Lead Magnet Ideas: Grow Your Email List (19 Examples)

Visitors rarely offer their email addresses without a compelling reason. Even fans of your brand typically need an incentive to share their contact information when visiting your site.

This is the purpose of lead magnets.

A lead magnet is an attractive offer designed to encourage visitors to share their contact details. This could be a complimentary ebook, entry to a special webinar, a collection of templates, or anything else your audience deems useful.

For instance, our website features a free guide presenting our recommended WordPress tools for small businesses. This resource assists readers in identifying the tools necessary for business expansion and increased revenue.

This article will dissect the most common types of lead magnets, examining their advantages, appropriate applications, and sectors, as well as specific situations in which each may be beneficial.

What Is a Lead Magnet?

Lead magnets are compelling incentives presented to visitors in return for their email addresses. They serve as a mutually beneficial exchange where users receive valuable content such as ebooks, checklists, or free trials, while you gain a potential customer to develop.

Basically, everyone wins!

To succeed, select the appropriate lead magnet, considering your sector, target demographic, objectives, desired topics, and various other factors.

It isn’t easy, but more email subscribers and a long list of qualified leads are certainly worth the effort!

Here are 19 common lead magnet concepts to expand your email list. We will examine everything from recommended practices to particular applications to help you discover the best solution.

Simply use the quick links to jump straight to the lead magnet you want to learn about first:

1. eBook

eBooks are a great method to present thorough information on a subject in a structured manner.

Creating an ebook, however, requires considerable time and effort, especially when compared to lead magnets like checklists. Ensure you obtain high conversion rates as a result.

The secret is to provide readers with a substantial benefit. What advantage do they receive?

For instance, have a look at this free ebook offered by Blog Tyrant.

It teaches you how to build a successful blog in any field. That is a compelling benefit for Blog Tyrant’s intended audience. However, we only suggest creating an ebook if you can provide a concrete, apparent benefit.

If you sell ebooks online, consider modifying this strategy to provide the initial chapter as a free lead magnet.

Another tactic is to provide the initial part of an ebook series at no cost. This strategy is effective for attracting potential leads who are already familiar with, and interested in, your work.

2. Resource Guide

A resource guide presents a curated compilation of suggested resources, including books, downloadable files, applications, and even tangible goods.

Numerous organizations utilize resource guides to efficiently communicate information in an accessible manner. For instance, you could compile a list of the essential tools required to accomplish a specific objective.

A comparable example is our free WordPress toolkit on CanadaCreate, which highlights our recommended hosting providers, plugins, and themes for WordPress users.

Resource guides can establish your credibility within your industry, demonstrating your ability to suggest valuable resources. Moreover, they demand less development time and effort compared to lead magnets like podcasts or workbooks.

3. Workbook

Are you looking to develop a lead magnet that assists readers in completing a specific activity?

Typically, workbooks feature a sequence of tasks or questions accompanied by designated spaces for readers to record their responses. This design fosters increased interaction, making workbooks well-suited for scenarios that require active audience participation and engagement.

Workbooks are particularly useful for businesses centered on skill development or personalized services where a standardized solution is inadequate. To illustrate, a life coach might develop a workbook focused on meal planning, exercise regimens, or stress management techniques.

Workbooks can also help users track their progress and measure their achievements. This provides a sense of accomplishment, which encourages them to keep returning to your site or business.

That’s why workbooks are ideal for businesses that prioritize long-term, ongoing relationships with leads, such as personal trainers or financial advisors. 

4. Checklist

Want a lead magnet that converts well and is easy to create? Checklists may be your answer! 

A good checklist condenses the writer’s knowledge into an actionable list. Plus, checklists often deliver high conversion rates because they’re so easy to read and understand.

Even better, checklists are super easy to create. With that said, when you’re planning a new lead magnet, it’s always worth asking: could I achieve the same thing with a checklist? 

It’s not worth spending weeks creating a more time-consuming lead magnet if a checklist could deliver the same results. 

So, what’s the key to writing a successful checklist? One trick is creating an incredibly comprehensive resource.

For example, a checklist with a title such as ‘100 Best Practices for SEO Success’ suggests this is the ONLY resource you’ll need to boost your SEO.

Alternatively, you might create a list that walks the lead through a task towards a clearly defined result or benefit. In our SEO example, you might make a checklist with a title such as ‘10 Steps to Better Search Engine Rankings.’

This suggests the lead can download this guide or even print it out and then follow it every time they write a new post. That’s a pretty useful resource! 

5. Templates

A template provides an outline or some form of starting point for a project, so the lead can simply fill in the blanks. You can even combine multiple templates into a library to add even more value. 

Templates tend to work best for time-consuming or repetitive tasks where leads would benefit from having a framework in place.

For example, you might create templates for writing proposals, planning your calendar, creating presentation slides, or recording employee expenses.

Templates are also ideal if you offer design-related or marketing services. For example, you might create templates for social media posts, website banners, or email newsletters. 

This approach lets you target people who are interested in the exact services you offer. At the same time, they’re getting a taste of the quality of your work, which will help you convert them in the future. 

6. Webinar 

A webinar is an online event where you can share knowledge, answer questions, and build a stronger connection with your audience. 

For example, we host monthly workshops at CanadaCreate, where we teach our readers how to do things like secure their websites, speed up WordPress, and build sites faster with AI.

We recommend webinars if you offer complex products or services. They allow you to educate potential customers and demonstrate your offerings in a compelling way. 

Businesses frequently employ webinars to showcase novel products or services, allowing the collection of leads genuinely interested in these offerings. This approach simultaneously generates enthusiasm for the launch and addresses potential buyer inquiries.

Live webinars, in contrast to certain lead magnets, instill a sense of immediacy, potentially attracting additional leads driven by the fear of missing out.

8.Podcast Series

Podcasts provide a means of disseminating comprehensive information about a particular subject, presented in an easily digestible format. They are particularly suitable for individuals with busy schedules who prefer to consume content while on the move.

Podcasts are recommended for those aiming to cultivate a more profound connection with their audience, as they offer a straightforward avenue for showcasing personality. The interplay of voice and intonation enables leads to develop a more intimate understanding of you.

Podcasts are a good lead magnet for entrepreneurs, freelancers, or anyone who relies on ongoing, personal relationships with their leads, such as career counselors, nutritionists, or agents. 

If your website or business incorporates a significant audio component, podcasts could be a fitting choice. For instance, if you operate as a public speaker or distribute audio equipment, podcasts may resonate with your target demographic.

Consider developing a podcast series offered behind a content gate. As another option, create a public podcast, and use exclusive bonus episodes as a lead magnet.

8. Online Course

Want to share in-depth information with potential customers in a structured, educational way? A free online course may be the solution. 

Online training is a great lead magnet if you run an educational business or website. It gives potential students a chance to experience your training before investing in a premium course or coaching session.

A course may also be a good choice if you market intricate products or services. Providing training related to your products or services allows potential leads to learn about your company interactively.

At CanadaCreate, we use our free WordPress 101 course to grow our email list.

9. Email Course

An email course is essentially an autoresponder sequence that educates the lead on how to achieve a particular outcome.

In contrast to comprehensive online courses, email courses don’t need special software, and the lead does not have to make an account on a training website. Email courses are, therefore, straightforward to implement and utilize.

Email courses are a solid choice for sharing knowledge in a structured manner without imposing a large barrier to entry – for you and the lead!

If you sell complex products or services, email courses also provide a way to gradually educate leads and showcase your knowledge without being overwhelming.

10. Exclusive Discount Codes

Discounts appeal to almost everyone. Many online retailers provide a coupon code when you subscribe to their email list.

Unlike other lead magnets, coupon codes have an immediate, tangible benefit, making them great for quick lead generation. They can also turn leads into customers, especially with a limited-time offer.

Coupon codes are a common eCommerce lead magnet. They are most effective when offering a large discount on higher-priced items.

Releasing coupon codes during peak shopping seasons, such as Black Friday or the holidays, can also yield positive results.

Consider creating discount codes for new product or service launches to capitalize on the associated excitement.

11. Calculators

Calculators enable site visitors to resolve an issue or find answers.

Cleverly, calendars can also generate leads! Request user contact information before sharing results.

Online calculators are applicable across many industries, especially finance-related websites and businesses.

For example, you might add a mortgage calculator to your real estate site or a car payment calculator to your vehicle dealership website.

Some marketing firms employ calculators to help prospective clients estimate ROI, social media engagement, projected ad spend, and similar metrics.

Often, users must provide data like business size or budget. This gives you deeper lead insights, which is highly valuable.

For optimal outcomes, create calculators offering genuine value to build trust, not just capture leads. This strengthens your position for later lead conversion.

To begin, utilize WPForms or Formidable Forms to develop calculator lead magnets. Refer to our guide on generating more leads via free online calculators for further details.

12. Free Tools

Many websites (including CanadaCreate!) offer free tools, such as our SEO analyzer, keyword density checker, and blog post idea generator.

This tactic showcases your value to prospects, and you can also leverage these tools for lead generation by requesting user contact info before showing results.

Free tools are useful because you can target individuals actively seeking your offerings.

As an example, an SEO agency might create a free keyword tool. This captures leads genuinely interested in improving site SEO, precisely your target demographic.

13. Quizzes and Assessments 

Those popular ‘What type of X are you?’ quizzes are viral for a reason: people enjoy learning about themselves.

You can use these short, fun quizzes as lead magnets by withholding the user’s results until they share their email address.

Alternatively, you might create quizzes that help people make important decisions, such as finding the right mortgage or marketing agency. 

With that said, interactive quizzes are a flexible and versatile lead magnet that can be adapted to suit all kinds of projects. 

14. Giveaways and Contests

Everyone loves a good giveaway! The beauty of a well-run contest is that it’s a win-win. Your audience gets a chance to win something awesome, and you get valuable leads.

The easiest way to create a viral giveaway is by using RafflePress. It’s the best WordPress giveaway and contest plugin and comes with built-in 1-click fraud protection and verification to make sure all your new leads are real.

With that said, you stand a higher chance of running a successful giveaway if you already have a big community or social media following. Simply offer participants an extra entry if they share your giveaway, and you can potentially tap into an entirely new audience – and collect even more leads. 

Another option is to create a spin-to-win optin using a plugin like OptinMonster. This feature turns collecting leads into a fun game with compelling prizes. 

For more on this topic, please see our guide on how to add spin-to-win optins in WordPress.

15. Gated Content

Content locking lets you place any page or post behind an optin form. Then, visitors need to share their contact information in order to access that content. 

Since you can lock any page or post, this is a very flexible type of lead magnet. Essentially, if you can publish it to WordPress, then you can turn it into a lead magnet!

This includes blog posts, videos, online courses, products, or even an entire WooCommerce store.

Content locking tends to work the best when you’ve published something truly special, such as a blog post full of exclusive insights and industry secrets, a feature-length video, or a limited edition product that’s in high demand.

Want to turn your website’s content into a lead magnet? Then OptinMonster lets you restrict access to any page or post with just a few clicks. 

OptinMonster even comes with a ready-made Unlock Gated Content template that you can use to promote restricted content and collect email addresses.

For more information, please see our guide on how to add content locking in WordPress.

16. Free Consultation 

A free initial session gives leads a chance to discuss their goals and challenges with you and get personalized advice in return.

In addition to generating leads, a consultation gives you an opportunity to explain your services or products to potential customers, which could directly lead to conversions. 

That said, free consultations tend to work well for businesses that offer personalized services. 

17. Product Demo

Have you ever considered why numerous software companies provide complimentary trials or demos? It’s primarily a method of gathering your personal data, effectively functioning as a lead magnet.

If your business involves selling software or online services, you can easily set up a temporary account, granting potential clients limited access to your offerings.

Furthermore, free trials and demos fulfill a dual purpose: they motivate new leads to convert by providing firsthand experience with your product.

While demos and trials are commonly linked to software, certain businesses also develop these lead magnets for tangible products.

Consider subscription boxes that offer the initial box at no cost or a significant discount. They acquire your contact information, and you receive the box – another instance of a lead magnet!

18. Case Study

Case studies aim to provide the final impetus needed to purchase your product or service. They are generally most effective when targeting prospects who are nearing the end of the sales funnel.

If you offer high-value services or products where potential customers will likely conduct thorough research prior to investing, we advise creating a case study. For example, a case study may be the perfect lead magnet if you are selling costly enterprise software.

Moreover, case studies prove especially beneficial for B2B companies, as they furnish tangible proof of success to other businesses.

19. White Paper

A white paper is a detailed report or guide that examines a particular problem, subject, or challenge. By creating a comprehensive and meticulously researched white paper, you can position yourself as an industry authority.

Depending on the subject, reading through a white paper can take a significant amount of time and effort. For that reason, they tend to attract a small number of high-quality leads. 

While they’re not ideal for every WordPress website, a white paper may be a good solution if you sell specialist or big-ticket products and services. In that case, a well-researched white paper can give potential customers the in-depth information they need to make this high-stakes purchasing decision.  

How to Create Lead Magnets

After choosing a lead magnet format, the next step is bringing your vision to life. While you could hire a designer, that’s not practical if you have a smaller budget or want to maximize your ROI (return on investment).

That’s why we recommend using a lead magnet tool like Beacon. It comes with a ton of built-in templates for the most popular types of lead magnets, including ebooks, resource guides, and checklists.

It also comes with a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and even lets you easily create optins for your new lead magnet.

For detailed, step-by-step instructions, please see our guide on how to create a lead magnet that actually converts.

FAQs: Lead Magnet Ideas to Grow Your Email List

To help you get started with lead magnets, we’ve collected some of the questions we get asked most frequently.

What is a lead magnet and why are they important for my site?

A lead magnet is basically a valuable offer or incentive you give to potential subscribers in exchange for their contact information, most often their email address. It’s absolutely crucial for growing your email list because it provides something tangible and valuable that genuinely encourages visitors to connect with you.

How do I choose the right type of lead magnet for my audience?

Understanding what your audience truly needs and prefers is key. Think about offering solutions to their problems, sharing insights they’ll find super valuable, and presenting it in formats they love, such as ebooks, templates, or webinars.

To learn more about your audience, we recommend MonsterInsights. It helps you easily track your website visitors, giving you clear insights into who they are and what they’re looking for.

We use MonsterInsights on CanadaCreate to track things like conversions, referral links, our bounce rate, most popular pages, and much more. We share these experiences in more detail, in our in-depth MonsterInsights review.

Can I use multiple lead magnets to attract different audience segments?

Yes, absolutely! It’s a super effective strategy to use various lead magnets for different parts of your audience. You’ll want to tailor each lead magnet to address the specific interests or challenges of those different groups. This leads to much better engagement and higher conversion rates.

Tools like SeedProd are excellent for designing custom landing pages for each of your different lead magnets. This really helps enhance the user experience for every segment of your audience.

You can learn more about this popular page builder plugin, by checking out our detailed SeedProd review.

We hope this article gave you some inspiration for your next lead magnet. You may also want to see our tutorial on how to drive 10,000 extra site visitors a month or see our expert tips for using AI to skyrocket your lead generation campaign.

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