How to Create a Freebie That Makes People WANT to Join Your Email List (Plus 21 Lead Magnet Ideas)

You’re ready to build an email list so you can grow your small business!
You’ve got the opt-in form on your website. ✅
Maybe even a pop-up or two. ✅ ✅

BUT, how do you get people excited to hand over their email address? 🤔

You need a FREEBIE! 👏

A freebie, also known as a lead magnet, opt-in offer, bribe (jk…) is a value packed give away that you…give away, free of ‘charge’ in exchange for a way to stay in contact with a lead, someone who has some interest in the stuff you do. 

A lead magnet is your first impression. It’s your chance to seriously WOW a prospect, so they think, ‘Dang, I got so much value from this FREE thing, imagine what it’d be like if I was paying for it!’

In its simplest form, a lead magnet is a free sample of your product or service. You give them a taste, get them hooked, and they will come running back for more.  They will get… magnetized. 🧲

Let’s dive in to learn why a lead mag is so important, how to create a perfect freebie to attract qualified leads, and then we’ll go through a super-duper list of every lead magnet known to man (or at least 21 common ones.) 

What makes a good freebie or lead magnet?

Freebies are solutions.
That’s it. That’s the rule.

A good freebie solves a real problem your audience has right now.

According to one of our favorite business brains, Alex Hormozi, the gold-standard freebie does four things:

1. Solves a small, specific problem

2. Delivers actual value

3. Builds trust and authority

4. Reveals a bigger problem…one that they can’t solve alone

And who just so happens to be the obvious person to help with that bigger problem?
Oh hey, it’s you! 💁‍♀️💋

Why? Because your lead magnet just showed them that you understand their problem intimately enough to solve it, and confidently enough to give away the solution for FREE.

A lead magnet should NOT be a cute free download, or useless one-sheet. It’s gotta actually do something. If you don’t take it seriously and you try to give away some basic crap, your prospects won’t take you seriously or buy.

The freebie is the beginning of a relationship. It’s your chance to say: “I get what you’re struggling with, and I can help.”

Sure, you can get creative. Be quirky. Name your PDF something snappy. But don’t confuse creativity with value: the best freebie isn’t the wackiest one, it’s the most useful one.

Now, we know what you’re thinking. And yes, a boring worksheet or vague checklist is easier to slap together. And, it will save you from feeling like you’re giving away all your goodies for free. BUT, it doesn’t follow our one rule: solving a real problem. A bad lead magnet is a classic case of crap in crap out.

If you’re lucky enough to have your prospect’s eyes on your goods, damn you better seize the opportunity to make 'em’ good goods. 

Showcase that you deeply understand their problem, and that you can help them fix it. 

Your freebie is your first impression.
It’s your foot in the door.
Your audition.
If you knock it out of the park, your warm lead suddenly becomes a hot one. 

Make it thoughtful, helpful, and specific. Make it solve a problem. 

What problem are you solving with your lead magnet?

A top-notch, great lead magnet starts with one thing: a specific problem your audience actually has. You know your audience best, so you’ve got to think about what would be the most valuable to them. 

What is your customer Googling at 11pm?

That’s your in, that’s your opportunity.

Your lead magnet should seamlessly solve these late night frantic searches, and be obvious solutions to their big, bad problems. This is what Tom Bilyeu calls the Straight Line Test.

👉 Does the lead magnet take someone in a straight line from where they are to where they want to be?

👉 Is it solving the problem they have right now?

If yes, it’s big and bad and ready for action.
If no, take it back to the drawing board. You’re not making something “nice to have.” You’re solving a real need with confidence and intention.

Lead Magnet In-Action

Let’s take a look at a real life lead magnet using Big Bad Marketing as an example. (👋Haiii, that’s us.) 

Our freebie is a monster list of marketing levers. It’s 29 digital, print, and hybrid ways to promote your business. It’s exhaustive…on purpose.

Because the problem we’re solving isn’t “How do I run Facebook ads?”
It’s: “I know I need to market my business... but, I don’t know how. I don’t even know what options exist.”

This guide gives clarity to that problem. It turns “I don’t know where to start” into “Ohhh, okay, I see what’s out there.”

But here’s the thing: once you see the full menu, (aka a tool to solve the lil, specific problem) the next question naturally becomes…
“Which of these should I do? Which will make sense for my business, now?” (a much bigger problem that they can’t solve alone has been revealed!)

And now we have an in.

The lead magnet solves a real, immediate problem: lack of visibility and direction.

And, it exposes the next, bigger problem: needing a clear strategy that’s tailored to your business.

Now, we’re not some rando on the internet, we’re besties who just solved a real problem. And now, we’re the obvious next step.

That’s the magic. ✨

Your freebie should provide a very obvious solution

People are busy and skeptical. Before they give you their email (or money) they want to know “what’s in it for me?”

Your freebie should be an immediate answer. (Straight line test, remember?) If your prospect has to read a paragraph to figure out what your download does… you’ve already lost them. (Kind of like an elevator pitch…if you can’t explain what you do in 30 seconds, your leads probably won’t know what you do either.) 🧐

Ask yourself this: Is the freebie clear, and valuable? Is it helpful enough to be worth trading your email address for? Would you sign up for your own freebie if you weren’t already invested in your business?

Give Away Your Best Stuff

A common mistake business owners make when creating lead magnets, is holding back their best insights. They think they need to save the “good stuff” for paying clients.

But in reality, the more value you give upfront, the more trust you build, and trust leads to conversions.

People aren’t paying for information alone; they’re paying for execution, guidance, and results.

If your freebie actually helps them solve a problem or take a step forward, they’ll see you as the trusted advisor, and they’ll want more of what you offer. (So make sure you have compelling offers, too!)

Don’t worry about giving away your “best stuff.” The people who take action will see results and likely come back for more. The ones who aren’t do-ers will see the value, and need your help to implement. Either way, it’s a win. 🏆

21 Freebies to get people to sign up for your email list

Here are some common examples of lead magnets to get your gears turning. Use it as inspo, then think through your prospects problems (this is a good time to pull our your user personas) and choose something that’ll actually help. 

1. Guides

The classic. A well-written guide walks your prospect through a process, step-by-step. This makes it easy to complete the task, and feels like they’ve got an expert helping them every step of the way. You’re handing them the map and the compass, showing off your expertise, AND helping them get somewhere they actually want to go.

2. Checklists

Everyone loves a list…well we love lists. They’re especially helpful when they save us from forgetting something important. A good checklist makes your audience feel prepared, confident, and ready to take action fast. ✅✅✅

3. Cheat sheets

Fast and punchy, cheat sheets as a lead magnet help someone get the thing done right now. Problem solved. It’s formulas, quick tips, or need-to-know steps. No cheating required.  

4. Templates

This is an easy-button for your prospects. It gives your audience a serious head start to solve their problem with frameworks they can use to forge their own way. At BBM we 💗 templates (check out the templates in our shop!) It’s giving less: “I’m staring at a blank page,” and more “hot dog, that was easy.”

5. Swipe files

Ready-to-copy gold. Whether it’s emails, captions, or sales lines, with swipe files you hand over the good stuff (ahem…big, bad stuff 😉) so your audience doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. They just tweak and hit send.

6. Workbooks

Okay, we try to make things easy, but a workbook is just like it sounds, it makes your audience do the work. Ideally you guide them through reflections, exercises, or planning stages, with built-in structure so they make actual progress (and then they associate you with that win!)

7. Worksheets

Quick. Focused. Bing. Bang. Boom. worksheets help your audience work through one specific challenge or decision. Help your audience to break down a problem and turn ideas into actionable next steps.

8. Printables

Easy-to-use, ready-to-print resources your audience can stick on walls, desks, fridges, mirrors, in their car, on their forehead. Planners, trackers, or checklists that they can print out, fill out, and use to stay organized and focused. 

9. Trackers

Help your audience measure their progress over time, like sales, habits, project milestones, number of Google docs they’ve named ‘Slayyy ideas’ (or is that only us?) Trackers help your people keep motivation high and goals in sight.

10. Planners

A freebie that’s really a secret weapon for organizing goals, deadlines, and tasks. It’s laid out clearly, so they can stop stressing and start crushing it, with like, an actual plan.

11. Ebooks

Deep-dive on a topic where you unpack your genius, and show them what you know: their problem, and your solution. It gives the audience the full picture, solid strategies, and expert insights wrapped up into one downloadable package (ideally in pink.)

12. Reports

Data-driven downloads that show trends, insights, and industry secrets (SECRETS!!) Perfect for showing you’re the expert who’s ahead of the curve and worth paying attention to, since you wrote a whole report on it and all.

13. Course

Mini training that teaches your audience something useful, fast. Whether it’s a video series or an email drip, a course builds trust and proves that you know your sh*t. (Like our email marketing basics course!) There are lots of different formats for courses, including online and in-person, and people learn in different ways, so you might have more than one.  

14. Audio files 

Think coaching sessions, training breakdowns, or behind-the-scenes insights your audience can listen to on the go. Kinda like a podcast, but a hyper-targeted, one-episode, that’s very actionable.

15. Videos

This gives life to the phrase: show, don’t tell. Whether it’s a tutorial, walkthrough, or short training, video lets your audience see you in action, and trust you faster…cause now you’re a real human who spills coffee on their shirt, then laughs it off. ☕

16. Challenges

Short, high-impact experiences that get your audience motivated to take action over a set time frame. Challenges build momentum, boost engagement, and move people from stalking your page, to joining in the fun and games, to becoming raving, loyal fans who achieved a thing thanks to your inspiration!

17. Bootcamps

Intensive, fast-paced training that pushes your audience toward a specific result. More hands-on than a challenge, and packed with value that positions you as the go-to expert. Not to be confused with the 6 month no-joke (okay, lots of jokes) Big Bad small Business Bootcamp!

18. Tools

Hammers. 🔨 Screwdrivers. 🪛 Saws. 🪚 JK JK. Lead magnet tools are plug-and-play resources like calculators, spreadsheets, or generators that save time and solve problems…instantly. High utility, high value, and often the kind of thing people bookmark and then use over and over and over. 

19. Calculators

Interactive tools that help your audience crunch the numbers, think profit margins, ROI, budgets, so they can make smarter decisions without doing the math themselves. Also, real talk: business math is hard, don’t be afraid to get some help to make your numbers work!

20. Scripts

Word-for-word examples of what to say in tricky or high-stakes situations, sales calls, follow-ups, pitches, DMs, breaking up with your cringy beau. Perfect for people who freeze up or fumble when it’s time to talk. OR just get awkward and start singing jingles, like us! 🎤

21. Free Samples

This is the OG lead magnet, before it was even called a lead magnet. It’s a preview, early release or a mini version of what you’re actually selling. It’s the people giving out a nugget of General Tsao’s Chicken on a toothpick. One bite, and you’re in for a dang whole plate. You give them a sneak peak. You leave them wanting more. 

How to create your freebie

Take your lead generating machine from idea to reality in five simple steps.

1. Write the damn thing.
   Start with the words. Brainstorm, outline, and draft the copy in a doc. Focus on clarity, value, and tone that sounds like you. Ps. Make sure you mapped it with the straight line test, first.

2. Make it look good.
   Design it in Canva or whatever tool you like. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but it does need to look polished, professional, and on brand.

3. Upload it somewhere it can live.
   Add it to your website (WordPress media, Squarespace files, etc.) or stash it in cloud storage like Google Drive or AWS. Make sure it’s accessible via a shareable link.

4. Connect it to your welcome email.
   Drop that link in your welcome sequence so new subscribers get the goods as soon as they sign up.
   🖤 PRO TIP: Make that process as seamless as possible, this is your first opportunity to wow your prospect, don’t mess it up with a clunky system. 

5. Promote the hell out of it.
   Add it to every opt-in form on your site, mention it on social media, link it in your bio, tell every person you know about it in the town square. Make it ridiculously easy (and compelling) for people to get it. And use it. And love it. And then, maybe, they’ll come back and buy something from you.

Your Freebie Is Just the Beginning

A lead magnet isn’t a cheapy pen with your brand name on it; it’s the first step in building trust, connection, and real momentum with your audience. So build it good.

Once your freebie and welcome email are live, don’t leave people hanging. Have a plan. Whether you’re dropping people into a nurture sequence, a weekly newsletter, or a well-craft sales funnel, make sure your email marketing keeps the conversation going.

Need help turning that freebie into a full-on marketing strategy that actually converts? Apply for coaching and let’s build something that grows your business on purpose.

🔥 HOT TAKES: Freebies and Lead Magnets

Do you need a lead magnet to build your email list?
Nope. But does it make sense for your business? Usually, yeah.

Can a freebie be just one page, or does it have to be a beast?
Keep it simple. Don’t overcomplicate. Focus on value, not volume.

Can you give a coupon or discount as a freebie?
Sure. Retailers do this all the time: “Sign up, get 15% off.” It works because it’s clear, direct, and motivates action. That’s a lead magnet that literally turns itself into conversions…not too shabby.

Freebies are forgettable, right?
Crappy freebies are forgettable. Or they’re so crappy, that you remember how crappy they are. And then you def do not buy. But a knockout freebie that delivers real, jaw-dropping value? That’s a business weapon that builds trust, grows revenue, and will not soon be forgotten. 

If I give away a freebie, won’t prospects expect everything for free?
Nope. A well-crafted freebie sets the stage, it shows what you can do and gets them hungry for more. It’s the doorway, not the whole house.