How To Create a Lead Magnet in 4 Easy Steps

by Regina Lewis

Maybe you recently met with a publisher to discuss your book proposal, and you came away from your meeting with the advice to focus on building your mailing list. Or maybe you’ve just heard over and over how important it is to have an email community that is all yours unlike Facebook or Instagram, but you aren’t sure how to actually grow that email list. One very effective way to grow your email list is to create and distribute a lead magnet that your readers will love and use.

But first — What is a lead magnet?

Commonly referred to as a “freebie” or “resource,” a lead magnet is a useful piece of content that you provide in exchange for your reader’s email address. The great thing is that once a reader signs up for the resource or freebie, you then have the opportunity to connect with them via email to share additional content in the future.

Is it hard to create a lead magnet? Only if you want it to be. Below are four easy steps to create a lead magnet for your audience.

1. Decide who your lead magnet will attract and what problem it will solve. Before creating your freebie, decide who needs your resource. Make your lead magnet supertargeted to your ideal reader and solve their unique problem. Let’s say your target audience is moms of first-time college students (like me!). This audience may enjoy and need encouraging Scripture to guide them through a changing season. Sharing Truth with this specific audience solves mom’s problem of feeling anxious about her child leaving home for the first time.
2. Decide on the type of lead magnet you will offer. Lead magnets come in many shapes and forms: printable, audio content, video, blog post. Whatever method you choose to share your lead magnet, make sure it is easy for your audience to access and consume. 
3. Create your lead magnet. Now comes the fun part — creating the lead magnet! Using the original example of moms of first-time college students, gather Scripture that points your ideal reader to Truth about anxiety and create a downloadable document they can print and carry with them. Lead magnets can be created using a variety of online tools, like word processing and graphic design programs. If your audience likes audio or video content, a simple recording app on your smartphone will do the trick.
4. Distribute your lead magnet. You have created a downloadable document for your anxious mom. One way to send it to her email is to upload it on your website (don’t forget to add a subscribe button that captures the email first!). Once she provides her email, the lead magnet is automatically delivered to her inbox. No website? Choose an email marketing platform like Mad Mimi, Flodesk or Mailchimp, create a simple landing page for your lead magnet, and share the link with your social media followers. The key is to make it easy for a mom to grab and consume your content, so keep the sign-up process simple. 

That’s it! As your writing ministry grows, you will learn more about the needs of your audience and create more content that solves their specific challenges. Always remember who your lead magnet is meant to help, and offer assistance through your valuable resource. If you keep those two things in mind, your email list will soon be filled with loyal followers.

Blessings,

Regina Lewis

What types of lead magnets do you prefer — downloads, audio, video or something else? Share your lead magnet preference in the comments below!

Regina Lewis

Recommended Posts

Ever wanted to write for Proverbs 31 Ministries? Here’s how…

April 18, 2024

When Writing Feels Like a Nightmare

April 16, 2024

How To Write a Strong Introduction

April 9, 2024