What is a Lead Magnet Funnel? (5 Examples in 2024)

In the age of digital marketing, a successful lead magnet funnel is a sure way to expand a brand’s existing audience, build trust by offering value, and develop customer loyalty and relationships. Although there are many different ways to implement a lead magnet funnel, it’s important to choose the one that’s right for your business or community. Our guide will walk you through how.

What is a Lead Magnet?

A lead magnet is a product or service offered by a brand with the intention of acquiring a potential customer’s details, such as their name, email address, and/or phone number. Lead magnets are often used to add customers to an email list so the brand can send them tailored marketing that will provide additional value, build trust, or convince them to purchase.

Brands can take advantage of hundreds of different lead magnets, depending on their niche. Most of them come in the form of digital products that companies can make once and reuse over and over again. Here are just a few examples:

• eBook – As one of the most popular lead magnet ideas, eBooks offer essential information your audience needs, providing value they cannot access anywhere else.

• Webinar – If your company is community or learning-based, whether in business, SEO, writing, or something else, a webinar is a great lead magnet idea. Film a high-quality, informational video and send your audience the link via email. This could serve as a taster for other services you offer, enticing potential customers to purchase.
  
• Template – Digital templates are quick to make, easy to use, and provide lots of value. Social media managers may offer free weekly or monthly calendars to help their audience harness the basics of social media marketing.
  
• Free trial – If you offer a platform or a service, a free trial will give your audience a taste of your service and ensure they end up on your email list.
  
• Free Consultation – Offering therapy, advice, or marketing? Free consultations are a fantastic way to go. From there, let customers know of all the great benefits they can receive by purchasing with you.

What is a Funnel?

When used in marketing, a funnel is a clear, concise, and effective way to map your customer’s journey, helping you identify points where they might engage with your products or make a purchase. 

The marketing funnel maps customers from the “awareness” stage, where they are just discovering the brand, all the way to “loyalty.” The goal is to keep the customer in the funnel as long as possible, inspiring trust and brand loyalty at every stage.

There are five stages of the marketing funnel:

• Awareness
• Consideration
• Conversion
• Loyalty
• Advocacy

By harnessing each stage, companies and brands can turn those unfamiliar with their products or communities into lifelong advocates.

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What is a Lead Magnet Funnel?

A lead magnet funnel (also known as a lead generation funnel) is designed to convince potential customers to hand over their contact details, thus turning into “leads.” Russell Brunson popularized the idea of the lead magnet funnel, having co-founded the software company ClickFunnels. He’s built a following of over a million entrepreneurs who use his strategies to catapult their businesses to success. This is proof that the lead magnet works when used correctly.

Once customers sign up for your free trial or eBook, they enter the lead magnet funnel and begin their journey. From there, you can upsell your other products. If you have a successful lead magnet funnel in place, leads should be happy with the value you’ve provided them but left wanting more.

Lead magnet funnels are essential not only for converting prospects into customers but also for increasing CLV (customer lifetime value). By integrating potential customers into your email list or community, you can continue providing them with value in the form of articles, tips, eBooks, video content, or whatever else suits your brand. This will encourage additional purchases and inspire brand loyalty, making them feel like part of a community.

Lead Magnet Funnel Examples

Although lead magnets are effective, choosing the right one is imperative to helping your business grow and thrive. Here are a few examples of successful lead magnets you can implement into your own funnel.

Lead Magnet Funnel Example For a Product-Based Business

1. Online Course

Although an online course may feel like a big offering, you can tailor content to suit you. Filming a one-off course is a great way to show your audience that you’re dedicated to providing value for them. You get to choose the course length – whether it’s three videos or six. 

2. eBook

An eBook is a fantastic way to provide value and draw in the right audience. Create an eBook on any topic that links to your niche. For example, if your company sells knitting supplies, an eBook that features basic patterns is a great idea. Once your leads have mastered those, they’ll be on the hunt for better, more technical patterns, which you can provide further down the funnel.

3. Checklists & Planners 

Checklists, planners, and calendars are fantastic lead magnets, as you can use an existing template and personalize it for your niche. For example, a grocery checklist would be a great lead magnet idea for an organic food company.

Lead Magnet Funnel Example For a Coaching Business

Although there are many lead magnet funnel examples you could adopt for a group coaching business, you need something that will convert. Here are a few examples:

1. Quizz

Quizzes are great lead magnet options for coaching businesses because they resonate with topics that your audience is interested in. For example, if you’re a wellness and mindful coach, your quiz could be centered on mental health and anxiety. At the end of the quiz, ask them to input their information so you can send them the results. This is a quick, easy, and successful way to build your email list.

2. Challenges

From walking and step challenges to fitness challenges, these are a fantastic way to draw in your audience. For example, you might challenge people to complete 10,000 steps daily or drink a certain amount of water. Wellness challenges could include writing in a gratitude journal for a month or practicing daily affirmations. Whatever your coaching niche, a challenge will inspire potential clients. Ask participants to sign up with their email address to receive the information they need. From then, you can keep providing value.

3. Consultations

Whether you offer tailored fitness plans, mental health advice, business advice, or something else, a free consultation is another great way to provide value and draw new customers in. With a consultation, you can draw attention to specific benefits of your company and highlight areas in your client’s life where they would benefit from your coaching services. 

A free consultation puts the power in your client’s hands while also educating them about your company. Not only do you have their contact details, but you also have an opportunity to sell your business right from the get-go.

How to Create a Lead Magnet Funnel

1. Identifying Your Audience and Their Needs

Before you come up with a lead magnet, it’s important to have a good understanding of who your audience is. This way, you can design a lead magnet that they’ll resonate with. To understand your audience, you need to research them and discover their pain points (the emotions that make them want to purchase your product.) Some methods of research include:

• Social media platforms – Deep diving into the comments of social media of competitors is a great way to identify your audience and their pain points. If your company sells water bottles, search for similar products and check out who’s engaging with them. For example, airup, a scent-based drinking system, has an Instagram page filled with comments from young women in their 20s – 30s. If you have a similar-type product, this is a good place to start.
  
• Analytics tools – Tools such as Google Analytics will tell you who’s visiting your website. Check out their age range, gender, and even their time zone. Social media apps have similar tools, especially for creator or business accounts. Take advantage of them to get a well-rounded picture of your audience.
  
• Keep an eye on your competitors – Research similar companies. What type of audience do they bring in? What marketing strategies do they use? For example, a quick look at GymShark will show you they appeal to active men and women in their 20s – 40s. If you’re also bringing out a gym clothing line, you need to appeal to this type of audience.
  
• Analyze your existing customer base – If you already have existing customers, start from there. Take note of who’s purchasing your products, including their age, gender, and anything else relevant to your product.

• Surveys and market research – Encourage your existing customers to answer surveys. Ask them about themselves (such as their age, job, date of birth) but also ask them why they chose to purchase your product, or what else they’d like to see. This will help you create a realistic view of your audience.

2. Outlining Your Products/Services

Create an exhaustive list of all the products and services your business currently offers and split them into different categories based on their value and price points. For example, if you offer a wedding planning service, separate the different packages you offer, such as consultations, catering, invitations, venue planning, and more. 

You need a range of different offerings that will cater to different stages of the customer journey. A customer may not be prepared to jump straight into purchasing an entire service, but they may be more inclined to dip their toe into smaller packages and deals until they trust you fully.

3. Structure Your Lead Magnet

Once you’ve got a good grasp of your audience and you’ve outlined your products or services, it’s time to structure your lead magnet. Here are a few tips for deciding on an effective and engaging lead magnet:

• Resonate with your audience – Choose a product that your audience will resonate with. For example, although they’re both part of the fitness niche, a weight-lifting guide might not resonate with an audience that predominantly partakes in yoga.
• Solve a problem – For example, if you sell products to calm pets, a good lead magnet would be a guide aimed at reducing anxiety in dogs. This will help solve their problem, building trust in your brand.
• Highlight the benefits – Make sure your audience knows why your lead magnet will help them. For example, a digital planner is good for organization and prioritization. Sell your lead magnet like you would a paid product.
• Be clear what it is – If you’re offering an eBook, PDF, or another type of informational guide, make sure your lead knows exactly what they’re getting. Unclear messaging might put them off.
• Make it good – A poorly designed eBook with spelling errors will make your audience less likely to trust you. This goes for other products, too, including glitchy and low-quality video content or a planner with incorrect dates. The goal is also to build trust by ensuring you’re providing value.
• Include a strong call to action – Make sure your audience knows how to access your content, whether signing up for your newsletter or joining your online community.

4. Create a Landing Page

An effective landing page needs to appeal to your audience and increase conversions. It should be clear, simple, and highlight all your benefits.

[Source: BlueApron landing page.]

Elements of an Effective Landing Page

Here are some key components that make up a good landing page:

• Heading – Include a heading that immediately tells your customer what your product is about.
  
• Subheadings – Use sub-headings to draw attention to the most important aspects of your products or services. From features to reviews, capture your customers’ attention.
  
• Benefits – Use descriptions to highlight the benefits of your product and show customers how it might solve a problem.
  
• Visuals – Advertise your products and services through compelling and clear visuals. Grainy, low-quality images where your products aren’t visible will make customers suspicious and lower trust.
  
• Calls to Action – Have clear call-to-action buttons on your landing page to encourage potential customers to click. Some examples include “Try Now,” “Try Our Free Trial”, and “Try For Free.” Pick the ones that resonate the most with your brand.

Tools and Platforms

Creating an effective landing page doesn’t have to be a chore, thanks to the range of tools and platforms available. Some popular tools for building landing pages include SquareSpace, ConvertKit, Kajabi, and Zapier. Teach.io also lets you build landing pages on their platform so you can convert the right prospects into customers.

Optimization for Conversation

Once you’ve created your landing page, optimize it to ensure it appeals to your customers. Conduct A/B tests with specific elements such as call-to-action buttons, images, colors, copy, and headings. This will help you develop a clearer understanding of what potential customers resonate with. In the end, you’ll be left with a strong landing page that converts effectively.

5. Driving Traffic to the Landing Page

SEO Strategies

SEO is important for getting eyes on your website and directing customers to your lead magnet. Here are a few things you can do to help master SEO.

• Keyword Optimization – The higher you rank when someone searches for a keyword related to your product or company, the more organic traffic you’ll acquire. Research which keywords your customer base is searching for and which will help you generate more organic traffic.
  
• Backlinks – This refers to websites with links directing to your landing page. Websites with a higher number of backlinks will have much more organic traffic than those that don’t. If relevant sites link back to yours, this will show search engines you can be trusted.
  
• Shorten your URLS – Ensure your pages, especially your landing page, have short, keyword-specific URLs.
  
• Check out your competitors – Use an SEO competitor analysis tool (such as Semrush of Ahrefs) to see what your competitors are doing. Look for which web pages are ranking, which keywords they’re using, and the amount of traffic they’re pulling in. This will help you adopt more of a well-rounded strategy for your own business.

Paid Advertising

 Paid advertising can direct traffic to your landing page and your lead magnet. Try PPC advertising, retargeting, and social media ads. Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube offer ways to market your business and push potential leads to your website.

Social Media and Content Marketing

Social media is a great way to share content and increase visibility. By sharing valuable content such as tips, tricks, articles, user-generated content, or even information about your brand, you can attract your target audience. This will help you build up a community on Instagram, X, Facebook, or anywhere else you post. From there, advertise your lead magnet and direct organic traffic to your landing page.

6. Testing and Refining Your Lead Magnet Funnel

Once you’re successfully driving traffic to your landing page, you can start testing your lead magnet to see what resonates the most with your audience. Consistent testing will help you optimize your lead magnet and increase conversions. Test different aspects of your lead magnet, such as colors, content, and length, to see which your audience prefers.

For example, you could test two eBooks with different topics or a five-minute video vs a fifteen-minute video. If your lead magnet is a calendar or organizer, test colors and formatting to see what resonates the most. 

7. Scaling Your Business with Your Lead Magnet Funnel

Implementing a well-thought-out lead magnet can set your business soaring. Once you have a good lead magnet, ask for feedback on the product or service. For example, if you offer a free consultation, ask your clients about their experience. If their feedback is positive, include quotes on your website. Over time, you will generate more testimonials and customer success stories, which will help you build trust in new leads. When your customers trust you enough and are happy with the value you have already provided, they are more likely to buy your other products.

From then on, you can expand your lead magnet funnel. Once customers have joined your email list or are part of your community, you can offer deals further down the line on additional products or services. For example, if your lead magnet is a free SEO webinar, offer paid videos. Offering subscription services at discounted prices will also help you expand your funnel, keep your audience engaged, and turn them into customers for life.

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Conclusion

If you want your business to soar, implementing a lead magnet funnel is essential. As this article has outlined, lead magnets are the perfect way to introduce new eyes to your brand, provide value, build trust, and inspire brand loyalty. The right lead magnet can turn a member of your audience into a paying customer – all you need is the tools and strategies to put it into action. From there, watch your business grow.