Grow Your Email List With a Lead Magnet or Freebie That Converts

I may be a bit biased here, but email marketing is one of the most effective ways to market your offers and services as an introverted entrepreneur. However, I know that many entrepreneurs (introverted or not) struggle with building and growing their email lists and getting people to give them their email addresses. After all, it’s not as easy as hitting the “Like” button on someone’s Facebook page. With an email list, you have to gain a person’s trust, and the best way to do that is to create a lead magnet that gives them one piece of the solution for their problem!

A lead magnet is the best way to grow your email list quickly and get people on your email list that are really interested in what you have to offer.

But first, what is a lead magnet?

A lead magnet is basically anything free that you create and give to your subscribers. When somebody opts into your email list, they provide their email address in exchange for your lead magnet.

Here are several types of lead magnets you can create:

• Webinar
• Masterclass
• Checklist
• eBook
• Guide
• Workbook
• Templates or swipe files
• Challenges
• A tiny portion from your course
• Others (check out the best examples of lead magnets!)

Anything can be a lead magnet, but it doesn’t have to be a huge offer. What it needs to have is some kind of value that people will be willing to give you their email address in exchange for it. People are very protective of their email address, so if somebody is actually entering their email to opt into your list, that means they are really interested in your lead magnet.

Benefits of having a solid lead magnet

• A lead magnet can position you as an expert who can help people with their problems.
• It grows your email list with targeted leads who would be interested in your paid offers.
• It boosts your visibility by amplifying the Know, Like, and Trust factor.

Steps to creating the perfect lead magnet and growing your email list

Find out what your audience needs.

You can easily create polls on Instagram or send out a simple survey on your email list asking people what they would like to get as a freebie from you or asking them their current struggles. From there, you can see what they collectively need from you.

Create, create, create!

Here comes the fun part: actually creating the lead magnet. Depending on what type you decide your lead magnet to be, it can take a couple of hours to a few days.

If you decide that your lead magnet can be some kind of eBook, workbook, or guide, whip out your Google Doc and Canva to start creating. To make the process easier, you can use templates.

If you’re going to do a video lead magnet, you can use Zoom or Loom to record and then Vimeo to host your video.

The essential thing to remember is that your lead magnet should provide a quick win after they consume it and that it complements your services or offers so that you can convert them later on once you’ve nurtured the relationship through emails.

For example, if you offer Pinterest Management services and a Pinterest course, one type of lead magnet you can create is a webinar or eBook that discusses how to optimize their Pinterest profile. It gives them the starting point and lets them know that you’re skilled so they can later move to hiring you or buying your course.

There is a fine line between giving away value and giving away too much value for free. The way to solve this is just to give one solution for their main pain point.

Promote your lead magnet

You’ve created your lead magnet; now what? I highly recommend promoting your lead magnet EVERYWHERE consistently. Besides social media, here are a few places to get you started:

• Include it in your email sequence
• Make sure it’s linked on your website (navigation bar, footer, homepage, pop-up)
• Mention it during speaking engagements (podcast interviews, summits)
• Create Pinterest pins that drive traffic to your lead magnet opt-in page

Creating the perfect lead magnet may take time and effort, especially at the start. But as an introverted entrepreneur who heavily leans on email as my marketing method, I’d say it’s worth the effort when you start receiving inquiries for your services and purchases without doing extroverted strategies that drain your energy.