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183 | The Lead Magnet Strategy Every Coach Needs to Build Their Email List · Women in The Coaching Arena

• 0:00
  Speaker: Social media is rented land.
• 0:02
  Speaker: You don't own it, the algorithm changes, your reach drops, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.
• 0:11
  Speaker: I have experienced this firsthand.
• 0:14
  Speaker: Posts that would've done brilliantly a year ago just don't do well anymore.
• 0:19
  Speaker: But your email list is all yours.
• 0:23
  Speaker: No one can take it away from you.
• 0:26
  Speaker: There is no algorithm for email, no platform update that's gonna mess up your life.
• 0:31
  Speaker: My list is around 2,300 people at the moment, and I still get a huge proportion of my clients from email.
• 0:42
  Speaker: Welcome back to Women in the Coaching Arena.
• 0:44
  Speaker: I am Jo Lott.
• 0:45
  Speaker: Today, we are talking about how to build an email list, even if right now you have zero subscribers and the whole tech thing feels a bit overwhelming.
• 0:55
  Speaker: I remember that feeling really well, and I sent my husband and kids away for three full days so I could do my first email list build.
• 1:05
  Speaker: It genuinely took from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM over three full days to do it.
• 1:13
  Speaker: So even though I put it off for a little while, it really is worth your time.
• 1:19
  Speaker: So let me walk you through exactly how to do this.
• 1:22
  Speaker: To build an email list, you need a reason for people to join.
• 1:27
  Speaker: Generally, people won't sign up because you say, "Subscribe to my newsletter."
• 1:32
  Speaker: You really need to be offering them something valuable in exchange for their email address.
• 1:37
  Speaker: You may know this as a lead magnet.
• 1:40
  Speaker: So I, for example, have a coach's planner.
• 1:43
  Speaker: I have another one called 12 Ways to Get Clients.
• 1:46
  Speaker: I have a quiz.
• 1:47
  Speaker: I have so many other lead magnets, which is a way of inviting people to step towards you.
• 1:53
  Speaker: Often, the simplest lead magnet really works.
• 1:57
  Speaker: There are three types of lead magnets that work really well for coaches.
• 2:01
  Speaker: So one is a short guide or checklist, something like five steps to landing your next job, something that people can actually use straight away A lot of the people in my program will do something that's far too big
• 2:15
  Speaker: picture, and then I always give the feedback, we need to be micro-specific here.
• 2:21
  Speaker: Solve one tiny, tiny problem versus, you know, how to find your purpose or something that's so wide that people just can't get that quick win quick enough.
• 2:32
  Speaker: One of my clients, Claire, created a new lead magnet and got four new signups in her very first week, not thousands, but four.
• 2:40
  Speaker: So here the message is appreciate every single subscriber.
• 2:46
  Speaker: Don't think, "I'll start writing to my list weekly when I have hundreds of subscribers."
• 2:52
  Speaker: Treat these people like gold and treat them like you will if you had thousands of people on your list.
• 2:59
  Speaker: A mini training or video can really work well because it can also double up as a deep nurture tool.
• 3:05
  Speaker: So I, for example, have a 15-minute webinar that people can watch, so then they can make progress in their business and also get to know me in the process.
• 3:15
  Speaker: Create something that's genuinely useful that will give people a taste of you and how you coach.
• 3:20
  Speaker: The last one I will mention here that my clients have recently become hugely successful with are using AI bots as lead magnets In my program, I have a training and a specific bot that will help you create your
• 3:37
  Speaker: own custom bot.
• 3:39
  Speaker: So one of my clients, Andy, has done really well, got his out immediately, and the best thing is it will help people maybe identify their strengths or their next career move, but it will also say, "If you're really
• 3:51
  Speaker: struggling with this, book a call with Andy.
• 3:54
  Speaker: Here's his Calendly link."
• 3:56
  Speaker: So it's out there working for him all of the time.
• 3:59
  Speaker: But here is the key with any lead magnet, a micro problem beats broad.
• 4:05
  Speaker: So five steps to landing your first coaching client is so much better than everything you need to know about a coaching business.
• 4:14
  Speaker: I learnt this firsthand because my first ever lead magnet was called 10 Essential Steps to Start a Coaching Business.
• 4:22
  Speaker: Obviously, everybody needs to know the steps, or so I thought.
• 4:26
  Speaker: I got a trickle of subscribers over a year or so.
• 4:30
  Speaker: Then I did a different lead magnet, which was called 12 Ways to Get Clients Now, Steps that You Can Take in Less Than 15 Minutes, and I got an absolute flurry of subscribers because everyone wants a quick win,
• 4:44
  Speaker: and we as coaches want to help people have the full big transformation, but the way of the world is we just want quick wins.
• 4:53
  Speaker: So give them that quick win, and then they might come to you for the bigger transformation.
• 4:59
  Speaker: So please don't overthink this lead magnet thing.
• 5:02
  Speaker: First lead magnet can be a simple Google Doc.
• 5:05
  Speaker: It doesn't need to be perfectly designed or professional, but the value is in the content.
• 5:11
  Speaker: Just get something out there and make it pretty sometime later.
• 5:15
  Speaker: Right, so you have your lead magnet Now you need people to actually find it and sign up.
• 5:21
  Speaker: There are three main places for this.
• 5:23
  Speaker: Firstly, your social media, so at the bottom of your posts or in the comments, try and bring people towards your lead magnet.
• 5:31
  Speaker: Not every post, because maybe that would be annoying, but regularly, consistently.
• 5:35
  Speaker: I'm talking several times a week here.
• 5:38
  Speaker: In your LinkedIn featured section is another great way.
• 5:41
  Speaker: You can directly link to a link, so don't choose post here, choose link, and people will directly go to your lead magnet link.
• 5:51
  Speaker: Finally, speaking, networking, podcasts, and anything else you're doing, essentially.
• 5:56
  Speaker: So at the end of your talk or whatever it is you're doing, then try and think about what lead magnet would be a perfect next step.
• 6:04
  Speaker: Here are the five emails that every new subscriber should get.
• 6:08
  Speaker: Once someone signs up, you have about 48 hours where they are most interested in you, most engaged, and most likely to read what you send.
• 6:19
  Speaker: So you need a welcome sequence, which is a series of emails that go out automatically over the first couple of weeks.
• 6:27
  Speaker: Here's what I would include.
• 6:29
  Speaker: So email one is the welcome.
• 6:31
  Speaker: Send it immediately with their gift, their lead magnet, whatever it is they signed up for.
• 6:36
  Speaker: Tell them about you.
• 6:38
  Speaker: Tell them what to expect.
• 6:39
  Speaker: Keep it warm and keep it short.
• 6:41
  Speaker: Email two is your story, why you.
• 6:45
  Speaker: And in this one, the idea is to repel or rally.
• 6:49
  Speaker: So feel free to share your actual opinions.
• 6:52
  Speaker: If they're your type of person, they will stay on your list.
• 6:56
  Speaker: If they aren't your type of person, they will unsubscribe, and that is what we want.
• 7:01
  Speaker: The more you try and keep everybody happy, the less likely it is that you will connect with your actual people.
• 7:08
  Speaker: Email three is your best piece of content.
• 7:11
  Speaker: For example, I have recently weaved in my top-rated blog post, which is called How to Start a Coaching Business, because it's number one on Google, so people obviously find it valuable.
• 7:24
  Speaker: So it was a bit crazy that I hadn't really put that in my emails when it is my best piece of content out there.
• 7:33
  Speaker: It helps people to think, "Okay, she really knows her stuff and knows how to break it down for me."
• 7:38
  Speaker: Email four, let's talk proof now, so share a client story or testimonial.
• 7:44
  Speaker: Feel free to show a real transformation.
• 7:47
  Speaker: It doesn't always need to be the big, shiny kind.
• 7:50
  Speaker: Sometimes people want a believable transformation.
• 7:53
  Speaker: Email five is your invitation, so tell them how they can work with you.
• 7:59
  Speaker: Don't avoid this step.
• 8:00
  Speaker: If they are on your list, they probably have the problem that you solve, so it's your duty to let them know how you can help them.
• 8:09
  Speaker: So they are the basis of your nurture sequence.
• 8:13
  Speaker: And honestly, you never know when the right person is going to come along.
• 8:18
  Speaker: One of my favorite stories is Melissa.
• 8:21
  Speaker: She found me, signed up, received my welcome sequence, and bought on email two.
• 8:27
  Speaker: That doesn't happen often, so don't think you can just do these five emails and everyone will sign up.
• 8:34
  Speaker: Just know that they are prime to talk to people that are ready to buy now.
• 8:39
  Speaker: But most people aren't ready to buy now, so don't forget to actually continue to nurture your list every single week for years.
• 8:49
  Speaker: I know that's harsh, but it's reality, and I've been emailing my list every week for around six years now.
• 8:55
  Speaker: Why your newsletter doesn't have to be perfect.
• 8:58
  Speaker: So I send out the Honest Edit every single week, and I'll be honest, it took me years of emailing consistently before I even gave my newsletter a proper name.
• 9:09
  Speaker: I did this in the last nine months or so.
• 9:13
  Speaker: I was always a bit envious when I'd receive someone else's newsletter with a lovely name and a clear identity, but it took me a really long time to figure out what I wanted mine to be.
• 9:25
  Speaker: So if you haven't named yours yet, you're feeling overwhelmed by the whole thing, that's fine.
• 9:29
  Speaker: Just start now and get perfect later.
• 9:32
  Speaker: So what do you actually write, you may be asking?
• 9:35
  Speaker: Here's a simple approach.
• 9:37
  Speaker: One useful thing, maybe an insight, a framework, something that come up in your coaching sessions.
• 9:44
  Speaker: Ideally, something that they can actually use.
• 9:47
  Speaker: The idea in all of our marketing is that people just start slowly, slowly improving their problem.
• 9:55
  Speaker: So much so, they start thinking maybe this thing could work out for me.
• 10:00
  Speaker: So for example, if they're a leader and you start sharing how to have a difficult conversation, and they try it and it works, then instead of them being less likely to buy from you, they actually think, "Wow, I
• 10:14
  Speaker: actually did that, and it made a big difference.
• 10:17
  Speaker: What else could they help me with?"
• 10:19
  Speaker: So the idea is to help your ideal client take tiny, tiny steps up that staircase towards you.
• 10:26
  Speaker: One personal thing you could share in your newsletter is something that's going on in your world.
• 10:32
  Speaker: I think with AI now, we're all desperately craving real life, so something that makes that person know that this is a real email that you've written and you are a real human being, not just a name in their
• 10:47
  Speaker: inbox.
• 10:48
  Speaker: Finally, do include your next step, so an invitation to hit reply is always a good one.
• 10:55
  Speaker: If you are wanting to lead them somewhere else, like your website or your podcast or your workshop, then do that.
• 11:02
  Speaker: Even when you think no one's reading and there's hardly anyone on your list, and actually use this to your advantage.
• 11:09
  Speaker: The best thing about having a really small list is that you can actually personally email them, so you can get their name and manually send a welcome email as well if you wanted to.
• 11:21
  Speaker: So feel free with it whilst we set the sequence up so you have some sort of automated system.
• 11:27
  Speaker: Really just be creative and know you can keep in touch with these people in all sorts of ways.
• 11:33
  Speaker: So let's tackle quickly what might get in the way.
• 11:36
  Speaker: So I don't know what to write is something I hear about all the time, and I've covered that here.
• 11:41
  Speaker: Write about things you're annoyed about, something that happened this week, maybe a mistake that you made.
• 11:47
  Speaker: You will never run out of material if you're constantly asking yourself, "What did I learn this week?"
• 11:53
  Speaker: Next up is nobody will sign up.
• 11:56
  Speaker: Start with those you know, maybe your former clients.
• 11:59
  Speaker: Send your lead magnet to them, your existing contacts.
• 12:03
  Speaker: I personally send mine to new LinkedIn connections as well in a really nice way, and that depends on what sort of lead magnet you have as to whether you can carry that off without looking pushy.
• 12:15
  Speaker: But I genuinely believe my planner is super useful, so I have no qualms in sharing it.
• 12:20
  Speaker: And just know your first 50 subscribers will be likely people that already know you, and that is brilliant because they are the most likely to become clients.
• 12:31
  Speaker: The final thing I hear often is, "I don't want to be one of those annoying people emailing."
• 12:37
  Speaker: If they signed up That means they want to hear from you, so you are not annoying them, you are serving them and providing value.
• 12:46
  Speaker: And if somebody unsubscribes, that's actually great because they weren't your person to begin with.
• 12:52
  Speaker: Your list will get more focused, which is exactly what you want.
• 12:56
  Speaker: So one thing you can do after today's episode is create your first lead magnet, or if you have one already, review it and just see it from that person who signs up eyes.
• 13:09
  Speaker: I looked at a client's lead magnet yesterday, and I'm probably her ideal client, like I'm really interested in her work.
• 13:16
  Speaker: But her lead magnet was so complex that despite me trying to read it to give her feedback, often I just couldn't read it because it was a really long, maybe six-page article, a bit like a book.
• 13:31
  Speaker: And when I've just signed up for a quick lead magnet, I want a quick win.
• 13:35
  Speaker: I'm not in a place where I can sit down for 30 minutes and read an article.
• 13:39
  Speaker: So really do think about how you can keep it simple and give people a quick win.
• 13:44
  Speaker: The tech is a bit more of a minefield.
• 13:48
  Speaker: In my program, I provide a pre-built funnel template, so you have the sign-up page, thank you page, and the emails already attached in a tech platform.
• 13:57
  Speaker: So that helps people get this over the line.
• 14:00
  Speaker: But even with that, it does take head space for the tech, and know that that's normal.
• 14:06
  Speaker: But once it's done, it will continue to work for you for years.
• 14:10
  Speaker: It's one of those things that you feel like never doing, and in six months' time, you will realize you've built something incredibly powerful, a direct line to people who have actually opted in and said that they want to
• 14:24
  Speaker: hear from you.
• 14:26
  Speaker: That is worth more than 10,000 Instagram followers.
• 14:29
  Speaker: If you are not on my email list yet, I send out the Honest Edit every single week with practical advice for building your coaching business.
• 14:38
  Speaker: I will share the link in the description, and I look forward to seeing you over there.
• 14:42
  Speaker: So see you next week, and like I always say, trust yourself, believe in yourself, and be the wise gardener who keeps on watering the seed.