What is a Lead Magnet and how does it help you get leads?

In this article, you’ll learn what a Lead Magnet is and how to quickly create one – plus some Lead Magnet examples for different industries. By the end, you’ll discover a new way to get more leads for your business, even if you don’t run lead generation ads.

Overview

• What is a Lead Magnet?
• Difference between Lead Magnet and Lead Capture Form
• Where to share Lead Magnet to get leads?
• Tips for creating a super attractive Lead Magnet
• Lead Magnet examples for different industries
• How to create a free Lead Magnet for your business (no website or subscription needed)

What is a Lead Magnet?

A Lead Magnet is a type of incentive or free resource that you offer to your potential customers in exchange for their contact information. As the name implies, it works like a magnet to attract leads. 🧲⚡

Depending on your business, your Lead Magnet could be a free ebook, a travel itinerary, a webinar, a template, and so on. Basically, any digital resource you think that your target audience may be interested in will work. But of course, it should be relevant to your product or service.

A person would usually provide their name, email address, and/or phone number to download your free resource. It creates a kind of win-win situation: They get a piece of valuable information they’re interested in, while you gain a new lead for your business.

But where exactly can you create & publish your Lead Magnet?

For many small business owners and salespeople, the challenge with Lead Magnets is having a quick way to create them and publish them online.

Some questions we get asked a lot are: Where should I host the Lead Magnet? How do I “lock” the Lead Magnet so that the user needs to enter their details before they can download it? Do I have to send the Lead Magnet to the lead myself, or can this be automated?

This is where a Lead Capture Tool comes in.

Read on for a free Lead Capture Tool that takes away all the complexities of setting up your very own Lead Magnet. Create yours within seconds.

Lead Magnet vs. Lead Capture Tool: What’s the difference?

A Lead Magnet refers to the free resource that you’re offering to potential customers, whereas a Lead Capture Tool is the system you use to collect the contact information of said customers.

Generally, you’ll need to use a special kind of form to “capture” the contact details of the leads who want to download your Lead Magnet. These forms record a lead’s contact details, while automatically giving them access to your Lead Magnet once they complete the form.

Fortunately, there are some free ones you can find online, including Privyr’s free Lead Capture Form.

How does a Lead Capture Form work?

First, you need to upload the free resource you prepared (usually a PDF document). Then, you’ll get a link to your Lead Magnet that you can share with anyone, anywhere – easy as that!

When someone clicks on your link, they’ll see a contact form they need to fill out first. Once they do, they can immediately view or download your Lead Magnet. No manual sending needed on your end.

With Privyr’s free Lead Capture Form, you won’t need to subscribe to a paid Lead Capture Form service nor maintain your own website to host multiple freebies.

Where can you share your Lead Magnet to get more leads?

Using Lead Magnets is a type of lead generation strategy that works both online and offline. Plus, you don’t necessarily need to spend more money to run Lead Generation Ads, such as Facebook Lead Ads.

Once you’ve set up your Lead Magnet with a Lead Capture Form, you’ll get a link. You can share this link on different platforms wherever your potential customers hang out, both online and offline. Here are 3 ways to distribute your link:

(1) Share your Lead Magnet on social media.

Whether you have Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or others, you can create regular posts and include the Lead Magnet link in the caption. People who pass through your social pages may find them and leave their contact for content they find interesting.

By providing this free source, you can easily turn organic social media traffic into actual leads you can follow up with.

(2) Share the Lead Magnet link in group chats and community channels.

You can also share your Lead Magnet link in community channels, forums, or group chats on WhatsApp or similar apps. Basically, this targets a specific demographic that you feel like would be very interested in the free information you’re providing.

For example, if you’re offering home renovation services, you can always share your Lead Magnet in the Facebook Groups of the neighbourhoods that you service.

But remember to always check the community rules first to make sure that you’re allowed to promote your business there!

(3) Convert your link into a QR code and share it on your printed materials.

Use a free QR code generator to turn your Lead Magnet link into a QR code. You can print this code onto your flyers, brochures, and any other printed materials you may distribute at roadshows or networking events.

This way, you can also start attracting people who you meet in real life as potential leads. Just think of all the flyers you’ve distributed before. Did you have a way to see whether people have read your flyer or looked up your social media pages from the flyer, and to follow up with them if they did?

With a Lead Magnet QR code printed on your flyer, you can generate leads offline based on people who tried to download your freebie. And you’ll know that they’re qualified leads.

But that is not to say that you only need to put your Lead Magnet out there and the leads will start rolling in. 🤑 You need to carefully plan your freebie to attract the right people, specifically those who are the most likely to buy your products or services.

Tips for creating a super attractive Lead Magnet

It should be so attractive that people won’t say no to giving you their contact details. An effective Lead Magnet, one that gets you a lot of leads, is one that targets a real problem faced by your potential customers.

As you’re trying to figure out what your Lead Magnet should be, consider your existing customers. What kind of problems did they face before they found you? Then, ask yourself what kind of resources they would have appreciated while they were dealing with those problems.

💡 Here’s an example for real estate agents. First-time homebuyers might feel completely overwhelmed by the complex process of buying their first property. In this case, you could offer them a free resource that helps them navigate that problem, such as an ebook on “everything you need to know before buying your first home“. You know that they will be very interested in downloading this content, and by following up with them, you could even be the agent who helps them buy their first property.

Here’s a list of the most important tips you need to know while planning and creating your Lead Magnet.

• Your Lead Magnet should solve a real problem that is relevant to your product or service. Start with a problem that you know most of your customers and ideal customers are experiencing.
• It must be very specific to your customer’s pain points. If your content is too general, you won’t be able to quickly reach those who truly need your products or services, because anyone and everyone would download your Lead Magnet. Example of content that’s too general: A free meal plan for all ages.
• It helps them solve a problem quickly with valuable information that only industry experts like you would know.
• It should be easy to read and digest in one sitting. If your Lead Magnet is a 50-page ebook, there may be a very low conversion rate because nobody has the time to read all of it.
• People should be able to download the Lead Magnet immediately. That’s why it’s important to use a Lead Capture Tool that supports this kind of automation.
• Always include a call-to-action. Ideally, the Lead Magnet should give people a first taste of what they would experience by buying your product or service. While you should follow up with them either way, encouraging them to contact you themselves will speed up your sales process.

“An effective lead magnet will meet your potential clients where they’re at, offer them a quick win, give them a taste of your style, and invite them to take some sort of action.” – Katie O’Brien

Lead Magnet examples for different industries

No idea what kind of freebies you can use to attract potential clients? Here are some examples of Lead Magnets for different sectors. Get inspiration here! 💡

1. Lead Magnets for real estate agents
2. Lead Magnets for coaches
3. Lead Magnets for travel agents
4. Lead Magnets for interior designers
5. Lead Magnets for product-based businesses

Lead Magnet ideas for real estate agents

1. E-brochure or floorplan for a specific property you’re selling. For example, you could create a digital brochure for a newly-launched condo you’re selling. Maybe you already have a PDF brochure or floorplan provided by the property developer – even better! You can share this Lead Magnet on your social media, or print the Lead Magnet QR code on your flyers. Whoever ends up seeing your post or flyer, you’ll have a way to record their contact information.
2. Market report for the neighbourhood where you are an area specialist. Connect with people who want to sell their property, and are researching the recent transactions in their specific neighbourhood (e.g. number of deals closed in the last 3 months, at what price).
3. “Ultimate checklist for first time homebuyers.” Prospective property buyers are usually interested in a summary of what they need to know about buying their first property. This Lead Magnet targets their concerns, while giving you the contact details of someone who likely wants to buy a property soon.

Lead Magnets for coaches

1. “Ultimate sales playbook to grow your online business.” Do you coach other businesses or marketers for a living? Topics like these should demonstrate your experience and expertise in your field, and possibly attract leads to want to work with you.
2. “7-day meal plan for muscle gain.” Are you a personal trainer, nutritionist, wellness coach? This type of Lead Magnet is going to put you in touch with people who are clearly trying to make a change in their health and lifestyle.
3. “Top 10 most common interview questions for tech roles at Google + how to ace them” The perfect Lead Magnet content idea for career coaches. You can go specific by mentioning the kind of companies and jobs your ideal clients would be applying for. Or you can bring up their current job level (e.g. Are associates or mid-level managers your ideal clients?)

Lead Magnets for travel agents or travel services

1. “7-day itinerary for Bangkok, Thailand [Budget <$500].” Go specific on the travel destination and budget for better appeal. You can even include a theme for the free itinerary – like is it a travel plan for foodies, shopping enthusiasts, or adventurers?
2. “Checklist: Applying for your tourist visa for X country.” Show them your expert understanding of the application process, and maybe even convince them to hire you to help them with it.
3. “Survival guide for long haul flights (6-12 hours).” A great opportunity for you to promote your packages or services to someone who is planning to travel.

Lead Magnet ideas for interior designers

1. “Budget planner: Home Makeover Edition.” This Lead Magnet will attract people you know who are trying to set a budget for sprucing up their home.
2. Discount code for your interior design service. Get the contact details of people who are already very interested in your services, and they might even have “stalked” your business page for a long time. But they just need a little nudge to take the first step.

Lead Magnets for product-based businesses

1. Limited-time discount code or menu of your products on promotion.
2. A catalogue of your products that shows more detailed information than what you’ve shared on social media. The catalogue could showcase more photos, specifications, and more.

“Effective lead magnets are tailored to the unique needs and interests of your target audience. They serve as compelling entry points into your sales funnel, offering valuable solutions and insights that establish trust and credibility. By understanding the specific pain points of your audience and delivering relevant and valuable content, you can attract and convert high-quality leads into loyal customers.” – Jacek Zmudzinski, Team Lead at MakoLab

How to create a free Lead Magnet for your business

• The first step to creating a Lead Magnet is to prepare a document of the resource you want to offer. If you don’t have one, use tools like Canva or Google Docs to create a simple document – and remember the tips we shared earlier.
• Next, set up your Lead Magnet with a Lead Capture tool so you can start automatically collecting your audience’s contact information. If your Lead Magnet is a PDF file, you can use Privyr’s free Lead Capture Form (no signup required). Get your Lead Magnet link within seconds by following 3 simple steps:
  1. Upload your PDF file.
  2. Enter your email address. This is where the Lead Capture Tool will send the contact information of new leads. (If you have a Privyr account, use the same email address here to automatically sync the leads to your Privyr app.)
  3. Click Generate Lead Capture Form.

You’ll get a link to your Lead Magnet, and you can start sharing it on all your online and offline platforms.

Pro-tip: If you have a Privyr account under the same email address, the leads you capture through this form are instantly and automatically imported to your Privyr app, on both mobile and web. From there, you can quickly send them an auto-personalised message within seconds, without ever manually saving the contact details or typing out a message.

How do I get sales from the leads I get from my Lead Magnet?

There are many ways to convert your leads into clients, but step one is always to reach out to them with an effective first message. However, we’ve seen many salespeople and business owners struggle with this first step, because they don’t get any replies when messaging new leads.Experiencing the same problem? Here’s a quick guide on how to message your new leads so they actually reply to you.