When you created your small business, you likely thought about your paid offers — the products and services your business would offer, and what price point they would be booked or sold at. But what about free resources — lead magnets you can offer to your prospective customers or clients via your newsletter? The truth is, free resources can be a powerful tool for your business — they can build trust and add value to your audience’s lives or businesses! By offering helpful resources, you can show your audience you genuinely care about their success.

Offering free resources can also be a smart business strategy. By providing value upfront, you can establish yourself as an authority in your niche and attract clients or customers who are more likely to engage with your paid products or services in the future. Free resources can be a huge help in growing your email list, increasing website traffic, and fostering a sense of community around your brand — all of which are essential for sustainable business growth.

Today, I’m excited to share how to successfully offer free resources on behalf of your small business — along with 10 resources to consider offering!

Why Offer Free Resources?

Welcome to Episode 207 of The Brand It, Build It Podcast: Why offer free resources? I’m your host Kelly Zugay. Let’s explore the ways that free resources can benefit your small business strategically and foster a thriving community around your brand — as well as 10 free resources to consider offering.

Offering free resources can be a highly-effective strategy for growing your email list. Here’s a step-by-step guide to offering free resources via your website:

1. Create a lead magnet: Lead magnet is a marketing term for a free item or service that is given away for the purpose of obtaining a newsletter subscriber. Free resources such as eBooks, guides, templates, or exclusive content can serve as lead magnets. When someone wants to download your free resource, they’ll need to subscribe to your email list. This process helps you capture leads — prospective clients or customers — and build your email subscriber community. (For more information about why building an email newsletter list is valuable, I recommend Episode 192.)
2. Embed an opt-in form within your website: To access your free resource, visitors must complete an opt-in form, where they’ll enter their name and email address. Opt-in forms can be strategically placed throughout your website, such as in pop-ups, your blog sidebar, your footer, or even within your blog content. Our recommended system for creating beautifully-branded newsletter opt-ins is FloDesk.
3. Segment your newsletter subscribers: When visitors opt-in to receive your free resources, you gain valuable information about their interests and preferences. You can use this data to segment — or categorize — your email list and tailor your marketing efforts accordingly. For example, if someone downloads a guide on social media marketing, you can send them targeted emails about related topics, products, or services, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion. When we see newsletter marketing as a way to serve, guide, and help our prospective clients, it feels easier and more natural to do — and less salesy.
4. Nurture relationships with your subscribers: Offering free resources demonstrates your expertise and willingness to help your audience solve their problems or achieve their goals. This fosters trust and strengthens the relationship between you and your subscribers. By consistently delivering valuable content via email — such as sending a weekly or monthly newsletter — you can further nurture these relationships, keep your brand top-of-mind, and encourage repeat visits to your website. This helps expose prospective clients and customers to your business and helps your Search Engine Optimization, too!
5. Continue growing and expanding: Free resources can attract organic traffic to your website through various channels, including search engines, social media, and referrals from other websites. As more people discover and share your valuable content, your website’s visibility and reach can expand, driving additional traffic and potential email sign-ups.

Now, let’s talk about some examples of free resources that small businesses can offer on their websites:

1. Ebooks or digital guides on a topic related to your industry
2. Templates or worksheets to help your audience with common tasks or challenges
3. Webinars or online workshops covering valuable topics within your niche
4. Checklists or cheat sheets to streamline processes or provide quick reference guides
5. Infographics or visual content that presents information in an engaging and digestible format
6. Resource libraries with curated content, articles, or recommended tools
7. Mini-courses or email challenges to help your audience achieve specific goals
8. Podcasts or video series offering valuable insights, tips, and advice
9. Quizzes or assessments to help your audience gain insights into their needs or preferences
10. Free service consultations or strategy sessions to provide personalized guidance and support

When creating lead magnets or free resources — the key is to create resources that are genuinely valuable to your target audience and align with your brand’s expertise and mission. Remember, offering free resources isn’t just about giving away content — it’s about building relationships, nurturing trust, and ultimately, growing your business in a sustainable and meaningful way.

I am so hopeful today’s episode equips you to confidently begin offering free resources to your audience! Thanks for tuning in.

Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay

Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is the best small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, and founders. Weekly, brief, actionable episodes will equip you to build a successful, sustainable small business. Since 2014, With Grace and Gold has provided award-winning custom brand and Showit web design and completely customizable Showit website templates for small businesses worldwide.