What exactly is a Lead Magnet? As the name suggests, a Lead Magnet is something you offer to potential clients (aka leads) in return for something else — typically their email address or other contact information. You might also hear it referred to as “gated content” because you cannot access the offer unless you provide your contact info (although we do like the idea of providing teaser content up front; we’ll get to this later).

The goal of the Lead Magnet is simple­­­­ — to maximize the number of targeted leads you get in exchange for an offer. So as you can imagine, measuring success is incredibly easy. Here are a few expert tips from our friends at Digital Marketer to help you get started.

Tip 1. When creating a Lead Magnet you MUST know your audience. For example, if you specialize in luxury properties, offering a how-to-guide on flipping homes doesn’t suit your market.

Tip 2.  Lead Magnets must be as specific as possible. You need to solve a specific problem with a specific solution for a specific segment of your market.

Tip 3. Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean it should LOOK free. Use professional graphics and imagery to establish real monetary value in the mind of the visitor.

Tip 4. You also want to create a sense of urgency and a feeling of “missing out” if your visitor doesn’t download the Lead Magnet.

Tip 5. And finally, if the Lead Magnet is difficult to consume (for example, a 300-page eBook or a 30-day home seller’s course) the conversion rates on the offer will suffer.

The truth is there are lots of ways to get more leads. Here are 7 Lead Magnet examples to turn those distracted and busy people visiting your website into your newest, high-quality leads.

Guide/Report
Reports and guides are among the most common types of Lead Magnets. The good news is they don’t have to be long. A local market guide is a perfect example. Another idea is to offer a Housefax Report to all serious homebuyers. Not only does it help you generate leads, Housefax Reports are also a unique way to differentiate your business.

Here is an example we just couldn’t wait to share: http://welcomehomeabq.com/housefax/. Just like this leading real estate agency, you too can add a lead form for prospective buyers to request a free Housefax Report from you directly.

Or, include specific teaser content about the property: “This home has 10 building permits. Contact me and I’ll show you the Housefax Report.”

Another approach is an “ASK ME” Housefax campaign. Simply add these common questions to your website or social media to pique buyer curiosity. Your response is a Housefax Report.

• Is this basement permitted? ASK ME
• Is this house in a flood zone? ASK ME
• Has this house had a reported fire? ASK ME
• What are the nearest schools? ASK ME
• Has the roof been replaced? ASK ME

See how this makes YOU not only look like the property expert but also an honest and transparent agent? Who wouldn’t want to work with you? It’s absolutely brilliant.

Cheat Sheet/Handout
Cheat sheets and handouts work well as Lead Magnets. They have a different “feel” to them than reports or guides. They are generally very short (one page or so) and cut straight to an ultra-specific point. An example is 5 Questions to Ask during Your Next Home Inspection.

Toolkit/Resource List
A toolkit or resource list can be a powerful Lead Magnet for real estate agents. An easy example is repurposing this Open House article on your website. By adding a few additional ideas this can easily turn into a PDF download. Just don’t forget to add your agency name and contact info for when it gets shared!

Video Training
If it makes sense, and you have the skillset, video can be a very effective way to deliver your Lead Magnet. We just LOVE the idea of live streaming a Q&A session on Facebook. Not only is it personal and high impact, but it also makes you the neighborhood expert who’s incredibly on-trend with the latest tech tools. It’s seriously a grand slam!

Quiz/Survey
A quiz or survey, with results delivered via email, can be an engaging way to generate new leads. A fun quiz has an incredibly high — if not the highest completion rate (BuzzFeed, anyone?) If you have a WordPress website, you can use a quiz building plugin like WordPress Viral Quiz to create these quizzes. If not, check out QuizFunnels. With quizzes you get a boatload of additional information on your lead. And if you tie it into a specific event or holiday (like Halloween) you can almost guarantee it will go viral. Would You Survive a Haunted House? We’d love to find out!

Assessment/Test
An assessment or test, particularly if it is delivered online to increase the lead’s speed of readiness, can make a powerful Lead Magnet. A perfect example is Are You Ready to Be a First-Time Home Buyer? Take This Test. You can leverage any of the quiz/survey tools previously mentioned to create this.

Contests
Who doesn’t want to be a winner? Contests are easy to create, but keep in mind participation varies widely based on the prize. For more information check out, Contest Domination, a leader in developing viral contests.

Got a great idea for a Lead Magnet? Tell us what you’re using for your Lead Magnet in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on the Housefax blog.