Want to attract more leads and turn them into customers? Offering a lead magnet is one of the most effective ways to capture contacts and move them through your sales funnel. 

However, not all lead magnets are created equal. The type you choose should align with where prospects are in their buyer’s journey. 

Here are 5 of the best lead magnet formats to generate leads that convert: 

 

1. Free Resources/Guides 

 

Free resources and guides are one of the most versatile lead magnet options. By publishing longer-form educational content in a downloadable format, you can establish expertise around topics that appeal to your target audience. 

For prospects in the early awareness stage, try an introductory guide or primer to introduce them to key ideas and concepts. How-to guides also work to help build knowledge. 

For an example of this, check out our Beginner’s Guide to Social Media Graphics. 

For those further along, offer comparison guides or more advanced resources that dive deeper into your subject matter. Driving opt-ins with valuable content pays off with higher-quality leads. 

 

2. Cheat Sheets 

 

Quick-reference cheat sheets are an easy lead magnet to produce and provide immense value. Summarise the most important information, steps or facts prospects need in a simple one-pager. 

The concise nature appeals to busy readers. Make sure to brand your cheat sheet and require an email signup to access and download. 

Cheat sheets work well at any buyer’s journey stage when prospects need quick answers, instructions, or tips. Offer them as supplements to your more in-depth free guides. 

10X’s own examples of these include our B2B Marketing Checklist and our Persona Profile Template; check them out to better understand the idea behind a ‘cheat sheet’.  

 

3. Free Trials 

 

For prospects ready to buy, an extended free trial of your product or service can convert leads into customers. 

Letting prospects test and experience what you offer first-hand is powerful. The key is having an onboarding and nurturing sequence to guide them into becoming paid users when the trial ends. 

Just make sure your free trial captures the value well and avoids being too limited in functionality. 

You want leads to get hooked!

 

4. Webinars

 

Webinars make excellent lead magnets because they deliver value through education and personal engagement. 

The live format and ability to present/demo your product lets you connect with prospects in an impactful way. Record the webinar to use as a gated lead magnet replay too. 

Webinars work across nearly any buyer’s journey stage. Tailor the topic and tone based on your leads’ needs and intent. 

Although 10X doesn’t engage directly in webinars (for now), our founder, Talisa Gill, has made a guest appearance on some great podcasts. Take a listen to Talisa talk about lead magnets here. 

 

5. Free Consultation

 

For prospects ready to buy, offering a free consultation, quote, or needs assessment can help tip them into a customer. 

It provides tailored advice and solutions for their specific situation. Having a discovery call or sending custom-tailored materials shows you can provide real value. 

Just be sure to structure the consultation in a way that leads prospects down the sales funnel. The goal is to progress them from lead to customer. 

If a free consultation isn’t your style, just having your diary open is a start! Take our booking system as an example: https://10x-marketing.co.uk/lets-talk/.  

 

Align Your Lead Magnets to Buyer Intent 

 

As you can see, the lead magnet formats that will convert best depend heavily on your prospect’s current stage and intent. 

Targeting your offers to match where they are in their journey ensures lead quality. Test different lead magnets and sequence them to guide your prospects into becoming customers. 

For more lead generation and conversion tips, check out our resource library or get in touch! 

 

How effective is your lead generation and how do you turn a prospect into a sales-ready lead? That’s where lead-generation comes in… To help you with this often overwhelming process, here at 10X Marketing we’ve created a 2-minute survey form which will ask you all about your current lead generation processes. Click here to view.