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lead magnet

Questions to Ask About Lead Magnets

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To help other entrepreneurs build their email mailing lists, I am launching a directory to promote their lead magnets (often called sign-up incentives or ethical bribes). I announced this exciting plan in my previous blog entry.

The directory is open to anyone on my email mailing list as a creative way to say thanks for joining me on this Graceful Resources journey.

If you are not already on the list, click here to join in. It’s absolutely free and your email address will never be shared.

In addition to the directory, I am setting up a survey about lead magnets to find out which types of lead magnets perform best to grow mailing lists. I have a theory but I will wait until the results are in!

The survey and directory will be published here on the Graceful Resources website shortly and I hope you participate even if you don’t have a lead magnet or mailing list yet.

Your input about lead magnets is just as valuable!

The survey itself will only take about three minutes to complete, can be easily done via a phone, and the current results will be made immediately available for your professional reference.

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Questions to Ask About Lead Magnets

So I wrote out a set of survey questions on a napkin over Thanksgiving. I’m sharing them here first for your review.

Please let me know via email response or my contact page if you have any feedback. Thanks!

Here are the questions I have in mind to help you out (answers will be multiple choice based on the lead magnet types outlined in this earlier post) …

  1. How likely are you to be influenced by a lead magnet offer when joining an email mailing list?

  2. As a subscriber to other lists, what type of lead magnet is the most attractive to you?

  3. As a subscriber to other lists, what type of lead magnet is the least attractive to you?

  4. What type of lead magnet are you most likely to actually use after opting-in to a list?

  5. Do you offer a lead magnet to build your own email mailing list?

  6. What type of lead magnet do you offer?

  7. Based on your experience, what type of lead magnet is the most effective to build an email mailing list?

  8. Based on your experience, what type of lead magnet is the least effective to build to an email mailing list?

These questions will then lead into the following set of questions for survey participants who would like to add their lead magnets as examples for others to see by opting-in to their respective lists:

  1. Type of Lead Magnet

  2. Name of the Lead Magnet

  3. Target Audience for the Lead Magnet

  4. Web Address for the Lead Magnet

  5. Your Name

What Lead Magnets Work the Best?

I’m anxious to find out too and the survey results will continue to update in real time. I look forward to your valuable participation and your help spreading the word about this project!

Thanks,
Brent

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

As a certified project management professional (PMP) specializing in web design and lead generation strategies, I’m here to take away the pain of figuring out how to seamlessly integrate web and email software resources to grow businesses online.

One project step at at time.

Plan to Share Your Lead Magnet

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In my previous blog post, I defined a lead magnet by 7 other common names and shared 10 types of lead magnets. Now I have a plan to share actual lead magnet examples from my email subscribers.  You can join in too free of charge!

What Again is a Lead Magnet?

Let me first reiterate what is a lead magnet in the world of online commerce…

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 designated to attract leads to your mailing list and business.

A lead magnet is not intended to be a bait and switch.  People should be first interested in your mailing list because you produce good content and/or products.

The lead magnet instead serves to give people that little extra nudge in the right direction if they are on the fence about joining your mailing list.  At the same time, there will always be people who join your mailing list regardless of your lead magnet. They’ll just receive it anyway.

What Type of Lead Magnet Works the Best?

That was the question I concluded with in my earlier post What is a Lead Magnet (and 7 Names for Lead Magnets). The short answer is… I don’t know yet.

So I wrote up an online survey over Thanksgiving to find out and I plan to launch it here on this website in December. I can’t wait to receive and share your valuable feedback.

But I also want to share real life examples of lead magnets from around the world. And I want the examples to come from my email subscribers.

It is a way for me to say thanks to those who have put their trust in me on this Graceful Resources journey.

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A Public Lead Magnet Directory

In addition to the free survey, the lead magnet directory will also be published on this website starting in December for anyone to reference.

Here is what I have in mind for inclusion in the directory:

  1. Type of Lead Magnet
  2. Name of the Lead Magnet
  3. Target Audience for the Lead Magnet
  4. Web Address for the Lead Magnet
  5. Your Name

My Lead Magnet Fascination

I love discovering the creativity of other entrepreneurs to grow their mailing lists and in turn, grow their businesses through lead magnets.

I am also amazed at what people are giving away for free these days.

Now you’ll be able to discover these lead magnet treasures too!

If you are already on my mailing list, please feel free to email me the five lead magnet items outlined here. You’ll be the first to go into the directory and it is my pleasure to give you free publicity.

My hope is for this strategy to grow your respective mailing lists too.

If you don’t have a lead magnet yet, no worries. I am here to guide you further along this journey and when you are ready, just let me know.

If you are not already on my mailing list, here’s a link to join in for free.

I can’t wait to share your examples!

Hope this helps,
Brent

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

As a certified project management professional (PMP) specializing in web design and email integration, I’m here to take away the pain of figuring out how to use new web technologies so you can gracefully profit online from your passion in life. 

One step at at time.

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

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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

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:

  1. Discounts (Coupons)
  2. eBooks
  3. Resource Guides (e.g. Checklists, Cheatsheets, Reports)
  4. Audio Files
  5. Online Assessments / Quizzes (I recommend and use Typeform)
  6. Video Training Files
  7. Software Trials
  8. Swipe Files (Communication Templates Used by the Business)
  9. Free (but Short) Consultations
  10. 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:

  1. Sign Up or Opt-In Incentives
  2. Ethical Bribes
  3. Killer Bribes
  4. Irresistible Bribes
  5. Freemiums
  6. Content Upgrades
  7. 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.