What A Lead Magnet Is & How To Use It To Grow Your Email List

If you’ve been around my business for a bit, you’ve probably heard me talking about lead magnets. They’re one of my favorite marketing tools because they are useful, flexible, and totally customizable for your unique business. But if you’ve heard me mention these powerful tools and always wondered, “What does Dolly even mean when she says lead magnet?!” then this post is for you. I’m breaking down what a lead magnet is, why you should use them, and how to create one for yourself. So settle in and get comfy, we’ve got a lot to learn!

What is a lead magnet?

A lead magnet is an incentive that business owners offer for free to a potential buyer in exchange for the buyer’s email address or other contact information. 

Lead magnets usually offer downloadable content, like a PDF checklist, ebook, or video. Sometimes a lead magnet could even involve a free 1:1 call. The specifics of what your lead magnet offers depend largely on your business and what you’re trying to sell, but regardless of what you offer – it needs to be valuable.

Oh, and lead magnets go by lots of nicknames. To keep things consistent, I’m just calling them lead magnets, but in other places, you may hear them referred to as: freebies, opt-in incentives, killer bribes, irresistible bribes, or any other number of names. 

Why do I need a lead magnet?

Well, if you’re depending on a little sign-up box on your website to build your email list… you’re going to be waiting a loooooong time for that list to grow. While some people will sign up for your email list through your website, that conversion rate is super low. We’re talking around 3% of your website visitors. 

So what’s a savvy business owner to do? You know your email list is gold when it comes to selling your offers… but how are you supposed to get anyone on your list?

Enter: the lead magnet.

It’s kind of a superhero when it comes to email list building. 

Lead magnets:

• Offer value and begin to build the know-like-trust factor with potential clients.

When you have a super valuable lead magnet, people are impressed. People can think, “If she’s giving this away for free, imagine what her paid content is like?” If you inject your personality, knowledge, and authority into your lead magnet, it also goes a long way to prove that you know what you’re talking about. Bonus points if you can make your lead magnet feel fun and personable on top of bringing lots of value.

• Create relationships with potential clients. 

Once someone has taken action – downloaded your lead magnet – they’re much more likely to take action on your offers again, and the next time it should involve buying something. When a potential client learns, grows, or makes important changes based on your lead magnet, they feel connected to you. That’s a huge win when it comes to future sales!

• Get potential clients on your email list.

Once someone enters their info to download your free lead magnet, they’ll start getting your emails. You now have the power to contact them directly!

• Put potential clients into your sales funnel.

Most people aren’t going to buy from you immediately. They need time to get to know you, like you, and trust you. When someone downloads your lead magnet, they should enter into a strategically designed sales funnel. This includes things like a welcome or nurture sequence and targeted content that warms up your audience, establishes your authority, and helps them feel comfortable before you pitch them your offer or product.

How do I create a lead magnet?

OK, Dolly, you sold me! I see the power of the lead magnet… but how do I actually make one?

In this blog post, I’m going to share with you my best tool and secret to creating value-packed lead magnets that look and feel professional: Canva.

This design tool is FREE (there is a paid version, but you can do almost everything you need to do with the free one) and it’s a powerhouse.

Two notes about creating your lead magnet: 

-It’s OK to be inspired by people in your industry, but please don’t ever directly copy someone. That’s not cool.

-Remember to use your free content to cover the what and the why, but don’t give away the how. You want to provide enough value, maybe just start to uncover the how, but that’s what you want people to pay for. So while your lead magnet should be really valuable and useful, you don’t want to share too much. That’s what you’re leading people to pay you for!

If you would like to begin your journey of creating your very first lead magnet, but you don’t know where to begin, no worries because I’ve got your back! I have created a lead magnet ALLLLLL about Lead Magnets (such meta, am I right?)

Click HERE to get started on your Lead Magnet Journey (or click on the image below)

Now that you know how powerful, useful, and necessary a good lead magnet is – go create your own! 

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Meet Your Friendly Nashville Branding Photographer & Workflow Educator

Dolly DeLong is a Nashville-based family & branding photographer and a creative business owner who educates on all things Pinterest, Dubsado, Lead Magnets & Email Marketing (aka pretty much all the fun automation stuff centered around those business systems)!  Dolly loves serving families, and business owners with her timeless, radiant photography.  She loves capturing the joy and emotion in both digital and film photos.

She also has a heart for serving the larger business community. Dolly shares her knowledge of tools like Pinterest, Dubsado, email marketing, and business systems with new creative business owners in an encouraging and supportive way because she believes that even muggles can become automating wizards!

Dolly’s faith and love for her family motivate her to help other business owners find the joy and freedom she’s found in running a successful small business.

Whenever she has a spare moment, she enjoys watching TV (i.e. Survivor), loves eating way too many sweets, and listens to podcasts while running or walking. To work with Dolly DeLong Photography LLC, please email her at thedollydelong@gmail.com or fill out her contact form here.

Interested in learning how to best automate a part of your business to attract your ideal clients by creating a Lead Magnet and have NO clue where to start? I created this FREE PDF “The Lead Magnet Master List ” and if you click over here you can access it!

Are you a creative business owner who needs more help getting your feet wet in the world of systems & workflows but you don’t know where to begin (and to be honest, it’s kinda overwhelming to even guess where to begin) No worries, that’s where I come in! Consider me your systems & workflow fairy godmother, and I’m here to grant you your systems/workflow wishes! I know, dreams DO come true! Click on one (or all) of the images below to start your systems/workflow journey today! You just need to take one step at a time (kick the feeling of being overwhelmed to the curb and just start with ONE step today!)

(learn how to grow your email list with a great lead magnet) 

Know your ideal client’s journey so that you can create content that speaks to them (click on the banner)

If you are interested in blogging for your small business, here is a clear checklist of all the steps you need to take before you hit PUBLISH in order to have great SEO for your next blog!

Finally, if you are wanting to create content which not only speaks to your ideal client but want it to be strategic AND made in a timely/efficient manner, check out the Strategic Content Creation Masterclass!