lead magnet examples

5 Essential Characteristics of a Lead Magnet

April 19, 2017 by Brent Peterson

A lead magnet goes by many names (see what is an ethical bribe?), but what is most important to know, is that a lead magnet is essential for your business growth.

Your lead magnet inspires people to join your email mailing list when they visit your website or landing page.

Without an email mailing list, you can’t grow your business online.

Why Your Email List Matters

Without an email list, you can’t build relationships with your audience.

Without an email list, you can’t notify your audience of new posts.

Without an email list, you can’t share information with them about your new online course, ebook, project, etc.

Without an email list, you can’t segment your audience based on their interest (ConvertKit is recommended for this aspect – here’s why).

Without an email list, you can’t grow your business online and be profitable.

Without an email list, you can’t give yourself time and money back for what really matters in life.

5 Essential Characteristics of a Lead Magnet

You now know that an email list is critical for your online success.

But without a good lead magnet, you can’t start or build a relevant email list.

Not all lead magnets are created equal.

A professional lead magnet has five essential characteristics.

Rather than outline the case for each of these five lead magnet characteristics in a really long and less memorable post, the essential characteristics are now packaged for your quick reference in a (you guessed it) lead magnet!

Specifically, the lead magnet is a 9-page guide titled The Five Essential Characteristics of a Lead Magnet. Click here for your complimentary copy.

You’ll also receive professional advice once a week to apply to your own lead magnet and to your corresponding web pages and email marketing. There is no spam and you can unsubscribe from the list at any time.

If you choose to stay on the email list, you can also showcase your own lead magnet web address free of charge on the Lead Magnet Examples page here on the Graceful Resources website.

If you need professional assistance with a new lead magnet and the technical integration of web pages, opt-in forms, and email marketing, you will also receive a 25% discount to the strategic Lead Magnet Project.

Receive Your Free Guide

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!
Brent

How to Promote Your Website for Free

March 10, 2017 by Brent Peterson

You’ve got a great message or product to share with the world!

And you should profit from your passion so you can serve more people. You may have a website or landing page already published – awesome if you do, but no worries if you don’t yet.

One you have at least one landing page in place, you are ready to build an email list so you can stay connected to your audience.

(If you need help getting started, there’s an inexpensive Graceful Resources project launching in April titled How to Build an Email List – Even Without a Website)

Why Your Email List Matters

With an email list, you can build relationships with your audience.

With an email list, you can notify your audience of new blog posts.

With an email list, you can announce your offerings to people who already know you.

With an email list, you can segment your audience based on their interest (ConvertKit is recommended for this aspect – here’s why).

With an email list, you can be profitable and expand your great message or product to a global audience.

How to Promote Your Website for Free

There are multiple common strategies to promote your website (and email list) for free such as:

Publish and optimize blog posts to generate organic SEO traffic
Share your web content on social media
Add a link to your website or landing page in your email signature
Talk about your web page in person at events
Include your website in your professional profile on LinkedIn

Here is one more professional uncommon option that is available to you today:

Promote your website for free on this website (specifically, on the Graceful Resources Lead Magnet Examples page)

There’s just one catch…

Ok, there are two (but they’re both helpful to you):

You need a lead magnet (if you need help creating a lead magnet, the upcoming Graceful Resources project will cover that step too).
You need to be a Graceful Resources email subscriber (it’s completely free).

When you become an email subscriber, you will now experience three benefits:

FREE weekly project lessons learned to apply to your current or future landing pages, website, and email marketing.
Announcements about deadlines for affordable professional projects to help you build a strong email list and online business.
FREE professional publicity for your website on the Graceful Resources Lead Magnet Examples Page.

Your Passion Matters

You have a special gift to share with the world, and you should profit from your passion so you can serve more people.

If you have ever wondered how to promote your website for free, you now have another professional option through Graceful Resources:

Graceful Resources Lead Magnet Examples Page

Cheering for you!
Brent

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Lead Magnet Example: Before and After

February 4, 2017 by Brent Peterson

Entrepreneurship at its core is about transformation.

Successful entrepreneurs are in the business of creating (and selling) some form of transformation for customers.

Elva Edwards is no exception and you’ll discover her inspiring story in a moment. Her signature image below is heart warming:

Whether you are a soon-to-be or active online entrepreneur, you have an amazing gift to share with the world that can transform other people’s lives. You should also profit from your passion so you can serve more people.

To reach your online goals, you need to plan the work and then work the plan. The marketing strategies are constantly evolving, but with a solid foundation in place with the right web technology tools and processes, you can start the transformation you are offering others.

Transformation Starts with a Lead Magnet

For you, as an online entrepreneur, the transformation you offer starts with a lead magnet – an extra but related incentive for people to join your respective email mailing list. Once an email list is established, you have a direct communication channel to stay connected to your audience.

Dr. Elva Edwards is transforming people’s lives. She just launched a new platform called ChildhoodLoss.com to help adults heal from the loss of a parent when they were children.

Elva was born in West Texas and lived on a farm with her parents, grandmother, and sister until her parents were killed when she was only 19 months of age. She and her sister fell into the loving arms of their grandparents who moved to the farm to live with them.

She authored a book about her experience of healing from the loss of her parents as a child. It is called “A Texas Tragedy: Orphaned by Bootleggers.” Based on her book, Dr. Edwards is now planning to launch an online program to help other adults heal from a loss of a parent when they were children.

Lead Magnet Example: A Before and After Transformation

As a first step to build her email mailing list, Elva created her first lead magnet called “The Top Three Acts of Kindness to Heal the Loss of a Parent When You Were a Child”.

As you compare the two examples below, you can see that her lead magnet went through a transformation as well:

(If interested in Elva’s platform, you or someone you care about can opt-in to her mailing list at ChildhoodLoss.com.)

Your Lead Magnet Example

Your first or next lead magnet is right around the corner too.

If you are not sure what lead magnet works best, this free 3-minute lead magnet survey may give you some insights.

If you are seeking project guidance to design and connect a professional lead magnet to your business email mailing list, don’t miss the interactive Lead Magnet Project. It is an online community-based project environment for entrepreneurs. No tech or design experience required!

And if you are seeking direct design help with a PDF lead magnet guide or checklist you’ve already outlined, layout designer Anas Abouzaradi at GoodLeadMagnets.com transformed Elva’s lead magnet and is highly recommended. Please feel free to let Anas know you were referred to him by Brent Peterson.

Anas also created the design for the lead magnet on this site: 5 Essential Characteristics of a Lead Magnet.

Anas will also be helping participants involved in the Lead Magnet Project and you can share your lead magnet concept and draft with project members for their valuable feedback.

Hope this helps,
Brent

p.s. You can discover other lead magnet examples on the Lead Magnet Examples Page – and you add your own lead magnet information free of charge if you are a Graceful Resources email subscriber.

What is a Lead Magnet (and 7 Names for Lead Magnets)

November 18, 2016 by Brent Peterson

I think I first heard the term Lead Magnet through software provider Leadpages, a company that specializes in landing pages. Lead Magnet is one of those marketing tech terms that seems to catch on within certain online communities but creates a degree of confusion for everyone else.

I had visions of physics experiments with… you guessed it, magnets.

If it’s a new term for you, no worries. You’re not alone.

The good news is that lead magnets are all over the web – so there are a lot of examples out there and you’ll recognize them (just by a different name).

What is a Lead Magnet?

In the online commerce world for your own business, a Lead Magnet is simply an extra incentive or bribe to inspire someone to join your email mailing list. In essence, it is a form of exchange. You gain someone’s contact information (e.g. email address) and the other person receives your lead magnet.

In short, a lead magnet is designed to attract leads to your mailing list and business.

If you produce helpful content through a blog or online journal, the person can also receive notification about your content through your email mailing list. As shared in this earlier post, blogging is an authentic and organic way to grow your mailing list because you are marketing your authority through content rather than through advertisements.

The lead magnet is what tips the scale for some people on the fence about trusting you with their email addresses.

What are Some Lead Magnet Types?

Here are 10 of the most common free lead magnet types in the digital world:

Discounts (Coupons)
eBooks
Resource Guides (e.g. Checklists, Cheatsheets, Reports)
Audio Files
Online Assessments / Quizzes (I recommend and use Typeform)
Video Training Files
Software Trials
Swipe Files (Communication Templates Used by the Business)
Free (but Short) Consultations
Email Autoresponder Series

7 Other Names for Lead Magnets

Lead magnets have been around since the dawn of coupons, but in the digital world, here are 7 other popular names for lead magnets:

Sign Up or Opt-In Incentives
Ethical Bribes
Killer Bribes
Irresistible Bribes
Freemiums
Content Upgrades
Free Gifts

Which Lead Magnet is the Best to Grow an Email Mailing List?

I find myself asking this question all the time.

My first response is… I’m honestly not sure.

My second response is… It probably depends on the type of the business.

For example, if a business is known for selling physical products, the logical or traditional lead magnet would be a product discount (e.g. sign up today to receive 20% off your next purchase).

But if you are operating an online business to sell digital products like courses or downloads and you’re just starting out or starting over (like me), what lead magnet works the best to grow your email mailing list?

Again, I’m not sure. But I’m eager to find out to help you.

I’m convinced some types of lead magnets perform better than others. I’ve now set up a lead magnet survey to find out.

Hope you participate! And keep attracting leads to your mailing list through your ethical bribe (ahem, lead magnet).

Hope this helps,
Brent

Please let me know if you have any questions or feedback via my contact form or in direct response to the free Graceful Resources email mailing list.