6 Lead Generator Ideas to Grow Your Email List
Email marketing is not dead.
In fact, it’s thriving. It’s estimated that for every $1 you spend on email marketing, the average expected ROI is $40. To put this into perspective, the average ROI on SEO efforts and keyword ads are $22.24 and $17, respectively.
Research shows that in comparison to other channels like organic search, paid ads, and social media, email marketing still comes out on top when it comes to customer acquisition and retention.
It makes total sense because people who find your emails in their inbox have subscribed to your email list, meaning they want to hear from you. They’re interested in what you have to offer, and they want to stay engaged with your brand. So, whenever you announce a new product or offering, you have an audience of engaged customers to launch it to!
Many businesses we work with understand the importance of email marketing. The difficult part, though, is growing that list of engaged subscribers to begin with.
Here’s the thing – people are inundated with emails from brands all day, every day. They probably aren’t going to subscribe to your list unless there’s something valuable for them right away. You need to offer a freebie, resource, or discount to sweeten the deal and get them to sign up.
That’s where a good lead generator (also known as a lead magnet) comes in! You want to create an irresistible offer that encourages people to sign up to your list – and continue providing them with valuable content to keep them engaged with your emails.
Today, we’re sharing six ideas to encourage your audience to join your email list. 👇🏼
6 Lead Generator Ideas to Get More Email Subscribers
1) Educational Downloadable PDF
People find themselves on your website searching for answers to questions they have about your industry, and you have the expertise to answer those questions.
As a business owner, you know how crucial it is to tune into your customers. What are they looking for? What are the problems they’re facing that you can solve? What are they confused about when it comes to your line of work? What objections do they typically have as it relates to your products or services?
Think about the questions that you get most often to help you choose a topic for your lead generator. Then create a short downloadable PDF that is full of genuinely valuable and helpful information for your ideal customer.
A classic StoryBrand lead generator example we love to create for our clients is The Value List. Think about what’s valuable to your customers and create a list of insider secrets, common mistakes your customers make (and how you help them avoid these), or a list of steps to success.
A few examples could include:
10 Top Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your Home
8 Elements Your Website Homepage Needs
5 Negotiation Secrets for More Win-Win Results in Your Life
2) Interactive Guide
Think about this as an interactive version of a Value List from the previous idea – an informative downloadable PDF with interactive elements (think: fillable workbook, checkable boxes, or editable template).
This can be super helpful to guide your customers through a multiple-step process. It can help them to keep track of their progress or fill out notes along the way.
You can use a free website like pdfFiller to add fillable text boxes and checkboxes to your PDF.
Some ideas for an interactive template are:
Social Media Content Calendar Template
Squarespace SEO Checklist
Brand Identity Workbook
3) Quiz
Quizzes are a really fun, interactive way to attract more subscribers to your email list. While they are one of the more involved and advanced types of generators to make, they usually work really well because people love quizzes!
You can also use the results to segment your audience in your email list and personalize your content to them, which is a HUGE win for sales.
There are many interactive quiz builders out there (like Interact or Typeform ) that can help you get started with your quiz.
Some quiz examples are:
Website Audit Quiz: Is Your Website Set Up to Convert?
Which Season is Right for Your Perfect Wedding?
Which Hair Product is Best for Your Hair Type?
4) Free Webinar, Informational Video or Mini Video Course
Is video content more your style? Host a free webinar, create a quick informational video, or re-share a portion of a previous webinar you recorded.
This is especially useful for business owners that already have a course or will be launching one soon because you want to give people a taste of what they’ll get in your course, show your teaching style, and generate interest in your offering.
Some examples of video content include:
Webinar: 5 Ways to Streamline Your Design Business
On-Demand Webinar: Car Seat Safety Basics for Newborns
Video Mini Course: CSS for Squarespace
5) Email CHALLENGE or Course
Love writing emails? Give your audience a reason to sign up for your list with an automated email challenge or course.
These automations can be created right in your email newsletter platform (such as Mailchimp, Flodesk, Constant Contact, or Squarespace Email Campaigns) – no fancy design skills needed.
We recommend a 3 to 7 day email course or challenge where each morning you share the new helpful information or next step, tip, phase or action in subscribers’ inboxes.
Some examples of this could be:
5 Steps to Better SEO
7-Step Marketing Plan Roadmap
Challenge: 6 Days to Healthier Skin
Pro Tip: If you go with this lead magnet idea, pay attention to the campaign’s performance. Which emails got higher open rates and click rates? These are likely the sub-topics your audience is most interested in. Use these metrics to inform your content strategy in the future!
6) Discount on Your Products or Services
Ah, the classic email signup discount. It’s a classic for a reason! This is a super easy, low-effort way to provide value to your customers and entice them to sign up for your email list.
All you have to do is create a discount in your online store to use in your email. If you don’t have an online store, you can give them a code word to mention for a percentage or dollar amount off your service when they initiate the first step to working with you.
Pro tip: You can combine your discount code with any of the above ideas to encourage new subscribers to take the next step in working with you. For example, add your coupon code to the bottom of your downloadable PDF, at the end of your webinar, or work it into your email campaign! This could push them over the edge from learning more about you,o to actually buying from you.
Your Business Needs a Lead Generator
Before people give out their personal information (i.e. their email address), they want to know, “what’s in it for me?”
Give your ideal clients and customers a reason to stay engaged with your brand by offering them a free resource or discount code. And remember, don’t just create any resource – really listen to your customers and what they’re asking for. What are they confused about? What could you offer them to clear up their confusion and make them feel more comfortable? What could you create that’s truly valuable for your customer? That is what’s going to get people signing up.
One more thing – don’t forget to share, share, share! No one’s going to sign up to get your resource if they can’t find it. Put your lead generator at the bottom of relevant pages on your website or even in a popup. Share about it on social media. If you have a link in the bio page in your Instagram that allows for accessing multiple pages/links (like Linktree or Campsite), then be sure to add a link to sign up for it.
P.S. If you want an impactful lead generator to skyrocket your email list, we can help you create one. Schedule a Call today to see some examples of what we’ve created for our clients and learn about how we can help!
P.S. If you want an impactful lead generator to skyrocket your email list, we can help you create one. Schedule a Call today to see some examples of what we’ve created for our clients and learn about how we can help!
More soon,
Mara
WEB DESIGNER + SEO SPECIALIST
P.S.
Subscribe to get our weekly blog with marketing, business, and finance tips dropped straight into your inbox.
