Why Do Optin Freebies & Lead Magnets Work?

An optin freebie is a free goodie you give to your ideal customers in exchange for their email address. You may have also seen the terms “lead magnets” or “optin bribe” thrown around, and they’re all the same thing. (Personally, I hate the term “optin bribe” because it’s not a bribe. You are giving the other person VALUE in exchange for their email address.)

You want to make your optin freebie the best thing ever, so your subscribers want to subscribe to your email address, develop trust in you, and eventually buy your paid products.

Why do Optin Freebies & Lead Magnets Work?

However, many business owners think that because an optin freebie is “free”, they shouldn’t spend a lot of time on them.

Not. True.

Your optin freebie is arguably the most important part of the marketing puzzle. It’s how you introduce yourself as an expert to your customers. It’s a taste of your paid content. It’s the gateway to people working from and buying from you. It’s the foundation of a proper sales funnel.

Optin freebies have a ton of benefits, so you need to create one that shines and gets customers. Creating amazing content for your optin freebie is how you have your customers come to you and stay with you.

So, why do they work so well?

1. They solve your subscriber’s problem ASAP.

We all have issues. What’s your customer’s? You need to figure out what issues are floating around in your customer’s mind and pluck out the one that’s:

A) Most urgent to them.
B) Best for you to write about.

Instead of focusing on your client’s hair color to determine what their business problems are, I want you to skip all of the typical “find your target market” advice (for now, at least) and get the core of the problem – which is, erm, their problems. Answer the following questions to figure it out. You’ll see some common threads and realize what optin freebie you should create.

2. They offer a ton of value that’ll make subscribers WANT to stay on your list.

Nobody reads a crappy newsletter. Trust me – I know. (If you want a laugh, you should go through my newsletter archives and statistics!) And if your optin is crappy, people will automatically think the same about your email newsletter. Your optin should be aligned with at least one of the topics you cover in your daily, weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly newsletter.

So even though optin freebies are short, and free, you still need to give your customers what they want/need. Because if your customers know that you know what they need, they’ll definitely be interested in learning more about what you have to offer them.

3. They give your customers a taste of your paid content without having to purchase it.

Hopefully, you have some paid informational products or services on your website. (And if not, um, what are you waiting for?) Potential customers/clients want to see what you have to offer before committing to working with or buying from you. A solid optin freebie gives a peek at your expertise without any commitment on their part.

Then, once you’ve charmed your customers with your optin, you just have to keep up the momentum with your paid products!

Sierra Elmore

Sierra Elmore is a high school senior and the owner of 13 Elm Streets. Part graphic design studio and part creative resource, 13 Elm Streets helps whip-smart women create playful and profitable businesses. She created three successful businesses by the age of seventeen and is in the process of starting a nonprofit. When she's not obsessively designing, Sierra enjoys reading and writing young adult fiction, studying psychology, and playing with Bronx, her cat.

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