30 Lead Magnet Ideas for Steadily Building Your Email List

Is your email list lacking? Are website visitors not taking the time to look at all that your company has to offer? Do you feel like you aren't bringing in enough potential customers?

Luckily, you're not alone. In fact, many businesses struggle with this. You have so much to offer, but visitors aren't staying on the website long enough to see that.

What you need is a lead magnet. This kind of lead generation technique gives website visitors some kind of valuable content in exchange for their email addresses. Consumers want content, so they're willing to give their email addresses for a great offer.

Stick around to learn what kind of lead magnet ideas you can use to build your mailing list. We've got 30 ideas right here.

1. Samples

Samples are most common in the beauty industry. These give your customers instant satisfaction.

Plus, no one is likely to turn down a free sample. People see free products and rave. They think about the money they're saving.

Samples were classically found in magazines, but now the beauty industry has begun mailing them out. If you have a small trial-sized product that you can offer, this is a great way to start the consumer down the sales funnel.

2. Training Videos

If you're offering educational content of any kind, training videos are a great idea. You can give consumers the first video in a series for free. Or, you can offer a few free videos that are samples from a larger collection.

Whatever you choose, training videos are a great idea. Your visitors get an idea of what your content is like and they get to try it out before they buy more.

Plus, these videos can help you form a relationship with your audience as they begin to see the teacher(s) behind the company.

3. Templates

We've all gone looking for email templates, resume templates, and more. Templates are a great way to bring in leads.

These documents give your visitors a starting place to get something done. Most often, you'll see a company offering a booklet of templates for an email address.

These materials help get the creative juices flowing. Because of this, they help save your visitors' time. It's a win-win.

4. Free Trial

Free trials are one of the most beloved offers. Consumers feel like they're saving money while trying out the business' product.

Usually, free trials fall anywhere between two weeks and one month, but you can choose the best length of time for your product based on your industry. Some industries may feel that a month is perfect while others may think two weeks is a stretch.

Nonetheless, you should give your visitors an adequate amount of time to learn about your software and make a decision based on their experience.

5. Quizzes

You may not think that consumers want to take a quiz, but they can be interesting. Consumers love taking quizzes about themselves. So, you may want to consider asking a series of questions pertaining to what the visitor likes and needs.

For example, you may have a few different kinds or levels of your product or service. If so, you could offer a quiz that helps consumers decide which kind or level is right for them.

6. Case Studies

Offering a case study is one of the most popular ways to reach more consumers with digital marketing. More and more marketers are hopping on this trend.

Case studies are examples of how your existing customers are using your product/service to help them. Putting positive stories and testimonies together can help persuade your other customers that your product is worth buying.

7. Discount Codes

Discount codes and coupon codes are tremendous at collecting email addresses. People love a good deal. If you haven't noticed the trend, money is one of the main indicators of whether or not someone will get pulled into a lead magnet.

Most consumers are going to want to shop around for the best deal. By offering a discount code, you're showing consumers that you have one of the best deals out there. And, they can get more deals by signing up.

8. Software

Some companies even offer simple software. These small kinds of software can help convince your visitors to turn into customers.

For example, a social media consulting company may offer a social media page scanner. This software looks at how successful your social media profile has been.

If a visitor finds out that their page could be more successful, they may be more willing to contact your company for help. In fact, you should make it clear that you can help them create a better social media presence.

But, you shouldn't make everyone score poorly just to get customers. Make sure that the software is accurate. It may be helpful to use a pros/cons set up to show visitors what their strengths and weaknesses are.

9. Checklists

A checklist may not seem like a difficult thing to put together, but a free checklist is one less thing that a consumer has to do themselves.

You can offer checklists for a ton of different things:

• Meetings
• Notes
• Project management
• Emails
• Transformation
• Cleaning
• Hiring

The (check)list goes on and on.

There are so many renditions of the checklist. Find one that works for your industry and your company. If visitors are interested in the checklist, they're more likely to be interested in your product/service.

10. Webinars

Webinars a fun, interactive way to grow your email list. Plus, it requires a time commitment.

Visitors who sign up for a webinar are more likely to make it through the sales funnel. This is because they're showing that they're committed enough to sit through a video of you talking. Even if it's a free-speaking webinar, that takes a lot of interest.

As you're developing your webinar, you should make sure that you're bringing a lot of value for these visitors who cared enough to come here a stranger speak.

11. Guides

Guides aren't just for blogs. If you've created a lengthy guide, you could turn it into a PDF document for potential customers to download and take advantage of.

As with any piece of content, this guide should be related to your industry and company as a whole. The more related it is to your product/service, the more likely it is that downloaders are going to be interested in other things you have to offer.

Your guide could be about anything within your field of expertise. We recommend making guides on essential knowledge or difficult topics. You can speak more about these and show downloaders that you know what you're talking about.

12. Cheat Sheet

We aren't talking about cheat sheets in school. We're talking about quick, short handouts that break down a difficult concept.

These documents can make a difficult idea seem easy to understand.

You can use cheat sheets to explain multiple definitions. You could clarify the difference between two like terms.

Whatever you decide, consumers are bound to rave about the quick and easy resource you've just created for them.

13. Toolkit

A toolkit/resource list is a document that contains essential information that they need to know. This information is based on whatever the topic of your toolkit is.

For example, you may offer a toolkit that tells consumers everything they need to know about conducting effective meetings. Maybe you think they need to know how to make a PowerPoint, write meeting notes, and carry an efficient conversation.

Whatever the subject is, you're going to create a toolkit that can get the consumer through whatever topic you're creating. These are great documents to show that you know what you're talking about.

14. Survey

If your company is conducting a survey, you could bring your email marketing strategy in on it. Surprisingly, consumers love taking surveys as long as they're relevant to them and what they enjoy.

Consumers are willing to give their email addresses and answer questions for your study.

It's entertaining for them and gives you double the value on your end.

We highly recommend taking advantage of the survey questions and answers. This could tell you more about the industry and each particular consumer within it. You could use these answers to improve your business and interact with consumers better.

15. Assessment

Another kind of lead magnet is an assessment or test. These can give your consumers an idea of where they stand on a particular subject.

For example, you could have them take an assessment about their personality, their love life, their child's behavior, or their website. These are all vastly different subjects that make great assessments for different industries and audiences.

Find the assessment that shows your customers what you're knowledgeable about. At the end of the assessment, you can offer free advice and invite them to contact your company to learn more. By giving your visitors real-time results, you're more likely to convert leads.

16. Catalog

Some people simply want a detailed list of everything that your company offers. Usually, catalogs work best for retail companies or other companies selling many items.

Catalogs tell potential customers more about what your business is currently offering. Plus, they can find product descriptions and pricing.

You should also include inspirational photos to show consumers what your products look like in the real world.

17. Report

If you conduct a study or survey, you should share the information that you've gathered. Whether it's about the industry or your company specifically, consumers would love to read more.

Reports show off your expertise while giving your potential customers more in terms of statistics and concrete ideas.

Reports can also cover almost any idea. It doesn't matter what industry you're in. There's something that you can share with your audience.

For example, you may do a report on upcoming trends or popular software. You may choose to do a report on social media channels or other communication choices.

Whatever you decide, just make sure that you're showing off your expertise.

18. Ebook

Ebooks are immensely popular. Luckily, you don't have to be a millionaire author to make a fantastic ebook.

Ebooks can cover anything. In fact, you could do an ebook on a very specific subject.

For example, a gardening company may want to do an ebook on a new kind of plant they have in stock. It may sound boring to you, but it's exciting for gardeners.

An ebook can be a full novel about a range of topics or a chapter on a specific topic. It's up to you.

Again, we urge you to stay within the topics and subjects related to your industry. This will assure that consumers who were interested in the ebook will also be interested in other content that you're offering.

19. Workbook

All of us used to hate workbooks as kids, but they can be interesting if you're interested in the subject that the workbook is covering.

For example, you might not have enjoyed your Algebra workbook in high school, but you could enjoy a workbook about social media management or the best business practices.

Interested consumers are going to download and use your workbook to improve some aspect of their lives.

Within the workbook, you could include checklists, interactive projects, problems to solve, and more. You have the freedom to try multiple different mediums within the workbook.

20. Blueprint

A blueprint details the tasks that a consumer needs to do to accomplish some kind of goal. These documents guide consumers through step-by-step tasks to accomplish the results that they want faster.

You may choose to talk about how they can meal plan properly or clean their living room. You may opt for teaching them about managing communications or completing a work project.

Whatever the subject, your goal is to show that you know what you're talking about. And, you can offer the most information to your customers while saving them time and energy.

21. Printable

Printables are interactive documents that consumers can use for a variety of projects and ideas. You may want to make a printable for planning meals throughout the week. You may provide a printable for cleaning each room in the house.

On the other hand, you may want to provide a printable that covers interview questions or hiring criteria. You could create a printable about anything.

The key here is that printables give the consumer some freedom in filling out information. They can fill in the meals that they want or check off each room they clean. They could fill in the interviewees' answers or personality traits.

Printables are more interactive forms of these different lead magnets.

22. Courses

You may not want to offer a full course, but you could offer a mini-course. These online courses will show consumers that you know what you're talking about when it comes to a specific subject or industry.

And, you can share the course with them through their email. Thus, you're sharing all of the knowledge that you have on a particular subject.

Some companies give consumers the first course free or offer a string of 2-5 minute videos about a smaller subject.

23. Lite Apps

Companies may offer lite versions of their apps or software. These lite versions do less than the normal versions. But, they do offer consumers an inside look at what using your software is really like.

If they end up liking and benefiting from the lite version of the software, they're more likely to invest in the full version.

You shouldn't limit the lite version too much, though. Consumers should be able to use it without becoming frustrated. So, we recommend offering all of the basic features but cutting back the limitations.

For example, you may get one account on the lite version and unlimited accounts on the normal version.

24. Free Consultation

We've all heard the phrase 'free consultation' in commercials and pitches. They're a popular way of bringing in potential customers.

Free consultations can help consumers get an idea of what kind of expertise you have to offer. With a 15 or 30 minute conversation, you can convince a consumer that you're the right company to work with.

25. Giveaway

Every once in a while, your company could do a giveaway. A consumer is rarely going to turn down free stuff.

We should note that the item(s) have to be more substantial than anything on this list. Consumers aren't going to sign up to win an ebook (unless it's the best ebook on the planet).

So, we recommend giving away technology, a free period of your service, or a gift card for your products. Any of these items are worth entering a giveaway for. The more money your consumers feel like they're saving, the more likely they're going to sign up.

26. Challenge

Challenges are popular in the fitness industry, but they can apply to other industries easily. Challenges are short periods of time during which a company leads subscribers through a series of actions to better something.

A fitness coach could do a workout challenge. A social media consulting company could challenge subscribers to post on Instagram every day for a month.

Challenges are interactive and give your subscribers a sense of community within your company. At the same time, challenges are motivating and push individuals to become better versions of themselves.

27. Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are akin to Excel documents. They provide consumers with different columns and rows that they can fill out to their liking.

You may choose to make a spreadsheet for tracking hours, exercises, work, and more. You could help consumers set and track goals, too.

Your spreadsheet should help your consumers organize some part of their life. It'll make things easier for them and show that you're the professionals they should come to if they need help along the way.

28. Script

If you work in sales, scripts are your bread and butter. You probably have a script or template for every kind of conversation that you come across.

Scripts can help consumers with emails, conversations, texts, and more. And, it doesn't just have to be for those who work in sales.

Anyone who is trying to sell something or convince people of something can benefit from a script. This includes almost every business professional.

Make sure that your script gives consumers some freedom to speak while providing guidelines and examples when they do so.

29. Content Series

Content series are similar to courses. The main difference is that content series can contain any form of content. You may want a mix of videos, podcasts, graphics, and blogs.

A content series involves sending multiple emails to subscribers. You may send one email a week for six weeks. Each week, you may highlight a different sub-topic within the greater subject of the series.

The weekly email should contain everything you're offering on that sub-topic. You may have a YouTube video, a podcast, a blog, or anything in between.

30. Infographics

Lastly, you could offer an infographic. Infographics are informational documents that tell consumers more about your industry.

At the same time, you can use statistics and statements to draw consumers back to your blog to learn more.

The key to building a good infographic is the visuals. Your infographic should share information in the most beautiful way possible. With this, you should chunk information up to make it easier for consumers to understand.

You can make infographics about any topic as long as you have the numbers to back it up.

Do you remember those surveys and quizzes we mentioned earlier? You could turn these into infographics for lead generation later.

Lead Generation Through Email Marketing

Phew! You made it!

There are 30 great lead generation tactics for your email marketing campaign. We're sure that there is something in there that sparked your interest and has your gears turning.

But, we have one more secret to share. No matter which one of these lead generation tools you use, you need marketing automation software. Without it, who's going to send all of the emails when people request content?

Don't expect your marketing team to send hundreds of emails a day. Instead, give Helpmonks a chance and start your free trial today.