Have you heard the term freebie? How about opt-in or lead magnet? They all mean essentially the same thing—and that thing is a free incentive that you offer on your health coaching website or social media page in exchange for someone’s email address.
If you’ve ever seen a pop-up form suddenly appear as you’re scrolling through someone else’s website (health coach or not) offering a free e-book, guide, or discount, you know what I’m talking about. They want to collect your information so they can send you emails and nurture their relationship with you. Why? So that you’ll become a paying customer or client.
That’s why you want to have an incentive on your website.
By “opting-in” and downloading your freebie, your audience agrees to get email marketing from you. But how do you know what kind of incentive they want?
In today’s post, I’ll share types of freebies you can offer on your website right now, and show you inspiring examples of what other health coaches are doing for theirs.
10 Proven Types of Freebies
- eBook
- Checklist or cheat sheet
- Guide
- Starter Kit
- Quiz
- Invitation to a webinar or event
- Recipes or a meal plan
- Healthy food list
- Videos
- Discount for products or services
What you offer is important, but so is how you describe what you’re offering. When creating your freebie, think about what you specialize in as a health coach and what’s important to your niche audience, plus what catchy title will make people want to download it.
Consider quantifying your opt-in with a number, like 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Ditching Sugar or Steal My 20-Minute Fat Burning Routine. Your freebie could reveal something valuable to your audience, such as How to Sneak More Veggies into Your Kids’ Lunchbox or How to Survive Vacation Without Derailing Your Diet. Or it could act as a teaser, with a title like Get a Sneak Peek of My First 3 Chapters.
What Are Other Health Coaches Offering?
Now that you’ve seen some options for what you can do, here’s what other health coaches are using for their free incentives.
Amie Tollesfrud
What’s the Freebie: A Guide to Niche-ing Down Cheat Sheet (although she swaps out her her freebies regularly, as you’ll see if you click on her link)
Who it’s For: Health coaches, nutritionists, wellness enthusiasts, and NTPS who feel stuck when it comes to figuring out their niche and standing out in the crowd.
Why it Works: Amie regularly asks her subscribers and followers what aspects of their business they’re struggling with the most. She knows it’s a pain point for others because she asked them and got direct feedback. Amie’s Niche-ing Down Cheat Sheet solves a real problem for her audience. And this is just one of her freebies. Have a look around her home page to find even more.
Holly Higgins
What’s the Freebie: A Food & Mood Sensitivity Quiz
Who it’s For: People who’ve been told that their depression and anxiety stem from chemical imbalances, but are curious if something they’re eating is messing with their mood.
Why it Works: Holly knows her niche because she has a long-time history of battling depression herself. She’s used nutrition to reverse her own health challenges as well as those of her constant stream of clients. Holly’s Food & Mood Sensitivity Quiz demonstrates her expertise and unique value proposition.
Darryl Edwards
What’s the Freebie: An eBook on The Importance of Play, plus bonus downloads
Who it’s For: Sedentary folks (like he used to be) who want to learn more about primal movement and why it’s crucial for good health.
Why it Works: Darryl’s freebie is chock full of value. He doesn’t just send you the eBook when you subscribe. The Primal Play expert, Primal Health Coach Institute Board of Advisors member, and TEDx speaker also sends you a printable infographic and a link to a recent article he wrote that was published in the Journal of Evolution and Health. Darryl gets additional bonus points for including a fun call-to-action.
Abel James
What’s the Freebie: A Quick Start Guide to Fat Burning & 7-Day Meal Plan
Who it’s For: Men and women who are sick of wasting money on programs that don’t work and want to start burning fat right away.
Why it Works: Abel knows his audience is busy. And his freebie promises one quick win—burning fat. He knows that with his Quick Start Guide, 7-Day Meal Plan, and a complete grocery shopping list, his clients will be set up to easily achieve that win.
Christine Hassler
What’s the Freebie: A customized Expectation Hangover® treatment plan (delivered in a video and worksheet)
Who it’s for: People ready to move past their limiting beliefs and make an action plan to live the life they’ve always wanted.
Why it works: Not only is Christine the Master Coach here at the Primal Health Coach Institute, she’s also a world-renowned life coach. Her Expectation Hangover treatment plan works because it’s consistent with her overall message—helping people reach their goals by removing the self-imposed obstacles standing in their way. Consistency is key when building your brand, and your incentive is no exception.
Jillian Guerin
What’s the Freebie: A downloadable PDF with 4 Steps to More Energy
Who it’s for: Busy professionals who are battling burnout (like Jillian did) and want to rediscover their zest for life.
Why it works: Jillian’s freebie is instantly accessible. Instead of digging through your spam folder for an email with a link buried somewhere on the page, you can download her guide the second you enter your email address.
Jess Baumgardner
What’s the Freebie: A 3-Day Guide to Realistic Self-Care
Who it’s For: New moms who are craving confidence and looking to add more balance to their lives.
Why it Works: The more specific you can get about the benefits of your freebie, the better. Jess is an expert in helping new moms make self-care a priority, and her 3-Day Guide reflects that by offering something specific. In this case, it’s easy ways to add more self-care to your routine as a busy mom.
Nicole Jardim
What’s the Freebie: A Period Quiz to help women get to the root cause of their PMS symptoms
Who it’s For: Women with painful or confusing symptoms who dread that time of the month.
Why it Works: It’s like getting a free session with one of the leading experts in hormonal health. In less than 10 minutes, you’ll get a custom report based on your unique answers. Plus, Nicole includes a free 3-part course on how to fix your period when she sends your results.
Conclusion
I opted-in to these health coaches’ freebies to see what the experience was like, but you don’t necessarily have to. Use their lead magnets as a guide as you think about what appeals to your niche and what your audience (or friends and family) is always asking you about, and pick one of the formats listed above.
You want to offer something valuable to your niche so they feel like it’s worthwhile to submit their email address. And, of course, you want to collect their email address to start nurturing your relationship with them to take them from curious prospect to paying client.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more helpful tips on email marketing, including what kinds of emails you should be writing and how to properly curate your list.
