If you’re at all enmeshed with the world of digital creation and entrepreneurship, there’s a good chance you already know how important it is to grow your email list. From free trainings on upping your subscriber count to podcast episodes on scaling your list, it’s true what they say: there’s money in the (email) list.

When people choose to focus their growth efforts solely on their social followings (like Instagram or Facebook), it’s like building on rented land. You don’t own those followers…Mark Zuckerberg does. So if Instagram and Facebook go away tomorrow? So do your followers.

That’s why having an email list is invaluable. When someone opts in and joins your mailing list, they are choosing to give you their email address in exchange for your content, becoming a part of your community. You’re not renting this land, you own it. Unlike your followers on social, even if your email service provider shuts down, you can always export your database of subscribers and still have a means of communicating and engaging with them directly.

With that said, many business owners put off their email lists instead of prioritizing them from the start. If you’re one of those people or are perhaps experiencing slow growth, I have two words for you: lead magnets.

Let’s dive a little deeper into what lead magnets actually are and why we care, shall we?

Why Are Lead Magnets So Important?

Also known as opt-in incentives, content upgrades or downloadable freebies, lead magnets are free pieces of “locked” content that your audience can access in exchange for their contact info (i.e. email address). 

If you have an email list but are simply asking people to “Join my mailing list!”, chances are your growth is going to be pretty slow. But, if you create a freebie that makes people’s lives easier, there’s a bigger incentive for them to hand over their email to you in exchange for that access. And as a result, you’ll likely see a way bigger return.

So thinking of ways you can offer your site visitors more value is key here. This has proven time and time again to be a more effective way to grow your subscriber base than an opt-in form with generic copy.

With lead magnets, you’re able to engage your new subscriber right off the bat. They signed up to receive your lead magnet because they saw some sort of value in it, which means that they innately see some value in you and what you have to offer. Plus, it’s a two-way street: they get something really fun in their inboxes, which immediately creates a relationship between you two. And just like that, you have a new, qualified lead for your business.

4 Crazy Effective Lead Magnets To Implement In Your Own Business

From a brand quiz to an entire resource library of free resources and tools, I’ve been able to grow my email list quite successfully using lead magnets and content upgrades as part of my content strategy.

When it comes to creating solid lead magnets that can help build brand trust with your audience, it all comes down to the extra value you can provide them with. Can you create a tool (i.e. template, checklist, etc.) that helps them implement your strategies with? Is there a step-by-step guide you can provide that walks them through your method or framework? I’m not in the business of dry freebies over here, and I think that’s served me really well. Here are 4 lead magnets you can get started with today:

The Bonus

With bonus content, you’re providing your audience something extra that can’t be found in the blog post they just read or anywhere else on your site. You can integrate this in tons of places throughout your site and on your socials, from pop-ups to blog footers to Instagram story swipe-ups.

Uno Dos Trae Tip: Add bonus content to your blog posts. For instance, maybe you’re writing a post about 5 design trends to try with Instagram Reels—and you offer 3 more trends to those who sign up with their emails as a downloadable. This way, your subscriber get 8 killer ideas for their Instagram reels, while you get a potential lead. It’s that easy.   

The Mini E-book

Creating mini e-books is a great way to repurpose your content into one lead magnet, making an excellent resource for people who are really interested in a specific topic. The goal of any lead magnet should be to make the lives of your audience easier, so creating a series of mini e-books based on past blog posts, videos, and social posts is a great way to offer a tangible resource in no time.

Uno Dos Trae Tip: Dig through your past content to find some commonalities, and bring them together into one mini e-book based on blogs and videos you already have. For instance, maybe you did a series of posts about creating a killer brand statement. To create a mini e-book, all you have to do is combine the posts and write a snappy little intro. When you do this, you’re giving your readers a complete reference to one topic, which makes you the subject expert in the time it takes them to download the freebie. 

The Workbook

Workbook lead magnets are super simple and highly effective. You’re essentially creating a download-and-complete resource to help people implement the actual principles and action steps you’re talking about, all the while positioning yourself as an expert and giving you the perfect chance to pitch your premium projects and services. Free teaching = paid learning, my friend.

Uno Dos Trae Tip: We love to create workbooks based on blog posts, such as fill-in resources to help people decide on their core values after reading a post about the importance of clarity in their businesses. With a strong CTA at the end that specifically tells your audience about what you can offer to help them further implement what they’ve just learned—for us, it’s often reminding people of our brand strategy services—you can really bulk up your paying customer leads, too.

The Secret

People love learning about how other people built their businesses, which is where secret lead magnets come in. By offering up something that’s been really transformative or impactful in your own business as a free downloadable, you can build an audience of people who are dedicated to the same things you are.

Uno Dos Trae Tip: Secret lead magnets are pretty quick to whip up, so do a little thinking back on your own business. Are there some email subject lines you’ve used to land dream clients? Are there any pitches you’ve used to get in contact with a hard-to-reach brand or influencer? Share the knowledge, and get an opt-in in the meantime. 

The Lead Magnets Process Flow

One of the reasons I love lead magnets so much for growing my email list is that they’re often really quick to create. But, there are 4 things that you have to consider every time you create a lead magnet to optimize the magnet-to-customer flow and make it a seamless experience for everyone:

1. Call to Action (CTA): This is the button that your website visitors or blog readers will click to access your resource, so make the copy snappy and enticing.
2. Landing Page: This is where you’ll capture the information provided by the visitor. Once they click your CTA, they’ll be taken to the landing page to fill out a form with their relevant info—so be sure to keep the page clean, easy-to-understand, and visually appealing.
3. Thank You Page: Once the info is gathered and the customer has pressed submit, they’ll get a page to thank them for their time with an invitation to check their inboxes for the resource. Stay away from super generic copy here, and give your customer a genuine message. (Note: If you use Facebook pixels, this is where you’d add it into the flow!)
4. Deliverable Email: Including your deliverables in an email is a great way to ensure that your new subscriber gave you a valid address, and it’s also a really good chance to include a more personalized message (or add them to a welcome sequence!) to start the relationship off on a good foot.

There you are, my friend! You officially have so much info on lead magnets that I just know you’re itching to go create one, and I cannot wait to see what you come up with. Just remember: keep it genuine, pack it with info, and think of your audience first. 

If you’re ready to optimize your site to connect with your ideal customers, snag this free checklist and get going today on building the client-facing brand of your dreams.