What are lead magnets? And why should they be in your marketing strategy?

Have you heard of lead magnets? You might have heard the phrase and thought you should find out about them. You’ve probably even put your details into another company’s lead magnet. So what is a lead magnet? And why should you use them?

I’m Gill from CherryAid Marketing, and Zoe has asked me to explain more about these mysterious lead magnets.

So, what is a lead magnet?

A lead magnet is a way to attract new contacts on to your email list. They are a free resource, such as a download, that your potential clients will find useful. Email marketing is one of the most highly effective marketing tools to build relationships with your clients. Once people are on your mailing list, you can contact them regularly, with the goal of converting them into clients.

Lead magnets have other names, such as sign-up offers, freebies and incentives.

Lead magnets have other names, such as sign-up offers, freebies and incentives.

Lead magnet ideas

There are many different lead magnet types. Think which is going to be best suited to your target audience and what you want to achieve by using one. Do you want to offer insights, explain how to do something, or give your audience a deeper understanding of what you do?

Here are some lead magnet examples:

• Guides, comparison tools and checklists. These could be basic text, video or infographics.
• Competitions, giving the subscriber the chance to win an enticing and relevant prize.
• Surveys which offer insight into industry-specific information.
• Webinars to inform or give guidance on a relevant topic.
• Special offer, such as a discount code in return for an email address.
• Gamification and quizzes which will help you find out information about your audience.
• Templates that can be used by the subscriber.
• Demonstrations of products.
• Conference and events, particularly online events.
• A trial of your service or product

Here’s an example of a lead magnet on the Pampers website. It’s inviting people to download their prenatal guides, capturing the user’s information before they give birth. They’ll be able to send emails and build a relationship with the user before they even need to start thinking about buying Pampers nappies.

This is what the website visitor sees when they click on the ‘Sign up to get all guides’ button on the Pampers website.

How to create a lead magnet

Once you’ve identified the type of lead magnet you’d like to create, lead magnet creation can be done by yourself. But you’ll need to have knowledge of your email marketing system and your website.

The best thing to do is to work with someone like Zoe, who will create wonderfully crafted content for your lead magnet. She’ll make sure that the words are relevant and easy for your target audience to understand. 

Find out about Zoe’s content writing service by clicking here.

You can work with graphic designers to create a guide or infographic or I use a programme called Canva to create lead magnets. And if you’re unsure how to get your lead magnet out there, whether it’s in your mailing list software, or linked to your website, then that’s where I can help too. I offer a range of marketing support services, click here to find out more.

Where to host a lead magnet

Lead magnets are hosted on email marketing software, such as Mailchimp, MailerLite or Klaviyo. They can either be plugged into your website or link back to your website, so that the user can download or see the ‘freebie’ there.

Why use lead magnets in your marketing strategy?

Lead magnets build your email marketing database with people who are genuinely interested in what you offer. That means when you contact them, they’ll be engaged in what you’re saying, and you can work on converting them into paying customers.

Depending on the size of your business, I recommend that you create them regularly throughout the year, for example, plan one per quarter. Make the content evergreen, so people can download them throughout the year and there is no time limit on you capturing email addresses.

Here are some other reasons you should use lead magnets as part of your content strategy:

• Show off your expertise and build trust with your audience.
• Include valuable information for subscribers to use.
• Repurpose the content time and time again on your social media.
• Create shareable links which, apart from using in your social media, others can share for you.

Are you going to add lead magnets into your strategy?

I started this blog by asking, ‘What is a lead magnet?’ I’m hoping this blog has helped explain what they are, why you should use them and how to get started. 

If you’re ready to take the plunge, creating your first lead magnet will be a challenge, but once it is up and running, the process will become much easier, and you will be able to publish them regularly.

I’m Gill Bishop, and I’m a marketing strategist. Through my business CherryAid Marketing, I help business owners get organised, so that they can be visible in the right place, allowing them to build relationships with their clients and customers. The marketing they do becomes less overwhelming, worthwhile, and gets results. I design manageable and realistic marketing plans and roll up my sleeves, and complete marketing activities for clients too.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, please get in touch.