How to Create the Perfect Lead Magnet

Lead magnets are an essential component of content marketing and a common way to get online conversations started with website visitors. Creating and using them properly can take your lead generation efforts to new levels and create a productive touchpoint for engagement. Join us for a look at what lead magnets are all about, why you need them and how to use them to their full potential.

What is a Lead Magnet?

A lead magnet is a free resource or asset made available to potential customers in exchange for their contact information, usually just their name and email address. It's a marketing strategy used as a lead generation tool and a fast way to build an email list. The idea is to nurture leads that start on that email list into sales or other conversions in the future. Lead magnets are a go-to option for anyone looking for ways to fill the top of a sales funnel with new prospects.

Lead magnets are a way to stand out from the crowd by offering something that many consumers need, often concerning a pain point they’re experiencing. By providing the information or other content they’re looking for, you establish a connection and gain a brief opportunity to make a good first impression that can grow into more engagement later.

Have you ever downloaded a free ebook on some topic of interest? That was a lead magnet. Or maybe some kind of checklist or template to make a job easier? Another lead magnet. Have you watched a webinar or a “how to” video to get some background information or fix something? Lead magnet. How about, for example, a free website audit for SEO performance or an AI-powered tool to check your resume? Yep, more lead magnets.

The idea is to provide something basic for free and show the world what an expert you are, how great your product is, how reliable your service is, how useful you can be or a thousand other things that simply help consumers now in exchange for a chance to pitch your expanded offer to them later.

Think of lead magnets as a free sample in a supermarket or a free trial at the gym — "Try this, you might like it!"

Lead Magnet Examples

It's important to create lead magnets that resonate with your target audience and address their specific pain points. Consider popular lead magnet formats like ebooks (e.g., "The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing"), checklists (e.g., "10 Point Website Optimization Checklist"), templates (e.g., "Email Newsletter Templates for E-commerce Businesses"), or webinars (e.g., "Live Q&A: Mastering Content Marketing").

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Lead magnets work in lots of different formats even if they all have the same goal — to increase lead generation.  

Get inspiration from these lead magnet ideas and examples grouped according to the type of content they contain:

[fs-toc-omit] Educational Content

• Ebooks or Guides: In-depth resources on a specific topic related to your business. For example, a marketing agency might offer an ebook on "The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing."
• Checklists: Step-by-step guides that help users achieve a specific goal. For example, a fitness coach could offer a "7-Day Workout Checklist for Beginners."
• Templates: Ready-made formats that users can customize for their own needs. Familiar examples include offering a template to build a great resume or cover letter.
• Cheat Sheets: Quick reference guides summarizing key information on a topic. For instance, a language learning platform might offer a "Cheat Sheet for Essential Spanish Phrases."
• Webinars: Online presentations or workshops on a specific topic. These can be live or pre-recorded.
• Online Courses: Mini-courses delivered via email or a learning platform. These can cover a range of topics related to your business.

[fs-toc-omit] Exclusive Offers and Discounts

• Coupons: Discounts on products or services. For example, a computer store might offer a 15% off coupon for new newsletter subscribers.
• Free Trials: Access to a product or service for a limited time. This is common for software companies or online platforms.
• Early Access: Exclusive access to new products, features, or sales. This can be appealing to loyal customers.
• Free Shipping: A common incentive for e-commerce businesses.

[fs-toc-omit] Tools and Resources

• Calculators: Online tools that help users calculate something relevant to your business. For example, a financial services company might offer a "Compound Interest Calculator."
• Quizzes: Interactive tools that engage users and provide personalized recommendations. For instance, a skincare brand could offer a "Skincare Quiz" to help users find the right products.
• Workbooks: Downloadable resources that include exercises and worksheets to help users achieve a specific goal.
• Resource Lists: Curated lists of helpful tools, websites, or articles related to your industry.

[fs-toc-omit] Community and Engagement

• Access to a Private Community: Invitation to a Facebook group, forum, or other online community where users can connect with each other and your brand.
• Contests and Giveaways: Opportunities to win prizes or free products.

You can always build your lead magnet strategy through experimentation. Developing compelling lead magnet ideas is a process and monitoring conversion rates is part of finding the winning lead magnet formula for your target audience. Remember that the main idea is to create a lead magnet that gives real value and entices your ideal customer to take action. Don't be afraid to experiment and test different lead magnet formats to see what resonates best with your target audience.

Also, bear in mind that you may create and use lead magnets at every stage of the customer journey, not just at the top of the funnel. Starting at initial awareness to just before a purchase, lead magnets make it easier to deliver a call to action and help you create an incentive to move things forward.

Want to Boost Your Lead Generation? Create a Lead Magnet

An effective lead magnet helps you build trust immediately by somehow helping a prospect. It's a way to create space for your name in a crowded online market and provide prospects with the tools they need to solve a problem, learn something new, etc.

Here’s what they make it possible for you to do:

• ‍Attract potential customers. By offering something valuable for free, you can engage with potential customers who are genuinely interested in your product or service. In the hyper-competitive online space, lead magnets can help you stand out. ‍
• Build your email database. Contact information allows brands to nurture leads and build relationships with potential customers. An email database is still among the most important marketing resources a business has. ‍
• Increase brand awareness. Lead magnets can help you establish yourself as an expert in your field and increase brand visibility. Associating your brand with free useful tools is the perfect way to make a great first impression that lasts. ‍
• Drive conversions. Lead magnets are designed to result in conversions, whether signups, subscriptions or, most often, sales. By nurturing leads you gain using email marketing, you can get customers started in a sales funnel.

Generate More Leads In Four Easy Steps

Think your lead magnet is ready? Be sure it checks these boxes first:

• It's relevant: It should address the needs and interests of your target audience.
• It's valuable: It should provide useful information or a solution to a problem.
• It's easy to use: It should be in a format that is easy to access and understand.
• It's high-quality: It should be well-designed and professional

How to Create Your First Lead Magnet

Lead magnets need to be planned and designed before they can be offered. Let’s look at the steps required to execute an effective campaign based on offering lead magnets.

[fs-toc-omit] Generate Leads from Your Target Audience

Before you can tempt them with some useful free resource, you have to know what your audience is interested in, what their pain points might be, what they might respond to and more. In many cases it will be obvious but you may need to spend some time to consider what options will work better than others. Remember that the point is to offer a specific solution, so think in detailed terms when deciding what the best lead magnet for your customers could be.

Do you want to offer investment advice for beginners? Cooking tips for steak lovers? Pointers for winter-proofing your home? A how-to on speedreading for busy executives? Suggestions of must-sees for visitors to your region? A guide to changing the oil in a car?

Be sure of your lead magnet's purpose and the specific audience it's for.

[fs-toc-omit] Choose the Right Format for Each Type of Lead Magnet

Do you know what problem you want to solve with your lead magnet? Great — now it’s time to select the right format to match. There are lots of formats and some fit certain concepts and audiences better than others. This is just a sample of some of the more common formats you might use and the kinds of content they work well with:

• Guides & eBooks – Comprehensive solutions to a problem.  
• Checklists & Cheat Sheets – Quick-reference resources.  
• Templates – Ready-to-use materials (e.g., business plan templates).  
• Reports & Whitepapers – Data-driven insights (ideal for B2B).  
• Webinars & Video Trainings – In-depth explanations.  
• Case Studies – Real-world success stories.  
• Free Trials & Demos – Try-before-you-buy offers.  
• Discounts & Coupons – Incentives for purchases.  
• Quizzes & Assessments – Interactive content with personalized results.  

Content-format pairings are usually obvious but always be sure to pick a format that aligns with your industry and audience expectations. Senior executives, for example, might not be impressed by a quiz nor will someone looking for quick & easy dinner ideas be interested in a lengthy examination of the food industry.

[fs-toc-omit] Create High-Value Content That Engages the Prospect

Now it’s time to really get to work on your lead magnet and create content that will impress. The point to remember at this stage is that whatever you’re going to offer, it has to be worth sharing an email address for. You’re promising to solve a problem that someone has, so solve it with your own unique materials, tools, insights, research, expertise, etc.

If you’re offering the same thing as something that’s already widely available, you’re not going to succeed in your lead generation goals. Your mission is to make anyone who takes advantage of your offer glad they did and satisfied that sharing their email address with you was worth it because they couldn't get your content anywhere else.

In addition to ensuring there is real value and quality in your lead generation material, bear in mind that the packaging matters. Your lead magnet will be judged by its design and appearance as well as its value or functionality, etc. Be sure to give your lead magnet content a professional finish when it comes to graphic design, layout, images and other visual elements.

[fs-toc-omit] Launch Your Lead Magnet

You can promote your lead magnet in various places — online ads, social media, email, web pages, or blog posts. But once someone shows interest and clicks on your offer, they need a straightforward way to access it.

Here are several approaches:

• Add to Your Online Store: If you already have a store, simply list your lead magnet as a free product. Users can land on your website, go to the store and receive it after adding it to their checkout.
• Create a Dedicated Landing Page: This option focuses 100% on your lead magnet, providing visitors with complete information about the offer, what they’ll receive, and an opt-in form for sharing their email addresses and consent.
• Create a Checkout Link with Easytools: As an alternative, you can skip the store or landing page and use a one-page checkout. Here, users can view the details and collect the product—all on the same page.

Many creators have reported that skipping the landing page and directing people straight to the checkout link significantly boosts conversions. So, even if you have a store or landing page, it’s worth trying! It’s also good news because it means you don’t need to create a landing page for your lead magnet if you’re not fluent with it.

When it comes to lead magnet landing pages, there’s no one formula you have to stick to, but a typical one has some kind of compelling headline about the value proposition on offer, a description of the benefit of using it, some images if applicable, a simple form and maybe something like social proof to further persuade visitors (testimonials, reviews, etc.). The whole idea here is to get the prospect to fill out the form, so concentrate on the value you're sharing, the fact that it's free and the benefits they will enjoy.

[fs-toc-omit] Capture Leads and Grow Your List

Regardless of your launch format, the goal is to get prospects to fill out a form and share their email addresses.

If you go with a landing page, include an email capture form for visitors to enter their information. Then, capture this data, store it securely, and send it to your email marketing tool to deliver the free product and engage in future marketing activities.

If you use an email marketing platform, look for an option to embed their form on your landing page. This way, all leads go straight to your email marketing tool.

With Easytools’ checkout link, we handle lead capturing for you. You can access all prospect details in your sales panel, export the data, or connect to your email marketing tool to automatically send information about every prospect as soon as they receive your lead magnet.

Once an email address is shared, redirect visitors to a thank you page. This page should either allow them to download the lead magnet directly or confirm they’ll receive the materials shortly.

[fs-toc-omit] Set Up an Automated Delivery System

As email addresses start rolling in, it’s crucial to have a system that automatically responds with access to your lead magnet.

For those who sign up on your landing page, your outbound emails can include the lead magnet as an attached PDF or a link to a website where they can download or access it directly.

With Easytools, your prospects can download your lead magnet in three ways: directly on the thank you page when they click “download,” through an automatic email notification sent on your behalf, and in their customer portal.

No matter how you deliver it, ensure the process is automated for immediate sharing. Instant gratification is key—nobody wants to wait for a manual email response!

[fs-toc-omit] Prepare Your Funnel

What’s the plan for all those email addresses you get after you launch your lead magnet?

This is a question you need to answer before you go live with it. How are you going to use the email addresses you get to turn initial interest into something more?

Make a plan for both what kind of outreach you want to use and when. You can even create a calendar to help visualize the customer experience from their perspective, starting on the day they share their email address with you.

A typical plan might look something like this:

• A few days after first contact, a follow-up email asking if they found the lead magnet useful or if they have any tips on how you can make it better.
• Another email inviting them to sign up for your newsletter or subscribe to your blog, which involves consent to send other marketing emails.
• Other emails based on various promotions.

[fs-toc-omit] Promote Your Lead Magnet

You didn’t come this far just to have all your work go unnoticed, right? Getting your lead magnet out there in the digital space is a great accomplishment but it doesn’t mean anything if no one notices.

To maximize your reach, you might use these to spread the word about the amazing tool, help, guide, resource, shortcut, life hack, etc. that you’re giving away for free:

• Website Pop-ups – Exit-intent pop-ups.
• Social Media  – Promote via LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or Facebook Ads.  
• Content Marketing – Embed a link to your landing page in blog posts, YouTube descriptions, or podcasts.  
• Paid Ads – Run Facebook/Google Ads for targeted leads.  
• Partnerships – Cross-promote with other businesses.  

Wherever you promote your lead magnet, be sure that there is always a clear CTA communicating what you’re offering and what problem it will solve.

Lead Magnet Creation Is Easier With These Tools

There are lots of easy-to-use tools available for creating professional-grade lead magnets. At different stages, you might use these:

• Easytools (for capturing leads and delivering lead magnet)
• Canva (for design)
• Google Docs / PowerPoint (for eBooks & presentations)
• Loom (for video walkthroughs)
• Typeform (for quizzes)
• Leadpages, Unbounce, ClickFunnels (for landing pages)
• Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Hubspot, ActiveCampaign (for email capture and autoresponder)

Final Checklist for a Great Lead Magnet

Before you put your lead magnet out there for all to see, be sure you’ve covered the basics:

• Be sure it speaks to the needs of a very specific audience. The bigger your target, the easier it is to miss.
• Make it as long as it needs to be, and keep it as short as it can be. Keep it focused on solving the problem you promised to solve.
• Make it visually appealing. Use high-quality images and graphics to make your lead magnet stand out.
• Choose the right format. Is the point to teach a skill? To take a deep dive on a topic? To save time and effort? Whatever it is, be sure the format is right for the job.
• Use your landing page to close the deal. Show the value of what you’re sharing and persuade visitors that they need what you’re offering.
• Make it visually appealing. Have we mentioned this already?
• Use automated delivery. Maintain the good impression you’ve already made by delivering what you promised immediately using automation tools.
• Be ready with a follow-up plan. Map out how you will cultivate each new lead over the days and weeks that follow your first contact.
• Promote it everywhere you can. Think of your lead magnet as premium marketing material with huge potential that deserves attention.
• Make it visually appealing. One more time in case you missed it!

Time to Make Your Own Effective Lead Magnet!

Lead magnets work well for everyone involved. Anyone who accepts your free offer gets the help, information or tools they're looking for and associates your brand with satisfaction, a must for every potential customer. On your side, you increase the number of people who take a closer look at your offer and boost your lead generation capabilities, which is all you can ask for and a huge success for any business. Lead magnets solve challenges on both sides — it really is a win-win situation!

Want to give lead magnets a try with minimal effort? Skip the landing page creation and launch your lead magnet with Easytools. Try it out for free for 14 days!

‍