How do you grow an email list? Well, a lead magnet is one answer.
An email list is one of the most powerful and valuable assets of your business. But growing a list can be a big challenge for some companies.
Many people think they need a large list to be successful with email marketing. But that’s not true. A business needs a list that wants to receive their email and subscribers that take action on the emails they’re sent.
What is a lead magnet?
Lead magnets, also known as content upgrades and opt-in offers, are free resources that provide a unique value to your website visitors in exchange for their email address.
The keyword here is valuable. The more the lead magnet solves a problem for your target audience, the more willing they will be to give up their email address to get your offer.
A lead magnet can be an ebook, a white paper, a checklist, a template, a training series delivered via email, or anything else your target market will find valuable. It’s also important that your lead magnet delivers on the promises that interested the subscriber in the first place.
Why You Need a Lead Magnet to Grow Your Email List
Building your email list is crucial to the growth of your business. Well deployed lead magnets are a surefire way to grow an email list with qualified subscribers.
With your lead magnet, your brand demonstrates your expertise and skill to provide solutions for customer’s pain points.
They’re one of the best ways to grow an email list. By signing up for your lead magnet, people are raising their hands, telling you they’re interested, and giving you the OK to market to them.
Have I convinced you to use lead magnets to grow your email list? Here are some great lead magnet ideas.
Lead Magnets to Grow Your Email List
Videos
Video content drives more organic search results than written content. It’s easily digestible content that draws visitors and grows your email list.
Using a current blog post, create a video that goes into in-depth detail about the topic. Not everyone wants to read. Some people want to hear and watch your content.
Add subtitles to your video. Many times people don’t turn the sound on with a video, so subtitles are needed to communicate your message.
Add an email subscription form to the blog post or link to the subscription form on social media and offer the advanced instructional video as your lead magnet.
The good thing about video is the people get an instant connection with you. They get a feeling for you and get to know you because they’re watching and listening to you. With the immediate intimacy, the trust will come fast and easy, and sales will follow.
Be sure to target your ideal client or customer, and you’ll see results in no time.
Ebooks
Create an eBook that provides valuable education about your topic or industry and captures the attention of the reader. Make sure it answers questions your customers regularly ask about your subject and can only be solved by downloading the eBook. Use an eBook format that’s easy to read and understand, even on a mobile device.
Venngage offers a free eBook creator.
Discounts
Discounts are a very popular way to grow your list. How often have you signed up for a retailer’s email list just to receive the coupon or discount? I know I subscribe for discounts.
Offering discounts provide your customers with the opportunity to save money, especially when they’re getting a good deal. And who doesn’t like to save money?
Something to think about; Will you extend the discount to people who have already subscribed to your list? This may be a way to keep current clients happy and attract new leads also.
Everyone loves a good deal, and when you offer mouthwatering discounts, you’re more likely to attract new clients and keep the old ones.
Courses delivered via email
Free courses are exceptional for growing your email list. They can be a video course, an audio excerpt, or an email course. Using an email course is one of the best ways to grow your email list and get those individuals engaging with your brand.
Start with an e-learning course broken into small chunks (emails) sent out to your subscribers over time. By teaching, you’ll show your subject expertise and provide value on a consistent basis.
Add a simple quiz or ask questions and increase subscriber engagement. Courses allow you to build long-lasting relationships with your subscribers even after it’s over if you answer questions and coach subscribers through the course.
Bonus features
Try offering a bonus pack that gives your readers learning-based rewards. For example, after creating a blog post, provide an exclusive checklist, PDF, or video via your subscription form that offers even more information on the subject matter.
These bonus features offer an incentive that tells your readers their interests are important to you.
You’ll be able to segment your list by subscriber interest and offer. Then send only the information your readers are interested in. You’ll have a better open rate and more engaged readers.
Cheat sheets and check lists
A cheat sheet provides a shortcut or a checklist to solve a problem. They save people time and give a step by step process to solve the issue they’re facing at the moment.
Since the aim is to provide a quick and easy solution, make them straight to the point and easy to understand.
When people know they can always get solutions to problems in your area of expertise, they’re more likely to subscribe to your email newsletters.
Webinars
Live webinars are a great way to build your email list. People get to know you by learning from you, and when they know you, they’ll trust you.
You provide expert information or collaborate with professionals in your field to give your subscribers quality content that compels visitors (both yours and theirs) to engage with your brand.
Live webinars are built on urgency because there is an actual date they happen. So they’re very likely to compel visitors into signing up since time is always of the essence.
Sample chapters
If you’re an author, you may want to give away a sample chapter. Especially when you have a book or course to sell.
The trick is to offer one of your best chapters as the sample chapter. When people read the sample chapter, they’ll be compelled to purchase the entire book or course.
How to use a Lead Magnet
Add a subscription form promoting your lead magnet on your website and ask people to sign up for your emails. Your subscription form will automatically add your subscribers to your email list.
Make sure you provide the lead magnet immediately after someone subscribes. There’s nothing worse than signing up for something you really want, and it never gets delivered or delivered days later.
If you’re doing Facebook Ads to promote your lead magnet, send people to a branded landing page specifically for your lead magnet and ask people to subscribe for your email list in exchange for your download or course.
Now Welcome emails and drip/nurture campaigns will come into play.
By following your lead magnet with several emails sent over time, you can educate your subscribers on your topic and give them the information they may not know they need and answer questions they may not know to ask.
It’s said that people need at least 7 “touches” before they buy. Use a drip campaign after your lead magnet to fulfill those “touches” and get people primed to by your products and services.
Welcome emails and drip campaigns are subject for my next article in March or join me on the Mailchimp User Facebook page for my Facebook Live class on Welcome emails on January 24th at 9:30 am Pacific time.
Takeaway
Lead magnets are a terrific way to grow your email list. With a lead magnet that educates and informs your target market, you’ll be on the path to building an email list that will elevate your business in no time.
Lead magnets give you a low key way to show off your expertise and personality. And provide the readers with a chance to get to know you before they buy.
All you need to do is to apply these lead magnet techniques correctly. Make sure to direct your efforts toward your desired target market, or your efforts will be in vain.
Now that you understand what a lead magnet is, it’s time for you to build one and use it to grow your email list.
Need more of my help? Read my post on Email Marketing 101?