Yesterday,I talked about the 7 criteria for an effective lead magnet. If you missed that issue, you can view it right here.

But, let’s actually apply these things and come up with some lead magnet ideas. Hopefully by doing this, you can come up with some really effective lead magnet ideas for your own site. That’s the idea. 🙂

First, realize that I am not an expert in all niches. Obviously. 🙂 I can speak all day about good lead magnets for the market I am in, but not so well for others. I can, though, speculate. So, I’m going to give some ideas  here, but don’t view it as gospel. I’m just spit-balling. 🙂

OK…

First, let’s take an example right from my own site. My audience wants to build their list. A big ebook on how to build your email list violates our 7 criteria. It isn’t easily consumable, it isn’t specific, it is too big. But, I want to give people a shortcut. Behold…

Yes, you can download this right here.

It might seem like a listicle from it’s title. But, it isn’t. I know that the biggest barrier for people building their list is the creation of their lead magnet. So, this lead magnet is meant to give an immediate solution to that problem.

Alright, let’s talk about some niches other than mine.

Fitness Niche

Most common in the fitness niche are workout plans. Or meal plans. These totally work and is to be expected. But, let’s not forget our criteria. Namely…

• Make it really specific
• Immediate gratification
• Easily consumed
• Promising one thing

So, don’t give 10 workouts. Give one. And the workout needs to be aimed at a specific aim that they want.

We also want to lead them down a pathway of belief. In the fitness niche, there’s a lot of apathy. A lot of people who started workouts and gave up. You have to bust through that in that niche. So, I would probably come up with something which specifically shows a solution is possible DESPITE some big barrier they feel.

Like… “This simple workout plan helped me lose 9 pounds in X Days… And I didn’t have to stop eating pizza!”

I dunno. Like I said, I’m spitballing here. 🙂 The fitness market is quite competitive, so this is one space where you really need to put some thought into your lead magnets and how they will stand out in a sea of workout plans and diet plans.

Personal Development Niche

I’ve talked alot about this niche because I do tend to get a lot of personal development bloggers coming here to the Academy. The biggest problem with most bloggers in this niche is that they are so sorely NON-specific about damn near everything. They break almost every rule for a lead magnet.

So, first off, I would completely re-define your market. “Personal development” is too vague. Instead, reframe it around something more specific. Something more concrete. I had a member once who began to reframe into overcoming fear of public speaking. That’s a good example.

Aside from just reframing into a more specific market, you can still find specific ways to do a lead magnet. One idea (again, just spit-balling here) is a highly specific exercise you create to have them fully envision their ideal scene or ideal day. Give them a checklist to think it through with different perceptics (what do they see? where are they? what are they doing? etc.). Give them specific instructions. Then, perhaps a feedback mechanism (like they email it to you for accountability).

See, this kind of lead magnet gives them something specific to do. It hand-holds them. And you’re getting them to envision the end of their transformation in more specific ways. Then, you should have a backend for them when they respond to you. 🙂

The Dating Niche

Pickup lines. Specific idea (with aids to execute) for some romantic evening.

I dunno. Just make it specific. Don’t make me try to get all creative for this one. 😉

Fashion Niche

Give them specific style combinations, or shopping lists. I would think one of the biggest problems for this niche is the confusion while they’re at the store, wondering what’s cool, how things go together.

So, remove the pain. Give them a tool they can print and take to the store with them.

Health/Nutrition Niche

Everybody does recipes. Let’s move it up a notch to stand out. Why not create some kind of branded reference thing they can put on their fridge? Perhaps a list of good foods to eat and ones to avoid. A list of guidelines. Format it to be “fridge ready” and give them specific instructions.

Could also create shopping lists, but specifically formatted to be easy to fit into your wallet. Or, perhaps a way to easily have it on the smartphone while at the store.

See, you’re increasing value by making it highly applicable to their actual lives. Everybody is sending out PDF recipe plans and it’s freakin’ boring.

High Perceived Value Lead Magnets

Do NOT confuse high value with size. You are not winning anybody over by giving them a huge pile of crap in exchange for their email.

Perceived value will be found to the degree to which you are going to solve an immediate need for them quickly and easily. In terms of lead magnets, you’ll often find this with:

• Checklists
• Swipe files (contains the promise they can just swipe it and go)
• Templates (massive shortcut)
• How to (but make it really specific)
• Scripts
• Free tests, quizzes, etc.

………………

Alright, make sense? It is a matter of thinking about those 7 criteria.. along with what your target subscriber really wants.

Brainstorm this. Come up with a killer lead magnet idea. And let me know what it is. 🙂 Would love to see what you come up with.

Oh… one last fun one. Just for giggles.

Politics. Tough niche. I certainly wouldn’t go there. But, if you were running some kind political blog, what could you give away to build your list?

In politics, everybody has this desire to be right. To win the argument and tell off the other side. Hey, it’s stupid, but that’s politics. So, a lead magnet could give them an organized list of talking points and comebacks, with links to prove the point, would be pretty awesome. It is like a cheat sheet to winning political debates.

That thing would convert, let me tell ya! 😉

– David