7 Types of Free Lead Magnets with 30+ Examples

A free lead magnet is a free resource you create that attracts email subscribers. One great lead magnet can be a game changer for your business and help you quickly fill your online courses and offers.

How to Create Great Lead Magnets

Before we talk about the seven types of lead magnets, let’s talk about what makes a great lead magnet.

For your lead magnet to attract leads that are likely to become clients, your lead magnet needs to:

• Solve a problem for your audience. Make sure that your lead magnet speaks to a specific problem your specific audience is dealing with now.
• Be quick to consume. Make it instantly accessible and something they can consume quickly. 
• Be quick to apply. Make sure the implementation of your content is fast (or you risk losing your lead spending months trying to apply what you provided in your lead magnet).
• Position you as a leader. Be sure to highlight your method, system, or process for getting results. 

Lead to a new question. Leave your audience with a new awareness that cultivates curiosity about working with you.

 7 Types of Lead Magnets with 30+ Examples

Let’s look at seven types of lead magnets.

1) Cheat Sheet or Checklist Lead Magnet

A cheat sheet or checklist is a PDF resource that you can create for your audience that answers a specific question.

The advantage of this type of lead magnet is that it is quick to create and quick to consume. This means your leads can download it and move into quick action.

Examples of cheat sheet or checklist lead magnets:

• Implementation Checklist
• Technology Checklist (How to Optimize Your Lead Magnets Checklist) 
• Recommended Tools List
• Template
• Infographics (visual cheat sheet)
• Mindmap 

2) Worksheet Lead Magnets

A worksheet is a PDF resource designed to support a process, so well-designed worksheet will move your leads one step further toward achieving the results you can help them create in your programs.

Examples of worksheet lead magnets:

• Reflection Journal Exercise
• Swipe Copy (to write emails, social copy, etc.)
• Plan or Planner
• Printable (grocery lists, meal planners, etc.)
• Spreadsheet (budget, etc.)

3) Ebook (or Guide) Lead Magnet

An ebook or guide lead magnet is typically a deeper dive resource your audience can read. Use the “one sitting rule” and make it easy to consume in 10-15 minutes. 

For example, imagine you are a graphic designer and you want to help your clients create their own branding tools. You can create a branding style font guide to help them develop a consistent brand image.

Remember, it is important to keep this short and powerful. If your lead magnet takes weeks to consume, your leads will take weeks to move deeper into the work with you.

The key to developing an ebook that converts readers into clients is to zone in on a “point that converts”. It’s not the content that converts. It’s how you frame up the problem they need to solve and connect it to what you offer. 

If you want to see more about how to do this, our List Building E-Book Write-a-thon walks through how to write and promote the right ebook to grow your list.

Examples of ebook or guide lead magnets:

• Resource Directories (Launch Tools Quick Reference Guide) 
• Inspiration File (ideas and examples)
• Prompts (writing, marketing, etc.)
• Blueprint for implementation
• Report (state of the industry, tech tools review, wellness products, etc)
• Short E-book
• Sample chapter 
• Cliff Notes® on longer form content
• Roundup blog post (invite influencers to contribute around a topic)
• Prediction article (share what’s changing in your industry or niche)
• Manifesto (sharing your values around your expertise)

4) Video Lead Magnets

Video is a great low-investment lead magnet. You can film with your phone or computer and deliver an authentic experience of you sharing value. 

Video typically outperforms other posts on social media. This means you can reach more people and invest less to get in front of your audience. 

Examples of video lead magnets:

• Tutorials
• Screenshare 
• Case Studies
• Training Series (See topics for The Expert Called YOU show here)
• Interview Series
• Client Case Studies (Here’s an example of a client story here)

Quick tip: You can easily convert any video lead magnet into an audio lead magnet by stripping the audio from the video. This creates a podcast episode you can share. Here’s an example of an audiogram that I’ve shared on social media. This is a bit of the audio track from a full video episode.

5) Challenge Lead Magnets

You have likely seen challenges on social media. Maybe it was a “list building challenge” or “green juice challenge.”  Challenges can work well to grow your list positioned the right way. The structure of a challenge enables your audience to see, “Wow! I can really do this.” This is a great way to build confidence that they are ready to do the deeper work with you.

It is essential to make sure that you’re focusing on quick wins that are going to set your audience up to move directly into the course with you. A well-designed challenge builds confidence in moving forward.

Examples of challenge lead magnets:

• Email course focused on implementing mini-steps
• Facebook Group challenge
• Implementation challenge
• Accountability challenge

6) Quiz or Assessment Lead Magnets

Quizzes or assessments can work really well leading into your launch. Imagine that you have a tool that helps your audience assess their financial reality. Or, you create a quiz to help them identify the type of real estate they should invest in. 

So, when you develop your quiz or assessment, make sure it’s a connection point between where your audience is now and where they want to be. The quiz can animate your ability to help them bridge that gap. 

Examples of quiz or assessment lead magnets:

• Calculator Tools (Financial planning tools, ROI calculators, etc.)
• Personality Assessments
• “What kind of x are you?” Assessment
• Surveys (you could promise to send the results once they are complete)

7) Webinar Lead Magnets

This is the winner when it comes to generating leads and converting them in one move. You can lead a webinar as your only lead magnet and you can fill your online courses and offers.

When I first started my online course business, I had zero lead magnets. I started by designing one well-constructed webinar. My online course revenue grew to multiple six figures with just one webinar. I now have many webinars that lead into different programs. I started with a webinar and then later added other lead magnets that drive traffic into the webinar.

Summary: Getting Started Creating Your Lead Magnets 

These are seven different types of lead magnets that you can use to grow your list. Think of your lead magnets as attractors that bring in you perfect people.

Start here: identify one question that your ideal clients have that you can answer. Create a lead magnet to answer that question. It’s easier when you think of lead magnets as your conversation starter instead of a sales tool. 

Which question can you help your people answer? Would love to hear from you.