What are “Subscriber Magnets” and Why You Need Them

The success of your email campaign depends upon how many subscribers actually open your emails. In order to build an email list, you need website visitors to sign up—which they are unlikely to do unless they get something that will benefit them. In our Email Marketing Series (Part I: Do’s and Don’ts; and Part II: Why Readers Unsubscribe From Your Newsletter), we touched upon the whys and the how’s of email marketing. Here, we will discuss the easiest way in which you can grow your email list, and to build a community of readers who would passionately wait for your content.

That is where subscriber magnets come in!

What exactly are subscriber magnets?

While giving away something for free to your subscribers may not seem like a very profitable thing to do, that is what motivates most people to sign up to your newsletter in the first place: the promise of something free, in exchange for their email address. This free downloadable content given away to email subscribers is called a “subscriber magnet,” and it can be anything from an eBook, to templates, life “cheat sheets,” or how-to videos.

Here’s a list of our favorite types that are highly successful for indie authors!

Subscriber Magnet Ideas for your Newsletter

1. A Sample Chapter/Preview of your Book

The best way to find the audience for your book is by giving away a free sample of it in your newsletter, in exchange for the reader’s email address. If readers are intrigued by the sample/preview they have read, they will purchase the book to know what happens next.

2. ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies)

The primary goal of a subscriber magnet is to attract subscribers (hence the term “magnet”). But by giving away ARCs of your book for free for a limited time period, in exchange for an honest review, you can build author legitimacy even before your book launch. Remember, readers are extremely reluctant to buy books from an unknown author. The more reviews you get, the more likely you are to find new readers who would like to try out your book and see what the hype is about.

3. Cheat Sheets

A cheat sheet, as the name suggests, is a list of tips and tricks that a person can follow to make their life easier. These cheat sheets can be very helpful for your subscribers since we are all on the hunt to find the shortest, simplest ways to perform a task. For instance, if I was a young writer struggling to keep up with deadlines, and you were giving me cheat sheet with tips for managing time and constructing a schedule via your newsletter, it would immediately make me one of your subscribers.

4. Videos/Tutorials

In this age of online education, minicourses and tutorials are invaluable. You can create short videos and tutorials based on your own experiences as a writer, and these don’t have to stick to a definite format. It can be interactive content with quizzes and questionnaires as well.

HubSpot, for example, offers a series of mini courses on email marketing, content marketing, etc, which is a great magnet for anybody trying their hand at self-publishing.