From Distraction to Attraction: 5 Lead Magnets to Cut Through the Noise and Attract Coaching Clients
The world is noisy.
In one day 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute worldwide.
Ready to move from distraction to attraction? You need a memorable lead magnet that your coaching clients will take action on.
That’s 30,000 hours of video uploaded every hour. It would take almost 82 years to watch all the videos uploaded to YouTube in only an hour.
There are 34 million videos uploaded a DAY on TikTok. 95 million on Instagram. And one BILLION stories on Facebook.
That is a lot of noise. And as business owners, we are thrown into the deep end and told to, “stand out,” build a lead magnet so you can get leads. With that much intense cacophony, anyone would be frustrated as they try to carve out a niche, book clients and generally just run their business.
The big problem with lead magnets for coaches: most of the time they aren’t designed to bring in solution focused clients.
They have their use for the top of your funnel, particularly if you run ads, but most die a slow death in the graveyard of gmail, where the client might open your guide/book/calculator, then close the email and promptly forget about you. (cue sad trombone guy here. Wah Wah.)
After all, there are 34 million TikTok videos to watch, right?
We are more distracted and distractible than ever.
THE REASONS WE CAN’T FOCUS LIKE WE DID 20 YEARS AGO.
About a decade ago, we started becoming more isolated and lonely, blame the pandemic if you like, but even before that, screens overtook our friends in order of importance. We gobbled up Netflix and Amazon Prime shows, and watched YouTube on our tiny screens as we watched the shows on the big screen.
In that time we lost something as humans. We lost connection.
And since that time we have been getting sadder and sadder. Except we don’t know why we are sad, so we are seeking intense emotion from the SCREENS we have in our hands.
That feeling of sadness has morphed into anger because we are increasingly unhappy. And we really aren’t aware; what is missing is human connection.
Each time we jump online we are looking for emotions and connections.
Yes coaching clients are also looking for solutions, but it is getting harder and harder to get their attention. And all those beautiful Lead Magnets, (working brilliantly three years ago,) are completely ignored by your clients now. They are seeking connection, stimulation. They want a RUSH. (Yes this is incredibly addictive behavior and it is driven and supported by social media channels.)
So we need to start thinking about what will work based on what my client wants.
High level clients are seeking these three things from coaches.
To be transported to a different time and place.
To break the rules and have permission to treat themselves.
To have ultimate power and control over their lives, businesses, relationships, and personal development.
While your offers should accommodate at least a couple of these, you need to think about your lead magnet providing a tiny step forward towards one of the three areas.
Think about your current lead magnet and ask yourself:
Does it actually solve a problem for my client that does not need me to be involved?
Does it give real guidance towards solving one of those issues?
Does it offer a tiny step forward where they can have a win?
Does it hit on any emotions that your client wants to feel? Emotions like joy, elation, satisfaction, relief, etc.?
For instance, can you gamify the freebie? Can you offer a lead magnet that’s easy to drag and drop into a system? Can you offer an actual solution that they can implement today, but also make it fun or rewarding?
All those elements make a great lead magnet because your client wants to use it. The whole point of a lead magnet is not to get people on your email list. It’s to get people to fall in love with you. It’s the first step towards the sale.
It’s the micro commitment they make to complete the lead magnet and use it. You want them to use it! Otherwise you’ll keep playing the soundtrack of sad trombone guy. Because your client will forget about your awesome lead magnet and then they will forget about you.
So what type of lead magnet is actually working for coaches in 2024?
Quizzes.
Quizzes are essentially giving a dopamine hit every time you answer a question and click yes. Every click, every second spent on the quiz creates anticipation and then whammy! There is a surprise on the end. Your clients want to complete it so they can get their results. A quiz works because of the immediate gratification and emotional reactions like surprise, curiosity, anticipation. All three are in a quiz. You can also use a quiz as a qualifier by asking the right questions within the funnel.
Calculators. Templates. Checklists.
Easy to operate, easy to implement. A calculator can be something a client can use right away and not have to wait. They don’t have to learn anything. They just input the numbers and they discover what they need to know. It’s a very quick way to get people into your world and understand it’s easy to work with you. Templates, checklists etc are also quite effective because they can be implemented immediately. They will not die as slow death in the email graveyard.
Private podcasts.
Gated podcasts that are not available to the general public are very attractive for people who are busy. They can download the podcast and listen to it on the way to work, when they’re working out, or when they’re walking their dog. One third of Americans and most people making $100,000 or more a year listen to podcasts on a day-to-day basis. Meaning it’s a preferred way of consuming content by well resourced people!
Short digestible videos.
This is a great place to share short digestible videos that are compelling and fun to watch. Use informative, concise videos explaining or unpacking one tiny thing your client can do to get results. It can also go in deeper and talk more about your offers. (Which can help pre-sell your clients on your offers)
Webinars.
Believe it or not, webinars are actually still working. They’re being used by many people who run ads with great effectiveness if the message is very clear and there’s actually value within the webinar. Most people do not do webinars in a manner that creates clients, but once you master them, it can be a very fast way to move people to a sale.
E-books.
Topical e-books or short guides that solve one intense pain point they’re experiencing right now. Or something everyone in your audience asks you about. Is every person in your audience asking you how to get your baby to sleep for the night? A guidebook for sleepy parents on how to get your baby to sleep through the night will be something every parent downloads after all the usual advice fails. Or how to overcome stage fright for first time speakers. For another example: my own clients asked me over and over and over, where do I find high ticket clients? So my next opt in? “How to find high ticket clients for your coaching or consulting business.”
The bottom line is people are still downloading freebies when they’re considering a coach.
Not doing market research when creating lead magnets to market your coaching business? It’s time to start.
They’re still opting in for things to help them right away. They’re looking to solve the most intense pain first, but also looking to have fun while they complete your opt-in and solve their problem. They wish to accomplish something important with one piece of information.
Remember: your client is savvy and you are competing with many, many other people doing opt-ins like you. Look at your competitors. See what they’re offering and move to a completely different arena.
The worst thing you could do is look at your competitors and do something similar. Step outside yourself, go look at other people’s opt-ins and see which ones are interesting to you.
Make a note of the words and the phrases that really fire you up and make you want to investigate further. Use some of those phrases in your own marketing.
Use some of those phrases in the title of the opt-in. Also, don’t be afraid to try different things. Your audience may prefer a private podcast over a quiz. They may prefer a download and a checklist over a webinar. Test and tweak. And it doesn’t actually hurt to have more than one. Judge which one is doing the best and go all in promoting it.
In the meantime, I’m going to look around at other peoples opt-ins to see what I want to download. Maybe I’ll get yours, too.
Key Aways: Lead Magnets for Coaches
Lead magnets need to be designed to capture attention and provide emotional connection. People are overloaded with information and short on attention spans. Effective lead magnets should be quick to consume, provide a small win, and evoke positive emotions.
High-value clients are looking for coaches who can transport them to a better place, break the rules, or give them ultimate control. Lead magnets should tap into these desires by offering solutions that make clients feel powerful, joyful, or in charge.
Effective lead magnets in 2024 include quizzes, calculators, templates, short video content, private podcasts, and topical e-books. These formats are easy to consume, provide immediate value, and can be fun or gamified to hold attention.
It's important to differentiate yourself from competitors. Research what other coaches are offering and choose a unique lead magnet format or angle—don’t chase the trends.
Test and tweak your lead magnets. There's no one-size-fits-all approach. Experiment with different formats and content to see what resonates most with your target audience.
