Attracting leads is an essential part of building your coaching or consultancy business, but it can be a struggle figuring out how to grow that mailing list. These ten lead magnet ideas should help get you going.
As an entrepreneur offering valuable services, you have many opportunities to provide free resources at little or no cost to you that will encourage leads to share their contact information and express their interest in your business.
Without further ado, here are our ten lead magnet ideas that are easy to create and effective!
Let’s get started!
#10: A Webinar
Webinars are great because they have that “you don’t want to miss it” appeal. If you schedule a webinar on a particular topic, viewers know that they won’t get another chance to see it, which can really pique their curiosity.
The downside to a webinar is that it can be time consuming. As a one-time-only event, you have to do prep work and schedule hours for you to host the discussion, and you’ll probably want to market the event pretty regularly in the days leading up to it.
#9: An Amazing Secret
There’s just something about a tantalizing secret that is irresistible. Now, we all know that “This One Neat Secret” posts are a bit of a cliché online, but when you go to the effort of writing a quality blog post and gaining your audience’s trust, offering a tip, trick, or secret in a download or email at the end can really get you the attention you deserve.
Behind-the-scenes insights are intriguing, but you must make sure that your tips or secrets live up to the hype. What’s more, your Call to Action should appear on some high-quality content: if your content isn’t captivating, promises of a secret will just fall flat.
#8: A Checklist
Checklists do wonders for coaches and consultants, because they show how your knowledge can be put into practice, and let viewers get a simple taste of your services. If you’re advertising a new service or just wrote an instructional blog post, create a free checklist for viewers to put some simple advice into practice.
Always be clear about the purpose of your checklist, and make sure that you keep it short, sweet, and simple. Build practical steps which can give readers a sense of achievement, while promising more if they reach out.
Looking for an example? Check out my own Book Writing Checklist.
#7: A Workbook
Including elements of a checklist and a template, the workbook is a do-it-yourself resource to help brainstorm new ideas, start new projects, and apply simple principles taught by your business. The workbook is all about learning through action, providing simple steps that the viewer can complete with the workbook itself.
Workbooks don’t always fit every business model, but they’re especially good for marketers, management consultants, and writers.
Some great themes for workbooks include creating effective blog posts, planning a marketing campaign, or drafting a new website.
#6: A Self-Assessment
Sometimes your viewers might be on the edge about contacting you, they might be thinking “this could be great, but maybe I don’t need it…” Well, the self-assessment is the perfect tool to help them make the right decision.
Unlike a checklist or workbook, the self-assessment is not about pursuing a project or accomplishing a goal. Instead, the self-assessment helps the viewer determine where they are in terms of their goals and whether they might need some help.
Self-assessments can be fantastic resources on anything from personal fitness to business management, but they should always use objective criteria that viewers can comprehend. Don’t go wild with technical lingo or insider knowledge, otherwise your readers won’t understand what they’re looking for.
A simple and unbiased assessment will always work better than a complicated one, and more often than not your viewers will realize they need more help than they realized!
#5: Templates
Less involved than assessments or workbooks, templates let you show off your knowledge and capability while inviting the viewer to get involved. A great template says, “I can use my skills to help you fulfill your vision.”
Templates are ideal for business, marketing, and visual design consultants. If you have a little bit of technical know-how, you can also consider making interactive drag-and-drop templates or resources integrated with free design websites like Canva.
Since templates are visual resources, you should always double-check that your downloads are properly formatted for digital viewing and printing.
#4: A Mini-Course
Developing a new course can be an intensive project, requiring up to a hundred hours of work curating a syllabus, preparing for lessons, making resources, and you need to have an interested audience who will sign up for your course for all that work to pay off.
Free mini-courses allow you to develop your resources and practice your teaching while simultaneously developing your audience. Not only do you get to interact with your leads and show off your knowledge, but you also get to build tools and lessons that can provide a springboard into a full course!
Like webinars, the main limitation of mini-courses is that they require your presence, and they still take more prep than a downloadable PDF. Make sure you keep your mini-course short (no more than an hour or so).
If a particular course turns out to be very popular, consider hosting it regularly: monthly, bi-weekly, or even weekly! With regular course dates, you won’t have to worry about losing audience members because of scheduling issues.
#3: A Resource Guide
Share the love! As a professional, you know all the best resources in your field—the websites, books, newsletters, and blogs with the useful tips, advice, and tools that your clients need.
A resources guide compiles accessible resources—videos, articles, essays, and more—that your viewers can use to learn more about a topic, or to accomplish their goals. Quality resource guides show that you are knowledgeable, trustworthy, and collaborative.
When possible, share resources that can be accessed for free and without another sign-on form (viewers can get tired of those). It’s also important to feature another CTA on your guide encouraging them to reach out with any questions to bring them back to your business.
#2: A Free Consultation
A classic lead magnet idea for coaches and consultants, and for good reason! Free consultations give you the opportunity to talk with your lead, uncover their needs, and go over your services. No downloads, no courses, just face-to-face (or voice-to-voice) conversation.
The pros of consultations are also their cons: viewers may feel uncomfortable or unsure about scheduling a call with someone they don’t know (who’s likely to pitch them something). People like to have a clear question or topic to discuss before they schedule a call.
Adding a conversation/topics guide to your landing page, as well as a fillable form asking, “what are you curious about?” can help viewers feel more confident scheduling a call and save you time while talking. Consultations also make a great “step 2” in your pipeline which can be added as a Call to Action on your other resources and on your mailing list.
#1: A Short eBook
If you’ve been writing multiple blog posts on a single subject, consider compiling them together into an eBook. Scrolling through blogs and clicking through hyperlinks can feel time consuming, and it steals attention away from the content.
By collecting your writing into an eBook, linked at the bottom of each individual blog post, you can save your readers time and provide a convenient, free resource which they can read on their own time.
If you have the time to spare, you can also add a new introduction, a flashy cover, and even some illustrations. You can also add your business’s email address, social media handles, and recommendations for further steps and resources.
Lead Magnet Ideas for Coaches and Consultants: Conclusion
With these lead magnets in your toolbox, you’ll be scheduling appointments and picking up clients in no time!
Remember that an effective lead magnet should always feature:
- A Call to Action (CTA): The link that leads to your free resource, usually available at the beginning and/or end of your blog post, article, or email.
- A Landing Page: The webpage where visitors can provide their name, email, and other information in order to access the resource or offer.
- A Download Page: A webpage with the resource on offer, with a simple “Thank You” message, confirming they can now download, read, or view it.
- An Automatic Email: An automated email built around the resource on offer that starts a conversation, asking them what they think, if they’re satisfied, and if they need any of your services.
Are there any resources or strategies that we missed? What lead magnets work best for your business? Let us know via email or reach out on social media!