiz or assessment survey as in the case of the free Business Assessment offered by Erin Blaskie.

    When a prospect is at the lower end of your funnel and probably at the point of hiring you, it makes for a logical lead magnet.

    98.  Timelines

    A timeline is “a graphic representation of the passage of time as a line”.

    If you can create a highly visual timeline that showed the '5 stages of growing a blog' in an easy to understand, it would work better than a 2,000+ word blog post on the same topic.

    Timelines are visual and therefore are easier to understand and remember, making for a great lead magnet.

    99.  Social Media Contest

    Running a social contest on Facebook or Instagram is a powerful and cost effective lead acquisition technique. Make sure to craft trending hashtags and compelling visuals to maximize engagement.

    It is a good way to get a large volume of new leads in a short amount of time.

    A social contest can help you drive more engagement as a contest tends to be an exciting event that gets people willing to share.

    Running a social contest can also get your audience liking, commenting and sharing a lot more. This is a great way to deepen relationships with your audience.

    For example, Trind - a small Dutch cosmetics company - recently ran this giveaway and gathered 930 new email leads in a little over two weeks.

    For a company with fewer than 6,000 Facebook fans and a small email list, this was a huge success.

    100.  The "Coming Soon" Page

    Why wait till you have your website up and running to start building a list? Get a coming soon page with a simple lead magnet and some clever copy to turn visitors into subscribers.

    101.  Error Page Opt-in

    Sometimes your website or blog visitor will land on an error page. It happens to the best of us.

    But why waste that opportunity. Use any lead magnet, from the 100 options given in this post and convert your visitor into a subscriber.

    (Image Credit:  Leadpages)

    Over to you now!

    Which lead magnet will you use to build your subscriber list? Let me know in the comments below: