(YOUR WEEKLY NOTE FROM ANGELINE)

Hello Reader,

If you're new here, welcome! In this newsletter, I help coaches and speakers who use speaking engagements create systems for nurturing leads and turning audiences into clients.

Today we're covering the three steps to building a lead magnet—the trap hiding inside each one, and how to break free.

Let's dive in!

Growing your email list is one of the most reliable ways to grow your coaching business. And one of the most common ways to do that is through a lead magnet.

Quick definition before we go further:

A client came to me with an idea that had been living in her head for over 2+ years: An email series about all 34 CliftonStrengths themes.

She knew what she wanted to say. She had the expertise. She had the audience. But she never got around to building it.

That's where I came in. We sat down together, I asked questions, she talked. I took everything she shared and translated it into a structured email series, then ghostwrote the whole thing for her.

And just like that, we had a finished lead magnet in the form of an email series... in a matter of a couple of months.

Here's what I noticed: the idea was there... but she got stuck on the next step.

Because the reality is, there are three distinct steps in building a lead magnet. Each step has its own requirements, and a trap that keeps you in the process longer than you'd like.

Let's talk about it.

Step 1: Ideation

This is where you figure out what problem your lead magnet will solve, and whether it's specific enough to be useful.”

The trap: "The more I put in there, the more valuable it will be."

Not quite. A lead magnet isn't about handing over the entire solution. It's about solving a narrow, painful, and urgent problem for your reader. And by doing so, you unlock the possibility of them working with you.

For example: a self-assessment that helps someone identify which tasks drain their energy. By completing it, they become problem-aware. And that creates the solution conversation—career coaching, in this case.

A lot of coaches get stuck here because they're trying to solve too big a problem. They want the lead magnet to do everything.

If you tend to overthink the scope, start with this question: "what is the first thing you always ask a new client to help them identify where they're stuck?"

Step 2: Creation

This is where you build it.

The trap: "I need it to look professional and polished. Heck, I may even need to hire a designer and a coder to build my lead magnet.”

Creation is where most coaches over-invest. They spend too long perfecting something before a single person has seen it.

You pay for a quiz engine with advanced scoring when a PDF with assessment questions and an answer key would do the job and get it done in a fraction of the time.

If you tend to aim for perfection, give yourself a deadline and publish what you have. The first version is supposed to be imperfect. That's how you find out what to fix.

Step 3: Distribution

This is where you get it in front of people.

The trap: "If I build it, people will find it."

Distribution is the only step that actually grows your list. And it requires the most consistency across the most channels—social media, your website, your email signature, workshops, referrals, partnerships, guest posts... the list goes on.

Let me be blunt. Posting about it once will not cut it.

Most coaches underestimate how often a message needs to be repeated. One post is not enough. Ten posts might not be enough. Remember how you have to say the same thing to your kids at least seven times before they hear half of it? It's kind of like that.

You'll see posts on LinkedIn where people launch "viral giveaways" and gain 200 email subscribers in one fell swoop. The reality is far from that. And here's a little secret: those same people are writing different posts, explaining the same problem from different angles—but promoting the same lead magnet.

The main thing to remember: your email list doesn't grow at Ideation. It doesn't grow at Creation. It grows at Distribution. That's where the attention needs to go.

If you're exhausted by the thought of writing many social media posts, look for alternate ways to promote it. Verbally tell people about it at a networking meeting. Put a short promo tagline and link in your email signature. Tell a fellow coach about it and ask them to help spread the word.

👉🏼 Here's where my work connects to this.

If you're ideating on an email-based lead magnet—like a 5-day email course—I help you pull the right expertise out of your head and shape it into content. Then I ghostwrite on your behalf, set up the email sequencing, and map what each email needs to do. That's Step 2: Creation.

If you're cool with creating your own lead magnet but wonder what comes next after people sign up, I'll help you build an email nurture sequence or write a weekly newsletter that turns a new subscriber into a future client. That's Step 3: Distribution. This is the follow-through that you must not skip.

These are the areas where my CliftonStrengths show up. I have high executing themes, which means I pair really well with coaches who are full of ideas but have a hard time putting pen to paper.

Bottom line: I help you stay connected and top of mind with your subscribers through email.

📨 If you're building a lead magnet and wondering where email fits in—this is exactly my zone. Hit reply and let me know your lead magnet idea. I'll share some feedback!

A quick life update

Hubby and I are currently spending time in Seattle (in the basement of my brother's house, to be exact 😆). We're scouting neighborhoods for our next place to live. And getting some hikes in when we can!

If you're in the area, let me know! I'd love to start building my network there once we're settled!

Till next week!