Let’s face it, the coaching and consulting space is getting crowded every year. There is good news as well as not-so-good news.
Good because you have a high-in-demand market.
The challenge is – you have a massive competition to deal with.
What makes some coaches stand out and build a profitable coaching business is a winning lead generation strategy. And lead magnets play a potential role in lead generation.
Businesses that use lead magnets experience a 50% increase in qualified leads. Here is more – well-crafted lead magnets can boost your conversion rate by up to 300%
Let’s ditch the struggle and consider utilizing these 15 lead magnet ideas for coaches and consultants like a pro.
Contents
1. Ebook or Guide
eBook is one of my personal favorite lead magnet ideas for coaches. I have created over a dozen business, social media, and blogging ebooks for 4 simple reasons;
It allows you to showcase your knowledge on a super specific subject that eventually gives readers a taste of your valuable expertise and insights. This helps you build trust and establishes you as an authority.
Writing a ebook comparatively takes lesser time and nearly no hassles.
An ebook shows your commitment and intent to help others. You have already invested your time before they hired you.
Lastly, ebooks are easier to consume and share with our networks.
My ebooks bring me around 50-75 new subscribers and leads every week.
For example, a mental health or life coach for corporates can write, “The Ultimate Guide to Stress Management for Busy Professionals”
I created these 3 ebooks.
Recommended reading: How to Write an eBook and Make Money Fast
Download your free business, personal branding and blogging ebooks
2. Checklists or Cheat Sheet
Checklists and cheat sheets work like quick wins for everyone, especially a busy audience. I am sharing my 4 reasons that make them ideal lead magnets for coaches.
Checklists are concise and actionable, great for those who are short on time and want to see quick results. People prefer to download these quick checklists over text-heavy ebooks.
Most of the checklists are created around practical steps to solve certain problems. This sets you as a trusted guide and coach in their mind.
Since these are bite-size resources, they are easy to share and consume both by the coaches and the audience alike.
Think of the checklists and cheatsheets as a low-commitment, high-impact resource for coaches to generate leads.
For example, a business coach can create a checklist, “10-Step Checklist for Launching Your Online Business”
The blog with a downloadable SEO checklist for higher rankings
3. Mini-Course or Video Series
What gives a more personalized connection and chemistry with a professional? Watching them on video or reading their book? Mini-courses and video series take effort but they make powerful lead magnets for coaches because they are the mini-version of the coaching experience itself. Here’s how and why I suggest video-efficient creators and coaches create a video series.
Unlike ebooks, mini-courses and video series demonstrate your coaching style, your personality and your service delivery. With every video lesson, your prospects become more invested in the learning process and you, which eventually warms up a prospective coaching association.
See your mini video course doing a mini transformation in your audience. This builds confidence about the full coaching program.
For example, a life or career coach can create a video series or mini-course on the subject, “3-Day Confidence Boosting Mini-Course for Introverted Professionals”
4. Quiz or Assessment
Quizzes are engaging and interactive. Assessments provide instant value and results that one can practically use. Quizzes and assessments work because we are always curious about ourselves and anything that reveals something sparks curiosity and interest.
When your quizzes and assessments share insights with your audience, it positions you as a solution provider and prepares them for further working relationships.
For example, a leadership coach can create a super-engaging quiz on, “Discover Your Leadership Style: Take Our Quick Quiz”
I created this blogging readiness quiz for lead generation as well to pre-qualify my potential blogging coaching clients.
Want to create powerful quizzes?
5. Webinar or Workshop
Live webinars and workshops are an effort for coaches and consultants, however, they shine as lead magnets because they showcase their expertise, worth, and skillsets in a high-value format.
A well-prepared webinar has a practical takeaway and convinces the attendees to work with you with more confidence and credibility.
The live Q&A and interaction foster the connection and authority that allows you to sell a few of your high-in-demand and high-value offers right in the webinar.
For example, a growth and productivity coach can hold a webinar or workshop on, “Unlock Your Productivity Potential: Free Workshop for Time-Strapped Entrepreneurs”
6. Resource Library
I have monetized my resource library to convert countless subscribers. I started creating the resources in 2013.
My first few resources were checklists and ebooks. Then I started creating infographics, ppts and templates.
A resource library is no less than a goldmine for coaches and consultants.
When your audience can access this treasure of curated and original resources of practical templates, books, cheatsheets, and more, they instantly trust your expertise and wealth of knowledge. You have already saved many hours of their time and effort they might have spent online.
With an ever-growing resource library, you are positioning yourself as a guide, not just a salesperson. Your audience is more likely to trust your intent and brand and consider your paid offerings in the future.
Having an organized resource library streamlines your coaching business sales funnel, subtly nudging your leads to conversions. Make sure to use great CTAs with every resource.
This is how you create a simple yet powerful social media strategy
7. Case Studies or Success Stories
Premium coaches and consultants can utilize case studies and success stories as powerful lead magnets because they leverage two key psychological factors: social proof and relatability.
When your offering involves a high amount of investment on time, effort and money, your audience will need the social proof of others who have found success with you.
Case studies showcase real clients who have achieved real results working with your coaching and consulting. When they see people with similar challenges and how you have helped, it creates a connection and trust. These case studies help your prospects visualize the potential benefits and results they expect.
Creating case studies isn’t easy, especially in the coaching industry. Most of the coaching clients prefer confidentiality.
For sensitive coaching niches such as life coaching, mental health and intimacy coaching, you can seek your clients’ permission to take their case, change the names and locations and prepare a case study. Make sure to run the case study through them. It will build more trust between your existing clients.
8. Workbook or Journal
I see two key reasons why Workbooks and journals make fantastic lead magnets for coaches and consultants.
1. Active Engagement: Works and journals make people participate, open and express. Unlike passive consumption of ebooks and papers, users have to fill in the prompts, do exercises, reflect on their answers and experience self-discovery. This whole practice gives them a taste of your coaching style and power of self-reflection and coaching.
2. Pre-qualification: When people come face to face with their challenges and goals with these specifically designed workbooks, they realize the intensity and seriousness. Their own insights through these exercises prepare them to invest in further guidance you can offer.
A well-planned workbook or journal is likely to set your brand image as a trusted partner in their transformation journey.
For example, every coach can create a “Goal Setting Workbook” and it works like magic for the audience.
9. Audio or Podcast Series
Most of our buyers and consumers are in a rush and overloaded. The accessibility and convenience make audio and podcasts two excellent lead magnets for coaches and consultants. Your users can consume these on the go, especially commuting.
Another compelling reason is the connection and intimacy it builds with the listeners as if they are having a one-on-one conversation with the coach.
Most of podcasts can be strategically designed to have series, addressing the pain points in your niche. These series not only position you as a though leader, gets you invited for speaking engagements and interviews opportunities, but also generate a pipeline of prospects and subscribers. Each podcast can have a subtle CTA that reminds the listeners about your offering and paid services.
For example, a clarity coach can start a podcast like, “Mindful Mondays: The Reflection and Clarity Series”
Done for you podcast service is here to help coaches with podcasts
10. Infographic or Visual Guide
Infographics are ideal lead magnets for coaches and consultants because they offer visual and quick-to-digest content.
There is a certain audience that loves charts, data and concise text. These crisp visual infographics make brilliant sharable content, especially on social media.
Creating a set of such infographics addressing specific pain points can be a unique lead magnet.
The best part is that infographics simplify complex topics.
Who doesn’t want an easy personal or business life? If a coach has a skillset to simplify major pain areas and the solutions in a single visual, it instantly wins the audience’s trust.
If you have this art, you must utilize Infographics as lead magnets.
For example, a sales coach can create a crisp infographic or a series of visuals around,” The Anatomy of a Successful Sales Pitch: Infographic Guide”
11. Free Consultation or Discovery Call
I am not a great fan of free discovery calls and consultation sessions. However, I have seen several coaches and consultants making the most of this offer. When you are confident about your conversion and sales skills, inviting potential clients for a free consultation can be a game-changer.
For example, a fitness coach can offer a Complimentary Strategy Session about someone’s fitness goals and one major challenge.
12. Challenge
One of the most engaging, interactive, popular and successful lead magnets I had was a social media challenge I organized in 2016. I changed many lives, including my own to some extent. It was a 30 day challenge where I shared a prompt every day for 30 days. People loved it because of the support, consistency and newness every day. The built habit. They got visibility. They learned skills. And they got business.
I didn’t get just a great and engaging audience that is still with me but also many friends and love from my network.
Planning one or two such challenges makes people act and see instant results.
For example, a healer or spiritual coach can organize a 21-Day Mindfulness Challenge.
13. Resource Roundup
Imagine your potential buyers receiving a curated list of the best podcasts, tools, videos, and books, all related to their challenges and goals. This resource roundup saves them the legwork of finding the best information and trusted resources. And it establishes you as a helpful guide.
A resource roundup has something for every user irrespective of the level and preferences.
All you need is the eye to spot the powerful and most useful resources. You can utilize your EA or VA to research 100 best resources and then shortlist the finest and top 30 for your roundup.
You win, and The Audience wins. And you will get love from everyone whose resource you have mentioned to this roundup. Imagine 30 creators and experts talking about you because you brought the best in one roundup.
Don’t forget to keep 3-4 of your best resources in this roundup if possible.
I created my first resource roundup in 2012. It was a 101 tools digital toolkit for entrepreneurs. I still have it, though it’s not as relevant to my changed and specific audience of coaches and consultants now.
14. Exclusive Access or Insider Content
Exclusive access to insider content makes your potential clients special giving a VIP feeling. People are naturally drawn to everything that’s not easily accessible. This exclusivity and the sense of belonging to a special creation makes insider content a powerful lead magnet for coaches and consultants.
This exclusivity sets you apart and positions you as an authority in the industry.
Additionally, being a part of such insider content makes you a part of special community who signed up for this privileged content.
You can make this lead magnet more promising with additional discounts to your upcoming workshops, one-on-one sessions available to the insider community only and more.
You can further amplify the exclusive access appeal by putting a time limit to it. This creates curiosity and a sense of urgency.
For example, I am planning to create a community of coaches with exclusive access. Join our inner circle for Exclusive Coaching Tips and VIP Offers.
Be sure to sign up for insider access to my email newsletters for coaches and personal brands. I send one email every month and it’s loaded with insights for coaches and solo entrepreneurs.
I love this lead magnet idea because it allows you to pre-sell your offerings and makes a strategic and smart move to interact with an audience that’s receptive and interested.
Remember, the best lead magnet isn’t just about your services and products, it’s about knowing your ideal client’s needs better than them.
You have over a dozen proven lead magnet ideas. Choose one or more that fits into your liking and bandwidth. Watch your coaching business loaded with new subscribers and leads.
Which format are you most excited to try? And what format you have already tried and worked best for you?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Sunita Biddu is a digital business coach and power blogging mentor helping coaches and small business owners. She helps with building a strong and profitable online presence and reputation that creates a self-sustaining business. Sunita writes on this blog once a week about easy-to-use guides and articles about business, coaching, social media and blogging. You can grab some of her free resources and ebooks from the resources section.