MBA2628 How to Make a Lead Magnet So Good They’d Pay for It

Some email lists explode with passionate subscribers, while others barely get off the ground. So what makes the difference? A lead magnet that’s too good to ignore. If you've ever wondered how to create one that stands out, this episode is for you. Omar breaks down the three key elements every irresistible lead magnet needs, with real-world examples. Plus, you’ll get practical tips for naming, positioning, and delivering your free offer for maximum impact. No fluff, just actionable strategies to build trust and momentum from day one. A strong lead magnet can build engagement, grow your audience, and lay the foundation for lasting connections with potential customers. Hit play at the top of the page and start crafting a lead magnet people actually want. Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://lm.fm/GgRPPHiSUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Small business owners, listen up. You started your business, but you can't do it alone. And that means you have to hire people to help. That's where Justworks comes in. Justworks is the payroll, benefits, and global hiring platform to unburden your brain from all the complicated small business stuff. They handle the things you can't afford to get wrong, so you don't have to worry. So you can focus on the parts of running a business that you enjoy, knowing everything else is running smoothly. You don't have to worry when it just works. Ever invest in something that seemed incredible at first, but didn't live up to the hype? For example, I really wanted to love the show Mad Men. I really tried to watch it and love it, but it just didn't do anything for me. As a marketer and business person, the show was a little bit of a disappointment.

• 0:45Speaker 00

  Marketers know that feeling. They optimize for the numbers that look great, like impressions. But then we don't see revenue. LinkedIn has a word for that: bullspend. Instead, you can get the highest ROAS of major ad networks with LinkedIn Ads. Cut the bullspend, advertise on LinkedIn. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit. Go to LinkedIn.com/MBAShow. Terms apply. If your lead magnet is weak, you're weak. Seriously, everything that follows will struggle: your list growth, your sales, your business. The truth: most lead magnets are forgettable. But what if yours was so good that people would actually pay for it?

• 1:27Speaker 00

  That's how you build trust fast, and that's how you build momentum. And today, I'm going to show you exactly how to do it.

• 1:40Speaker 00

  Welcome back to the $100 MBA Show. I'm your host, Omar Zenhome, where I deliver practical business lessons three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, to help you start, grow, and scale your business.

• 1:53Speaker 00

  A lead magnet is your first impression. It's your handshake, it's your opening move, it's your test drive. You're saying, "Give me your email and I'm going to give you something valuable right now." But if your lead magnet isn't magnetic, they'll either unsubscribe, ignore you, or worse, never sign up at all. So what makes a great lead magnet? It's not how long it is, or how fancy it looks. A great lead magnet checks all three boxes. Number one, it solves a specific problem. Two, it delivers a quick win. And three, it makes them say, "If this is free, I can't wait to see what they charge for." That's when you got them. That's when the trust begins. Treat your lead magnets like a mini-paid product.

• 2:38Speaker 00

  Make it actionable, make it specific, make it valuable, even if they never buy from you again. Let me give you some examples. For example, a calculator that helps them price their services. This is very useful for somebody who has a service-based business, and they want to know how to charge. A script that they can use for their emails or their sales calls. When I was running my software company, Webinar Ninja, one of our lead magnets was email scripts that they can send out so they can market their webinars. Also, the scripts for the follow-up emails to remind them about the webinar, as well as the replay later on. Give them a template that saves them hours of work. For example, we give out tons of templates on our websites because they work,

• 3:21Speaker 00

  and they're valuable, and people love them because, hey, if they can use something right now, it's super valuable. It's plug-and-play and easy to use. This isn't fluff. This is the start of a transformation for your clients. I have a lead magnet rule: 20 bucks, or don't bother. Ask yourself this: Would I charge $20 for this if I couldn't give it away for free? If the answer's no, it's not strong enough. You need a better lead magnet, plain and simple. It has to feel like they're getting away with something like they're getting a steal. I'm going to give you three examples of this rule, 20 bucks or don't bother. Number one, when I started the $100 MBA, our first lead magnet was a 10 day free course. It was delivered via email.

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  Every day for 10 days, they got an email with a video to watch. People binge watched it, they couldn't wait for the next email. We got replies saying, "This is better than a paid course that I just bought." That's the type of energy you should be receiving. Another example is my software company, Webinar Ninja, that I built for 10 years. Our number one lead magnet was our free trial. People got to run their first webinar, make sales on that webinar, make more than a annual fee for our software. So it's a no brainer.

• 4:38Speaker 01

  Mazda has been named Consumer Reports' safest new car brand. It starts with our approach. Every Mazda comes standard with proactive safety features. So you're more aware of what's around you, more focused on the road ahead and ready before problems ever start. Mazda, more of what matters most to you. Go to MazdaUSA.com to learn more. Consumer Reports does not endorse or promote any product.

• 5:06Speaker 00

  Today's episode is sponsored by Upwork. I don't need a script to tell you how much Upwork has helped my business. I've been using Upwork for over a decade and it's the easiest way to find top talent to grow your business. From software development to AI implementation to marketing, design and business operations. You can browse profiles, review past work and get help scoping the role so you can hire with confidence and get started quickly. With Business Plus, you can access the top 1% of talent on Upwork. With over 170,000 freelancers holding five star ratings, you can hire with the confidence that comes from hiring someone with a verified track record. I've hired engineers, customer service agents, marketers, copywriters, all on Upwork

• 5:51Speaker 00

  that helped grow my business from the moment they got hired. The best thing is it's free to sign up and posting a job is easy. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free. That is Upwork.com to connect with top talent ready to help your business grow. That's U P W R K dot com, Upwork.com.

• 6:14Speaker 00

  My third example is Canva. Canva allows you to create great graphics and videos like you're a pro. And they have a free plan. That's their lead magnet. And yes, there are a few features that are gated to the pro plan. But for the most part, you can do a lot with the free plan and look like a pro with your graphic design, with creating an Instagram reel or post, with designing your banner for Facebook or your YouTube channel. It's just incredible. It's an incredible lead magnet because it's well worth free. It's worth more than $20. It's a no-brainer for people to sign up because there's so much value there. That's what gets results. When you totally over-deliver and people are just like, "I can't believe this is free. These guys are awesome." Why do you want that energy?

• 6:59Speaker 00

  Because at some point, they're going to want more than what you're offering for free. And they're not going to go shopping around because they already got used to your product, your service, your way of teaching. And the law of reciprocity kicks in. People are like, "Hey, I've been using this product for free. I've been taking the free courses. This is incredible. I got to pay these people now that I can afford it and now that I need more." The key here to make a valuable lead magnet is to make it irresistible with a few tweaks. Let me give you those tweaks. Number one, name your lead magnet like it's a product you're about to sell. Give it a really good name, just like a product. So say, for example, you're creating a PDF or a guide.

• 7:42Speaker 00

  Name it like the 10K Offer Builder, where it walks them step by step how to create a $10,000 offer. You want to get really fancy? Add scarcity. Make the lead magnet only available for one month. This lead magnet only available in the month of May. Right? You're going to get some sign-ups. People are like, "Hey, I'd better grab it before it's gone." Maybe add some immediacy. Get results with this lead magnet in under 30 minutes or in three days. Add some proof. Show some testimonials from people that have used your lead magnet. Don't just get testimonials for your products and services. Get some testimonials on the free stuff you offer. I ran a three-day live training called Own Your Job. The first thing we did when we wrapped up that training is send out an email asking for feedback. And through that, I got testimonials.

• 8:27Speaker 00

  Therefore, I can use those testimonials when I'm promoting my lead magnet. Now, you're not just offering a freebie. You're offering value on another level. You're leveling up your brand and your business, and now you're offering something that's worth paying attention to. People are gonna be like, "Hey, I can't miss this. This is really cool. This is really interesting. I haven't seen something like this before." That's how you rise above the competition. Look, your lead magnet is more than a download. It's a promise. It says, "You can trust me. I will deliver for you." So make it count. Over-deliver. Blow them away early on, and they'll stick with you.

• 9:09Speaker 00

  And they'll stick around for everything else that you offer in the future. Thanks so much for tuning into the podcast. If you found this episode helpful, share it. Share it with a friend. Go ahead and send it to 100mba.net so they can check out all our podcast episodes, including this one. And that way, you can share the love. Thank you so much for doing that in advance. If you want to go deeper, if you want to learn more, then you should sign up for my Three Things newsletter. Every week, I send you an email to coach you from afar. I give you three things. Something to think about, something to change your mindset so that you're growing mentally. Number two, something to do so that you're progressing and moving up levels each week.

• 9:49Speaker 00

  And number three, something to learn so you're skilling up and growing as an entrepreneur. There's no fluff, no noise, just like the podcast, just practical coaching from afar. Just go to 100mba.net and sign up for any of our lead magnets, any of our guides, any of our templates, and you'll be added to our newsletter automatically. Now, go build your lead magnet. By the way, if you need a template to build your lead magnet, we have that, okay? You can download it over on our website. Go to 100mba.net/templates, and it's in our bundle of templates, and you can use Canva to build out your own lead magnet for free. Make sure it's valuable. Make sure you're following that rule, 20 bucks or don't bother, and you won't regret it.

• 10:33Speaker 00

  Thanks again, and I'll check you next time.

• 10:41Speaker 02

  What do I gift my mom and nieces?

• 10:46Speaker 03

  Like Ninja, Disney let go.

• 10:49Speaker 02

  Oh, Dad loves music.

• 10:50Speaker 03

  Sonos can bring his songs to life. What sound that hits just right.

• 10:57Speaker 02

  And my coffee-obsessed bestie.

• 10:58Speaker 03

  Delongi Brews Coffee, right for mornings extra bright.

• 11:02Speaker 02

  All those great brands at Walmart? Who knew?

• 11:04Speaker 03

  We knew, now you do too. Shop gifts no love at Walmart.