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Lead magnets are an effective technique for gaining a prospect’s contact information. The problem is that these magnets can take a lot of time and energy to produce. Podcasts, e-learning courses, video series, and contests all sound great but seriously, who has time for that?

In this article, I want to show you nine different lead magnets that you can create today by recycling content that you already have.Every blog post in your archive has the potential to generate new leads for your business so let’s make sure that your blog is a lead generating machine.

1) The Mini Ebook

The mini ebook is perfect when you have a series of blog posts about a related subject. For example, if you were running an online pet store then you might pick out the following five posts from your blog to combine into an ebook:

• The 5 pieces of equipment that every puppy needs
• The ultimate guide to housetraining a puppy
• The first 6 months: what you can expect from your new puppy
• The puppy nutrition guide: what your dog should and shouldn’t eat
• The 7 things you should never do when training a puppy

These posts could be logically compiled into an ebook entitled “The Puppy Planner: Everything you need to know to prepare for your first puppy”.

This type of ebook is effective because you are making life easy for visitors to your website. Rather than asking them to find all this content one article at a time, you’re packing it up into a convenient bundle that they can keep and refer back to. The most successful lead magnets offer an irresistible and instant reward to your visitors and the mini ebook certainly ticks that box.

2) The Ultimate Guide

If you’re in an industry that is already well established then it can be hard to come up with original content. Sometimes other people have covered a subject in such detail that it’s almost impossible to add extra value. In this situation I would recommend producing an Ultimate Guide.

An Ultimate Guide is a comprehensive collection of the best articles about a particular subject. The main difference between this and a mini ebook is that you are not recycling posts from your own blog but rather linking directly to other sites. It’s important that you don’t copy and paste someone else’s content into your guide but rather just include a link back to the original article.

In this example Brian Dean from Backlinko.com produced Link Building: The Definitive Guide

Link building is a complicated and broad subject so Dean’s definitive guide saves his audience a lot of time looking for this content. And since so many other experts have written fantastic content about link building Dean also saved himself the time of competing with content that already exists.

Rather than just listing the links, Dean adds extra value to his audience by categorizing them and including a brief introduction for each category. This guide has also been well designed, reiterating that this a valuable resource that should be kept and referred back to.

Do you work in an industry that is already bursting with quality content? Why not think about making your own Ultimate Guide.

3) The Bonus Pack

Offering additional content that is not included in the original blog post is the perfect way to reward readers who opt-in. If you have an article titled “The 5 Pieces of Equipment That Every Puppy Needs” then you could offer readers an exclusive PDF with a few more pieces of equipment that may have come on the market since the original post was published.

In his article “How to go from one Facebook ad to $197 in less than 60 seconds“ blogger Bryan Harris took this one step further and combined a PDF version of the article along with 5 links that weren’t in the original post – people only got these bonuses when they subscribed.

This lead magnet was so successful that 42% of the people who saw it opted-in to receive the Bonus Pack. Imagine the leads you would have if almost half the people who visited your website gave you their email address!

4) The Resource Guide

If you have written a strategic blog post then you might want to consider offering a Resource Guide as a lead magnet. A Resource Guide is a collection of things that help people achieve results.

Dean used this strategy in his post “Seo Tools: The Complete List.” He offered a free download that detailed the 153 tools featured in his post – the perfect resource for a reader to keep and refer to whenever they need.

The Resource Guide could be as simple as list of five books or apps that you recommend. Since it is easier to buy a tool to get results than it is to actually implement a strategy, your readers will love this.

What resources could you recommend to a potential customer that would help them to achieve better results?

5) The Checklist

Instructional blog posts are just waiting to be turned into Checklists – and they couldn’t be easier to create. Just take your blog post and simplify it into a series of bullet points. Next, remove any points that don’t contain actionable advice. Split the list into several numbered steps to make the outcome more achievable.

Bonus points if you offer the Checklist in a printable format so people can physically tick-off as they go. That sense of achievement is a great feeling that people will attribute back to you.

This Ultimate Webinar Checklist from HubSpot is an incredibly valuable lead magnet because of how practical it is. Hosting a webinar involves balancing a lot of different tasks coming together at the same time. This checklist informs you about everything you need to watch out for from pre to post webinar. 

6) The Workbook

The Workbook is an incredibly effective lead magnet, especially for service businesses. In its simplest form a Workbook is a download-and-complete resource that helps people to apply the principles of your blog post to their business.

Neil Patel offers this highly practical Workbook for writing blog posts that rank in Google. It includes exercises like planning your blog post structure and experimenting with different introductions.

Patel’s example is brilliantly simple in its execution. He keeps the design to a minimum so people won’t worry about their ink running out when printing and he has left plenty of room for people to write their answers.

The goal of a Workbook is to have the participant learn by doing. As the teacher in this scenario you are positioning your business as an expert on the matter at hand. With that in mind you want to choose the exercises that you set in your Workbook carefully. Ideally you want to gradually tease information out of the participant so that at the end of the Workbook they can combine their short answers into a comprehensive piece of work – in Patel’s case the participant would have had a complete blog post written by the time they finished.

A Workbook is the perfect stepping stone to your premium products or services so be sure to include a strong call to action at the end which clearly tells the participant how you can help them to apply their new found knowledge.

Is there a particular subject that you could help you audience understand more clearly with a Workbook?

7) The Secret

One of the best lead magnets that I have ever seen was produced by Tim Soulo. It was so effective that I immediately opted-in without thinking. Suolo had written a blog post about sending an outreach email to well known blogger Rand Fishkin. His call-to-action was:

This call-to-action was pitch perfect because it got me curious. I just had to know what the email subject was. I also knew that it would be a relatively short read so I wouldn’t have to commit to a lengthy ebook – lazy I know but that’s human nature sometimes!

Suolo’s lead magnet is just 1 page and was just made with a standard Word Processor. There was no point in spending time or money on the design in this case because the secret is the only thing that matters.

I blurred out the tell-tale image and text in the above screenshot – if you want to know Suolo’s secret then you’ll just have to download the lead magnet!

Do you have any behind the scenes insights to a blog post that are compelling enough to offer as a downloadable secret?

8) The Cheat Sheet

If your blog post covers a complicated topic then it might be a good idea to offer readers a one-page sheet that they can refer back to when they need to refresh their memory. This could be a glossary of terms or just a brief summary of some key points.

This type of download-and-keep resource takes the pressure off readers so they don’t have to memorize or implement your strategy immediately. It does compel readers to opt-in to your list though which is the ultimate aim.

In this example, Jay Acunzo offers a Visual Cheat-Sheet for Editing to Help You Move Faster. The goal here is to help his readers to edit their work while still moving quickly through the process. A Cheat Sheet is the perfect resource here because the compact format means that people can quickly glance at it while they are going through the edit process. It really is a complementary tool for an existing process.

9) The Guestbook

If you have used guest blogging as a backlink strategy then you probably agreed to not republish that particular post on your own blog. This is fairly common as Google punishes sites that duplicate content so it’s in nobody’s best interests.

What you can do though is compile all these guest posts into a book format. Since the content will be gated behind a lead capture form there is no risk of Google flagging it as duplicate content and you get to squeeze a little bit of extra value from that content you worked so hard on.

Conclusion

There you have it, nine ways to recycle your existing content into lead generating assets. Since you already have the content, each of these lead magnets should take no longer than 20 minutes to produce. Just think of the all the extra leads you could generate if you added a lead magnet to each blog post in your archive.

With the average attention span dipping to just 8.25 seconds — as short as that of a goldfish— today’s marketers are tasked with creating content that’s engaging enough to appeal to distracted consumers.

With that in mind, Snapchat — a real-time messaging and multimedia app — has become an increasingly attractive channel for those looking to engage the 18-34 year old demographic and grow their brand’s social media presence.

This is largely due to the fact that Snapchat content is inherently time-bound: Snapchat Stories disappear after just 24 hours. This constraint helps command the immediate attention of an audience, while forcing brands to master the art of succinct, interesting content.

And while many brands are hitting the nail on the head in this space, it’s not easy. That’s why we put together this guide to dive into the nitty-gritty of how to create an effective Snapchat Story — and why it’s a feature should be leveraging.

What is a Snapchat Story?

Before we get started, let’s review the differences between a Snap and a Story:

• Snap: A direct photo or video message from one Snapchat user to their Snapchat Friend (or several). Snaps disappear 1-10 seconds after they are first opened, and they can be customized
• Story: A photo or video message Snapchat users can view for 24 hours and as many times as they choose within that timeframe. Brands share Stories to engage with a larger audience for a longer period of time.

In this post, we’re going to specifically zoom in on what goes into creating a successful Snapchat Story, but you can refer to our Snapchat for Business ebook for a more comprehensive look at Snapchat strategy.

How to Create a Snapchat Story

Before You Share

1) Experiment.

My colleague, HubSpot Social Media Manager Marissa Breton, recommends that before stepping behind the helm of a brand’s Snapchat, users play with the Snapchat sharing and editing functionalities with a personal account.

The most engaging Snapchat content is authentic to the voice and personality of a brand, so experimenting with what Stories your personal Snapchat friends engage with will be great preparation. To learn more about opening a personal or brand Snapchat account, check out Breton’s article on how to use Snapchat for business.

2) Adjust your privacy settings.

Additionally, you should change your Settings so Everyone can see your Stories, instead of just My Friends to promote greater visibility for your brand.

You can navigate to your Settings by pressing the icon at the top of your Snapchat view, then by pressing the gear icon, then adjusting who can view your Story under “Who Can…”

Creating a Snapchat Story

1) Take a Snap.

Snapchat opens to the camera view, so you can tap the icon to take a photo or press and hold it to record a video.

You can add a lens if you are sharing a photo or video selfie by pressing down on your face until different lens options appear, such as the one pictured below:

Source: Snapchat

2) Customize your Snap.

Now comes the fun part: Deciding how you want to make your Snap Story unique.

Source: Snapchat

Once you take a Snap, you have a few options:

• Discard your story by pressing the “X” icon in the top left.
• Add emojis by pressing the post-it icon, then choosing a fun icon that fit your brand’s voice.
• Add a caption by tapping on the image or video and typing into the gray bar.

• Add a doodle by tapping the pencil icon and using your finger to scribble on the screen.

• Add a filter by swiping left on your Snap. (Pro Tip: If you want to use two filters on a photo or video, hold one thumb down on the first filter, then continue swiping left until you decide on the perfect filter combo.)

There are more filters to choose from based on where you are located while Snapping. These are called Geofilters, and they provide another layer of individualization and connection with your local audience. To access this feature, you’ll need to adjust your setting first, as shown below.

You can also pay to make a custom, on-demand Geofilter using your own design. This is a great way to engage your followers if you host an event.

Source: Snapchat

• Adjust the duration of how long your Story plays using the stopwatch icon. The maximum length of an individual Snap is 10 seconds, however you can create multiple Snaps to add to your Story to achieve a longer effect.

• Save your Story to your phone’s photo album by clicking on the icon indicated below:

• Share the Snap to your Story by clicking the icon indicated below. This will share the photo or video with your Snapchat friends, or anyone if you made your account public.

• Send your Snap to Friends and share it on your Story by tapping the blue arrow.

When you publish a Snapchat Story, it lives on your profile for 24 hours, during which viewers can check it out as many times as they would like. Most brands and individuals publish multiple images/videos in a string that can serve as the narrative of their Story, live-sharing, or simply a fun collage.

Source: Snapchat

You can also publish your Snapchat Story on a Live Story, a compilation of Snaps and Stories submitted by users at different events worldwide. If you’re near a location or event that is being featured on a Live Story by Snapchat, you have the option to select “My Story” and “Live Story” when selecting the blue arrow to share your Snap. If your Story is selected for the Live Story, anyone will be able to view your photo or video, and more people will be exposed to your brand.

Source: Snapchat

After You Share

1) Save your Story.

Snapchat recently introduced Memories, where you can save Snaps and Stories to your account to prevent them from disappearing after 24 hours. From Memories, you can share new Stories, edit and view past ones, and re-share past Stories on your profile (for example, to commemorate events).

Source: Snapchat

2) Track your results.

Breton notes in her article that one of Snapchat’s weaknesses is its analytics: The only data you can pull refer to views (), replies, and screenshots () — and those numbers are only available within the 24-hour timeframe of you publishing a Story.

To view your own Story and to pull these numbers:

1. Swipe left on the Camera screen to reach the Stories screen.
2. Tap the circular thumbnail of your Story, or the three gray dots on the right-hand side.
3. Tap each individual Snap to view the number of views and screenshots.

By tracking these numbers for each Story, and viewing how they evolve over time, you can glean a rough idea of how your Snapchat influence and following is growing.

Breton suggests analyzing clickthrough rate to determine how many people are viewing every image or video that you share in your Story through to the end. Are some viewing the first Snap or two, but not the entire series? Analyzing these numbers will help you decide which types of content perform best, and how many Snaps you should be publishing in your Stories to best connect with your audience.

4 Tips for Creating Great Snapchat Stories

Content creators and community managers, rejoice: With only 10 seconds available per Snap, your Story won’t require the production lift that’s typical of blog posts, ebooks, or social media campaigns on other networks.

Take advantage of the extra time Snapchat allots you to strategize how to make your Stories as strong and engaging as possible. Here are a few suggestions to get you headed on the right path:

1) Experiment with the format.

Breton suggests taking advantage of the ease of Snap Story production by experimenting with how different types of Stories perform when you first start sharing. Test how your followers engage with:

• Videos vs. photos
• Selfies vs. shooting other subjects
• Background sound vs. no sound

2) Change up the theme.

Be sure to show your followers different things each time you publish a Story to keep them wondering what’s next. Ideas for creative Snap Stories from brands include:

Spotlighting events that you’re hosting or attending to give your followers a look into the innovative ideas your brand is creating or promoting. Here’s an example from the social media team at Marie Claire (@MarieClaireMag) taking a tour of NFL Headquarters:

Providing a behind-the-scenes look into your organization’s culture and products to give your followers “insider” status. Here, the Taco Bell (@tacobell) team showed their followers a list of “menu hacks” so they could create their own unique, off-menu dishes:

Getting out of the office and enlisting colleagues and partners traveling on behalf of your brand to share Stories from unique locations for an added “cool” factor. For example, Marriott Hotels (@MarriottHotels) filmed a team member traveling to different boutiques in Atlanta:

Performing mini-interviews with colleagues or visitors to get a look at the faces and personalities behind the brand, as Teen Vogue (@teenvogue) demonstrates in their Story’s Q&A:

Creating how-to videos showing followers how to use products to drive engagement. In their Snapchat Story, Bustle (@bustledotcom) shared a step-by-step guide to an at-home beauty solution and used emojis and doodles to provide specific instructions:

Highlighting “newsjacks” covering breaking news in your industry that your followers will be interested in, too. TrackMaven (@track.maven) publishes a weekly Story that covers marketing news, such as the one below:

3) Have fun with stickers, filters, and doodles.

Don’t forget the editing features when you’re preparing to share your Story. Thrillist’s Dave Infante recommends using emojis as props to add an additional dynamic layer to your Story, like this:

Source: Snapchat

4) Don’t say too long, but don’t leave without saying goodbye either.

The time limit on each Snap in your Story is 10 seconds, but you can publish a series of Stories that work together to create an interesting narrative for your followers. That being said, don’t tell a story that requires too many Snaps. 

When a Story includes too many Snaps, it becomes hard to follow along with, so stick to the highlights. And don’t forget to sign off: Infante suggests a final, closing Snap at the end of your Story to make your conclusion very clear to your followers.

Ready to Get Started?

Now that you know how Stories work — and what goes into a great one, check out this post to brush up on what some of the best brands are doing on Snapchat. And if you want an even deeper dive into Snapchat strategy, download this free ebook.

(P.S. – Keep up with HubSpot on Snapchat (@hubspotinc) to see what we’re saying, too.)

What content do you like to share in your brand’s Snapchat Story? Share with us in the comments below.

If you’re among the 50% of us who check email from bed when we should be sleeping, then you know: We, as a society, are completely addicted to our email.

And you can chalk it up to dopamine — the neurotransmitter that makes us keep doing stuff that feels rewarding. Back in the day, those were things like eating, or having a nice conversation.

But now, says psychologist Dr. Laurie Paul, “the brain can become addicted to other things, such as the internet.” That means getting unread email notifications can trigger the same dopamine path. So we repeatedly check it, hoping for the same reward.

Want to kick the habit? This infographic below from Headway Capital has some helpful tips. (And to make the most of your time, check out our free ebook, 27 Email Hacks That’ll Make You More Productive.)