Crafting your lead magnet shouldn't be a difficult task. However you need to think about what you want to offer to your target audience that they need and want. You certainly have to be a bit strategic about creating something highly effective. 

Create an Effective Lead Magnet to Grow Your Email List

If you are new to the world of customer acquisition, a lead magnet is your first step in connecting with potential customers via offering them a free piece of valuable content they can't resist.

When they download your lead magnet or freebie or opt-in, as it is often called, they give your their email address in exchange. This free piece of content can be a worksheet, a cheatsheet, a checklist, a workbook, a template or even a video recording. 

This free offer to your audience is the beginning of their customer journey with you and it will “lead” them into a funnel where you eventually promote your paid offerings.

• Now you understand that your lead magnet serves an important role for your online business, and it has to be something that grabs the attention of your target audience at first glimpse, and they want to find out more.
• They also feel intrigued enough to offer you their email address in exchange for your freebie. 
• Sharing valuable information with your readers via your lead magnet helps to start building a relationship with your readers. Once they share their email address with you (and opt-in to receive email communication from you in the future), you are able to email them regularly. These emails will create your funnel that will lead them through the customer journey.

Once your readers get to know you and learn more about your offer, they will understand how valuable your products or services are. Most of the time (as in 99,9%), you can't start selling to people who just downloaded your freebie. You have to nurture them with valuable content and show your expertise. Now that you understand how one of your first and important step towards selling is to get people on your email list - with a lead magnet. 

Let's look into how to create an irresistible lead magnet that your ideal audience can't and won't resist. Lead magnets should be simple offerings that help to solve one specific problem with an easy-to-execute solution.

Let me explain how to create a high-converting lead magnet: 

 1. Clear design that is easy to read, listen and look at 

Through the visual elements of your lead magnet, you show your audience your professional approach and your expertise. Wether you offer a checklist, a guidebook or an ebook, you want to ensure that your lead magnet reflects your branding and who you are visually and in its content. Make it simple, attractive and easy to navigate. I use Canva to create my lead magnet designs - it is intuitive, easy to use, has lots of ready-made templates already, which means you are not required to have any design skills.  Check out this recent article about How to Get Started with Canva. 

2.  Solves one specific problem and offers a solution 

Lead magnets should always offer a quick and easy win. Bring clarity and a solution to your target audience's life by addressing a challenge, struggle or problem you know they have. Before you create your opt-in, make sure you are very clear on what your target audience needs or lacks and how to offer a solution that they want to have right away. If you are not clear on these details, make sure you spend some time with researching your target audience. You can do this by finding out where they spend time online, and joining Facebook groups, Instagram, YouTube etc. 

While you are creating something that solves one specific problem for your target audience, you also have to be able to map out how your lead magnet can be connected to what you actually want to sell them at a later stage. 

 3.  Offer a quick win or easy transformation 

When your customers can make a change that brings a benefit or a reward to their lives, they will associate your brand and what you offer with high quality, successful solutions. Next time, when they will be looking for a different solution in their business where you are able to provide help (and start selling), they will be more motivated to buy from you in the future!

4. Make it specific

Your irresistible lead magnet should be offering a solution, a change or a useful transformation in one specific topic or area. Do not try to create lengthy and overcomplicated documents for your audience because they will likely get overwhelmed and lose interest. You want your audience to benefit from that one piece of content and see a clear positive development in their lives from using it. 

5. High-converting lead magnet ideas: 

I've collected a list of lead magnet options for you. There is no one best option, choose what you think your audience will like the most and also consider what you can do effortlessly: 

• Swipe files
• Cheatsheet
• Worksheet
• Workbook
• Ebook
• Checklist
• Templates
•  Printable
• Roadmap
• Email sequence 
• Resource list
• Toolkit
• Audio recordings
• Video recordings

Remember, less is more. Don't try to create a 25 page long, super-detailed lead magnet that your reader might not even read through. Focus on quick and easy solutions that your ideal customer can implement or use right away. If you found this article helpful, feel free to save it, share it, and pin it for later. If you want to learn more about writing impactful content, check out this recent article about How To Create Content For Social Media with High Impact.