The Lead Magnet Funnel

This is the funnel you’ll build first. It’s the workhorse of every course business — simple, repeatable, and it works for any niche.

Why the Lead Magnet Funnel Works

Most people won’t buy your course the first time they hear about you. They need to:

1. Know you exist
2. Trust your expertise
3. Understand what you teach
4. Feel confident your course will help them

A lead magnet funnel does all four. Here’s the flow:

Free resource (lead magnet)
  → Opt-in page (capture email)
    → Thank-you page (deliver + soft pitch)
      → Email nurture sequence (5-7 emails)
        → Sales page (invite to buy)

Each step builds a little more trust. By the time they reach your sales page, they’re warm — not cold.

Choosing Your Lead Magnet

Your lead magnet should be:

• Related to your course topic — someone interested in the free thing is a good fit for the paid thing
• Quick to consume — a 5-page PDF, a 10-minute video, a 3-day email course
• Genuinely valuable — not a teaser that hides the real content
• Easy to deliver — a download link or an automated email

Examples by Course Type

Your Course Topic	Lead Magnet Idea
Drone photography	”5 Shots Every Drone Pilot Should Master” (PDF)
Web development	”Build Your First API in 30 Minutes” (free lesson)
Real estate investing	”The Rental Property Calculator Spreadsheet”
Notary business	”State-by-State Notary Fee Schedule”
Fitness coaching	”7-Day Meal Prep Guide”
Marketing	”The Course Launch Email Sequence Template”

Building the Opt-In Page

In GHL, go to Sites > Funnels > Create Funnel and choose a lead generation template.

Your opt-in page needs four elements:

1. Attention-Grabbing Headline

One sentence that tells them what they get and why it matters.

Bad: “Sign Up for My Newsletter” Good: “Get the 5-Step Framework That Helped 200+ Students Launch Their First Course”

2. Benefit Bullets

3-5 bullet points explaining what they’ll learn or gain. Focus on outcomes, not features.

• What they’ll know after consuming it
• What they’ll be able to do
• How much time it saves them

3. The Form

Keep it simple: email address only, or first name + email.

Every extra field reduces conversions. You can collect more information later — right now, you just need a way to reach them.

In GHL, drag a Form element onto the page. Connect it to your CRM so every submission creates a contact.

4. Call-to-Action Button

The button text matters more than you think:

Bad: “Submit” or “Sign Up” Good: “Send Me the Free Guide” or “Get Instant Access”

Make the button text describe what happens when they click it.

Building the Thank-You Page

After someone opts in, redirect them to a thank-you page. This page has three jobs:

Job 1: Deliver the Lead Magnet

“Here’s your free guide — [Download Now]”

Make the delivery obvious and immediate. Don’t make them check their email if you can hand it to them right now.

Job 2: Set Expectations

“I’ll be in your inbox tomorrow with [teaser of next email].”

This primes them to open your emails instead of ignoring them.

Job 3: Make a Soft Pitch

“While you’re here, want to see the full course?”

You’re not hard-selling. You’re offering. Link to your sales page with casual language: “If you want to go deeper, here’s the full program.”

Connecting the Automation

When someone submits the opt-in form, GHL can automatically:

1. Create a contact in your CRM
2. Add a tag like “lead-magnet-downloaded”
3. Start a workflow that sends your nurture sequence

We’ll build the nurture workflow later in this course. For now, make sure your form is connected and creating contacts.

Measuring Performance

Your lead magnet funnel has three key metrics:

Metric	Good	Great
Opt-in rate (visitors → emails)	15-20%	25%+
Email open rate (first nurture email)	35-40%	50%+
Sales page click-through (from nurture)	10-15%	20%+

If your opt-in rate is below 10%, your page needs work — usually the headline or the offer itself. If opens are low, your subject lines need testing. If click-through is low, your nurture emails aren’t building enough desire.

The lead magnet funnel is your foundation. Build this one first, get it converting, then layer on the other funnels.