Lead magnets that work

My notes from 2017, when Siftware needed something to offer in exchange for an email address.

Kinds

Guide or report (careful with how specific). Cheat sheet: a one-pager, a mind map, a blueprint. Toolkit: a starter kit, templates, a resource list, a glossary of what they need to know. Video training (a high bar; it has to look professional). Free trial. Discount. Quiz or survey. Assessment. Checklist.

What makes one work

It doesn't need to be long or complicated. Long and complex will probably convert badly.

Solve a specific problem with a specific solution for a specific segment of your market.

• Delivers on one promise, and spells out what they'll get.
• Speaks to an end result they already want.
• Gives value within five minutes of signing up.
• High perceived value: just because it's free doesn't mean it should look free.
• High actual value.
• Easy to consume.

Ours

Our audience was two pairs: owners and managers of web applications, and the freelancers and agencies who build them. The one we drafted in 2015 was for the first pair: 10 tools to reduce outsourced web development risk and expense. Ten minutes with it, the opt-in promised, and you'd be on the way to fewer botched deployments, less troubleshooting and more freedom over hosting.

A lead magnet is only the start; don't spend a penny on ads until you can track them. It sits on a service-offering page.