How to Create a Lead Magnet Funnel That Converts
If you’re looking to grow your email list and boost sales for your online courses, then you need to create a lead magnet funnel. With this type of funnel, you offer a lead magnet (like an ebook or mini-course) in exchange for someone’s email address. Once they opt-in, they’re added to your email list and can start receiving valuable content from you. Over time, you can promote and launch your paid courses. The lead magnet funnel is one of the most popular types of sales funnels because it’s so effective. But what many people don’t realize is that it’s also one of the easiest to set up.
Step 1: Choose Your Lead Magnet
The first step is to choose your lead magnet. This is possibly the most important step because your lead magnet will determine whether or not people opt-in to your funnel. It needs to be something that’s valuable and relevant to your audience.
For example, if you’re an online coach who helps people overcome their fears, your lead magnet could be an ebook on facing your fears head-on. Or if you have a membership site for dog owners, your lead magnet could be a mini-course on potty training puppies. You get the idea.
There are a few different types of lead magnets you can choose from, and the best one for you will depend on your audience and what they’re looking for. Here are some common lead magnet types:
Ebooks
Ebooks are a great option if you have a lot of expertise in a particular topic and you want to share that knowledge with your audience. They’re also relatively easy and quick to create, which makes them ideal if you’re just getting started with opt-in funnels. Just make sure that your ebook is well-written and super valuable so that people will actually want to read it!
Mini-Courses
Mini-courses are similar to ebooks in that they teach people how to do something or how to overcome a particular challenge. The main difference is that mini-courses are delivered in email format, which means they’re usually shorter and more digestible than ebooks. They’re also more interactive, which can make them even more valuable to your audience. However, they do take a bit more time and effort to put together than ebooks.
Cheatsheets/Checklists
Cheatsheets and checklists are great because they give people specific information they can use right away. For example, if you have a blog about healthy recipes, your lead magnet could be a cheatsheet with 10 healthy and easy weeknight dinners. Or if you have a blog about decluttering your home, your lead magnet could be a checklist of things to get rid of in each room of your house. These types of lead magnets are quick and easy to create, but they don’t tend to be as evergreen as ebooks or mini-courses.
Templates/Worksheets
Templates and worksheets are another great option if you want to provide something immediately useful to your audience. For example, if you’re a wedding planner, you could offer a wedding budget worksheet or a wedding timeline template. If you’re a business coach, you could offer a business plan template or marketing campaign worksheet. These types of lead magnets usually require some initial set-up time, but they can be used over and over again by different people, which makes them very valuable.
Now that you know the different types of lead magnets available, it’s time to choose the right one for your audience! Here are some factors to keep in mind as you choose yours:
1) Who is my target audience?
2) What challenges do they face?
3) What would be most helpful for them?
4) What can I create relatively easily and quickly?
5) What will remain evergreen (i.e., not become outdated quickly)?
6) What format would be most user-friendly for my target audience?
7) What other similar products or services are out there?
8) How can I make my product or service unique?
9) Is there anything else my target audience might be interested in?
10) How can I upsell my products or services later on down the road?
Asking yourself these questions will help you zero in on the perfect lead magnet for your opt-in funnel! If you take the time to choose something that’s valuable and relevant to your target audience, you’ll be well on your way to growing your email list and expanding your business!
Step 2: Create Your Landing Page
Once you’ve chosen your lead magnet, it’s time to create your landing page. This is the page where people will go to sign up for your lead magnet.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these elements:
The headline
The headline is perhaps the most important element on your entire landing page because it’s the first thing that visitors will see. Your headline should be clear and concise, and it should tell visitors exactly what they’re going to get by taking the desired action. For example, if you’re offering a free PDF guide on how to start a blog, then your headline might be something like “Download your free quickstart guide starting a blog.”
The description
Once someone has read your headline and decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer, they’re going to read the short description below the headline. This is where you need to provide more detail about what they’re going to get by taking the desired action. Remember: the goal here is not to sell them anything; it’s simply to get them interested enough so that they’ll enter their name and email address into the form on your landing page.
The form
The last element on your landing page should be a form for visitors to fill out with their name and email address. This is how you’ll collect leads who are interested in what you have to offer. Keep in mind that the less information you ask for, the more likely people will be to fill out the form. So only ask for the bare minimum—usually just their name and email address—and make sure that the form is easy to find and easy to fill out.
Design
In addition to having strong headlines, descriptions, and forms, your landing page also needs to be designed in a way that makes it easy for visitors to take action. The best way to do this is by using a tool like LeadPages or ClickFunnels, which will allow you to build beautiful landing pages without any coding knowledge.
Step 3: Set Up Your Email Automation Sequence
So, now that you have people opt-in to your funnel, it’s time to set up your email automation sequence. This is the sequence of emails that will be sent out automatically after someone opts-in. Your email sequence should accomplish two things: first, it should provide value and build trust with your audience; and second, it should slowly introduce them to your paid courses or products. Remember, the goal here is not to make a sale immediately—it’s to build relationships and lay the foundation for future sales down the road.
Now let’s take a look at how to set up your email automation sequence.
The First Email: Provide Value
The first email in your sequence should be all about providing value. This could be in the form of helpful tips, resources, or even just an entertaining story related to what you do. The goal here is twofold: first, you want to show your new subscribers that you’re somebody worth listening to; and second, you want to start building trust so that they’ll be more likely to buy from you in the future.
One thing to keep in mind with this first email is that it’s not about selling—not yet, at least. You’re just trying to show your new subscribers that you’re somebody worth listening to and that you can help them solve their problems. Once you’ve accomplished that, you can start thinking about making a sale further down the road.
The Second Email: Introduce Them to Your Courses or Products
In the second email of your sequence, it’s time to start slowly introducing your courses or products. Again, you don’t want to push too hard too fast—the goal is still just to build relationships and lay the foundation for sales down the road. So instead of giving them a hard sell, try taking a more subtle approach.
For example, if you sell online courses, you could mention how one of your courses has helped other people achieve their goals. Or if you have a membership site, you could talk about how much value members get from being part of your community. The key here is not to be too pushy—just give them a taste of what you offer so they can start getting excited about it.
The Third Email: Make an Irresistible Offer
By the third email in your sequence, it’s time to start making an offer that’s impossible for your subscribers to resist. This could be a discount on one of your courses or products, or it could be access to exclusive content that they can’t get anywhere else. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that will really make them sit up and take notice—something that will make them want to buy from you right now.
An effective email automation sequence has two main goals: first, providing value and building trust with new subscribers; and second, slowly introducing them to paid courses or products. By following these guidelines, you can lay the foundation for future sales while also forming strong relationships with your audience from the very beginning.
If you’re looking for an easy way to grow your email list and create customers for your business, the lead magnet funnel is definitely worth considering. With this type of funnel, you offer a lead magnet (like an ebook or mini-course) in exchange for someone’s email address. Once they opt-in, they’re added to your email list and can start receiving valuable content from you. Over time, you can start selling them on your paid courses. The key is to offer something of value that will entice people to sign up for your email list. So if you’re ready to take your business to the next level, consider using a lead magnet funnel!
