Having an irresistible, value-driven, need-to-download right now lead magnet is one of the best relationship-building tools out there. 

They bring our readers to our newsletter where they can continue the relationships. They offer free value on topics that our audience is already curious about. They highlight our expertise, communicating why we would be a good choice for someone to work with. 

But if you’ve been wondering how to make a lead magnet that’s actually valuable (and not just content for the sake of content) well, you’re on the right track. 

Because the thing about lead magnets is that if you’re missing the boat in terms of offering something that your target audience is going to want and actually find useful, then you’re missing the boat. You’re missing out on all of the potential benefits that lead magnets offer both you and your audience.

Which is just silly!

So here’s everything you need to know about how to make a lead magnet worth downloading

Understand your target audience

Like, really understand them.

The better you know exactly who your target audience is, the better you’ll be able to craft a lead magnet that they’ll want, use, and enjoy.

After you have a good understanding of who they are, make sure you can answer these questions:

What are they struggling with right now?

What would make their life easier?

How do they prefer to receive information?

What’s their ultimate end goal?

These questions help guide your thinking towards creating something that meets their needs and speaks to them where they’re at.

Understand your brand and expertise

Make sure you consider your freebie in relation to your business and offerings. Your freebie should be related to what you offer. And it should also be something you feel comfortable (and confident!) educating on. 

Ultimately, the goal is to build a stronger relationship with your audience and guide them towards purchasing your services. But if your freebie is all about how to make successful TikToks and you offer content writing services…there’s a bit of a disconnect.

So keep it relevant! Visitors are on your site for a reason, so by offering them something that solves a similar problem as your offering, they get a sense for your expertise in that area.

Still struggling on what lead magnet to offer?

• Think about the questions and feedback you receive from your clients and your audience most often
  • Usually some of the best starting off points are right under our nose!

• Reach out to your community!
  • One way I love to do this is through Facebook groups, which, honestly, are such a gem. I personally love the Women in Marketing group. This and others can be a great space to ask what people are needing or to bounce your ideas off of.

• Find the gaps in the market
  • Take a peak at what similar service providers in the industry are offering—and then do what they’re not doing. 

• Think about what your reasons are for creating a lead magnet:
  • Is it to grow your email list? Drive sales? Offer your audience more value? Up your brand’s awareness? Once you nail down the reason you’re creating a lead magnet, it helps you get clearer on a strategy to achieve that goal.

Building the Lead Magnet

Format

Once you’ve decided on a lead magnet you’re excited about creating, you’ll have to decide on which format best suits the content—and which format your audience will be more likely to appreciate. 

Some formats you can play with:

• Ebooks & guides
• Lists and checklists
• Templates
• Video
• Samples of your main offerings

Design and creation

Finallyyy for the fun part: Bringing it all to life!

I personally used Canva to create my freebie, which is in the form of a guide. But there are plenty of platforms out there and it might be fun to experiment a bit! Think about using Loom to record valuable content. Or maybe Notion as a means to create a specific template. 

During this stage, make sure you’re incorporating your branding because this offering is an extension of your brand. It should look and sound like your content!

And always make sure you include a link back to your website!

Market your freebie!

After you go ahead and include opt-in copy throughout your site (especially on your main blog page), then make sure you market it to continue getting it in front of the right people. 

I largely use Pinterest to do this, but you can do this on just about any social media sites that you’re most active on. 

Just make sure you’re getting it out there!

Now that you know how to make a lead magnet, get to it! 

If you have any specific questions during the process, I’d love to help! You can always reach out to me here. 

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Hey, I’m Kristie and I write website and email copy for the best businesses! I also help business-owners like you feel grounded and less chaotic. 

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