One of the biggest challenges small business owners face today is figuring out how to build their email lists quickly and efficiently. One of the primary mistakes that most brands or companies make when building their email list is trying to reach a particular number. We want you to understand that the size of a list means absolutely nothing if those subscribers aren’t interested in your brand or business.

We believe that there is way too much emphasis on how big a company’s list is, and other than having these so-called bragging rights, what’s the real benefit of having a bunch of people on your email list who will never convert or purchase anything from you. When people talk about adding value to your customer’s lives with your content, they should also mention the customer bringing value to the business’s email list.

It’s true, that is a two-way street that many companies don’t want to travel. If you’re only interested in achieving a gold star for having an email list with 100k subscribers, then you can basically buy that list since those people will bring zero value to your business. Plus, we want to mention that most email hosting sites charge you by the size of your list - so if you’re emailing a bunch of people with no interest in your business, you’re just throwing money down the toilet.

But suppose you want to gain organic traffic to your landing pages or blog posts and get people to sign up for your email list who actually are interested in your business or products. In that case, you’ll want to continue reading about how to use lead magnets to build your list.

How to Use Lead Magnets to Gain More Subscribers

When we talk about lead magnets, we are essentially talking about offers to give you many potential clients in exchange for some personal details, such as their name and email address. Using lead magnets builds awareness around your brand and connects you with potential customers that never heard of your company or brand before.

Lead magnets can be used in many forms, and some of the most popular are contests and giveaways. Many companies use these two options regularly to build their lists with more organic traffic. The main reason for using lead magnets is to connect with people who are interested in your niche.

Small and Large Business Lead Magnets

Here are some other examples of lead magnets being used every day by small and large businesses:

• Free Trials
• Product Samples
• Checklists
• Premium Content
• Webinars
• Cheat Sheets
• Discount Coupons
• Case Studies
• Podcasts
• Ebooks
• Guides

There are thousands of options that can work as a lead magnet, and you can cater yours to mesh with your brand or product. But for a lead magnet to be effective, you will need to consider a few things to build your email list successfully. Most people sign up for lead magnets to get a quick solution to a problem or the answer to a question.

Success of Your Lead Magnet

The success of your lead magnet will depend heavily on your response time. When somebody provides you with their email address, they are expecting a response almost simultaneously. Once you’ve baited and hooked them with your free offer, they are going straight to their inbox to get all the juicy details.

When you promise to provide something in return for their subscription, you better make good on that deal and immediately send the info. Because if you don’t, you can be sure that they will get that information from another source and delete your email once it arrives. This is especially true for anything that provides a solution or quick-fix; people want a response asap.

The Value of Your Lead Magnet

On the other side, your lead magnet needs to be perceived as extremely valuable, or some people might hesitate before providing you with their contact details. And we all know that when somebody hesitates, chances are they will decide not to go through with it and search elsewhere for an instant solution.

You want your lead magnet to have content that is compelling and valuable to your targeted audience. You want to be confident that whatever lead magnet you are using explains in detail the importance of receiving the promised content. Keep in mind that whatever it is your offering also needs to add value to their lives. If your offer is useless or mediocre, they aren’t going to bite.

One last suggestion, if you can’t deliver your promised content immediately after somebody signs up - be sure to send an email that confirms what you committed to giving them is on its way.