Lead magnets: Everyone loves to get them, but no likes creating them!
If you are running an online business, and struggling to build your customer list – it’s time to look at your Lead Magnet!  First of all – do you have one?  It’s amazing how many online businesses struggle with getting traffic to their website – yet overlook this simple and very basic tool to attract your ideal customer!  For the sake of this article, we will assume that you either don’t have one…or you have one that is not drawing traffic like you would like it to…so let’s go back to the basics here…

What Is a Lead Magnet?
A lead magnet is a free resource that attracts potential customers for your niche to click on. By using this free content, visitors are more likely to sign up for your email list and eventually become paying customers.
This is what makes lead magnets one of the most important parts of your content marketing strategy.

Lead magnets can take many forms, but they usually have the following characteristics:

Promotes your business (generates leads)
Free to deliver (no cost)
High perceived value (perceived as valuable, helpful, or informative)
Here’s an example of an OptinMonster campaign offering a lead magnet:
Right away, users can see they can get 12 proven strategies for converting abandoning visitors. All they need to do is enter their email address.
That means customers get something of value, the business gets something of value, and everyone wins.
Why Every Business Needs a Lead Magnet
If you want to generate leads online, then your business needs a lead magnet. Period.
This is true whether you run a small blog, podcast, membership site, or a full-on eCommerce website.
Why? Because email is a very personal thing. People aren’t simply going to give you their email address without a good incentive, even if they like your brand. As a marketer, it is your job to give them a compelling reason to do so.
(Note: if you aren’t sure why email is the best way to market to anyone online, check out our complete beginner’s guide to email marketing here.)
For example, let’s say you have a blog post on the top 10 ways you can improve your customer service. At the end of the post, you ask readers to join your email list for “updates”.
Or instead, you could ask readers to join your email list and get a free, downloadable PDF case study, detailing a real-life example of one business who used these 10 strategies to improve their customer service.
Which offer do you think will get the most email signups?
Precisely—the second one!
So, now that you understand the importance of lead magnets, you may be wondering what makes a good lead magnet.
What Makes a Good Lead Magnet?
There are 7 things that your lead magnet should do if you want it to be absolutely irresistible.
The BEST lead magnets:
Solves a real problem – if your lead magnet doesn’t solve a real problem that your customer avatar has, or if it doesn’t give them something they really want, it won’t work at all.
Promises one quick win – your lead magnet should promise (and deliver) one quick win for your avatar. In other words, it should help them to easily achieve something.
Super specific – don’t create a lead magnet about something general. The more specific you are about the benefit of your lead magnet, the better it will convert potential customers (and if you can personalize this lead magnet to a specific landing page, that’s even better!).
Quick to digest – PDF checklists tend to convert really well because they are so quick and easy to digest. eBooks or lengthy reports may make your prospects feel overwhelmed.
High value – your lead magnet should have both high perceived value and high actual value.
Instantly accessible – your lead magnet will work best if it is something that can be delivered right away. People love instant gratification.
Demonstrates your expertise or UVP – when someone consumes your lead magnet, it should demonstrate your expertise or your unique value proposition. This helps turn leads into customers down the road.
If you can nail these qualities, you’ll see conversions dramatically rise across your website.
Now that we’ve seen what makes a good lead magnet, let’s quickly cover how you get that lead magnet in front of the right people.

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