4 Compelling Types of Lead Magnets to Grow Your Email List

There are four main types of lead magnets that are compelling to your ideal client.

You may be ready to create your first, second, or maybe tenth lead magnet, but you’re unsure of the best way to present that valuable content.

Or, maybe you have an idea of the type of lead magnet your audience prefers but not quite sure what content works best?

There are many different types of lead magnets for you to choose from.

Today, I want to share with you 4 types of lead magnets that will be compelling to your audience and will help you grow your email list. Because that is the purpose of having a lead magnet – to grow your email list. (Check out this article I wrote to learn more about 5 Simple Ways to Grow an Engaging Email List.)

1. Online Courses

The demand for learning through online courses has exploded in the last couple of years, especially throughout the global pandemic. This type of lead magnet is a great option for course creators to showcase your expertise and knowledge. It also gives your audience a sneak-peak into the type of learning experience they can expect from your paid courses. Examples of online course lead magnets include:

• 5-7 Day Email Course
• 5-Day Challenge
• 30-Day Challenge
• On-Demand Course

I recommend hosting your online course on the platform that you are using to host your paid courses, whether that is through your Wordpress website or a course platform such as Teachable or Kajabi. (If you are looking to get started with a course platform, Kajabi is a great all-in-one platform that I do provide support services for. Reach out if you would like more information.)

2. Virtual Events

This type of lead magnet is a great option to provide live or to turn into an evergreen option. An evergreen virtual event is a pre-recorded event that shares content that is always relevant to your audience.

Virtual events are a great way to launch your course or program by providing a free master class or free webinar that allows you to showcase your expertise and teach your audience some ‘teaser’ information. Just enough to draw them in and educate, but not too much that you’re giving all the answers away for free. Examples of virtual event lead magnets include:

• Master Class
• Webinar
• Facebook / Youtube Live
• Multi-Day, Multi-Speaker Virtual Summit

I recommend hosting your live virtual event through Zoom, or Facebook for a Facebook Live and YouTube for a YouTube live. To host an on-demand virtual event, you can easily host on your website by embedding the video link directly onto your webpage. If you are considering an evergreen option, Easy Webinar and WebinarJam are two popular options.

 3. PDF Downloads

This category of lead magnets is probably the most popular type of lead magnet as they are easy to create and showcase your expertise and knowledge in a simple, informative layout. Many people like to sign-up for a pdf download because they are easy-to-consume reading material. It takes less time and effort to look over a checklist than to sit down for an hour-long master class. Examples of pdf download lead magnets include:

• Checklist
• eBook
• Infographic
• Guides and Reports
• White Papers
• Toolkit
• Resource List
• Tutorial
• Cheat Sheet

Canva is a great tool to create all different types of pdf download lead magnets. There are so many templates that you can choose from, directly within Canva itself. Another option is to purchase templates from a site such as Creative Market where they have thousands of templates to choose from—created by talented designers around the world.

You can host your pdf download on your website, or as a Google Drive or Dropbox link. However, I recommend hosting your download lead magnet on Amazon Simple Storage Service. By using this service, you aren’t storing large files on your website, and when you need to update your download file, the URL stays the same. Follow the step-by-step instructions in this article: How to Deliver Your Lead Magnet Using Amazon Simple Storage Service if you are unsure of how to use Amazon Simple Storage Service.

4. Templates

Templates are another great type of lead magnet because who doesn’t like to have pre-designed material that you can take and use right away for your own business? Again, this type of lead magnet converts really well because it is quick for your audience to use and implement in their own business. And it is often easy for you to set up, especially if it is a template of something that you use in your own business or life. Examples of template lead magnets include:

• Workbook
• Calendar
• Planner
• Printable
• Spreadsheet
• Example Template or Scripts
• Mind Map

Similar to the pdf downloads, many template lead magnets can be created in Canva or as a Google Sheet or Google Doc. And again, I recommend hosting these types of templates through Amazon’s Simple Storage Service if you need a downloadable link.

There you have it! Four highly popular and effective types of lead magnets for you to choose from. Now it’s your turn to create that compelling lead magnet that your audience is just waiting for.

Make sure you create a lead magnet that will grow your email list with this FREE checklist: 7 Key Characteristics of a Lead Magnet that Converts.