How to Promote Your Free Content/Offers and Where to Place Them (w/ Examples)
Creating a lead magnet (such as a freebie to capture leads) is a huge win—but it’s only half the battle. The next step is making sure people actually see it. Too often, businesses pour time into creating checklists, guides, or discount codes, only to hide them in a corner of their website or post once on social media. If you want your email list to grow, your lead magnet needs to live where your audience already spends time—on your website, inside emails, in collaborations, and even in offline spaces.
This post will show you exactly where to place your lead magnets, plus fresh strategies you can use to capture subscribers consistently.
Table of Contents
Why Promotion Matters as Much as Creation
Creating a lead magnet is only step one. The real magic happens when you strategically promote it so your ideal subscribers actually see it. Think of your lead magnet like a billboard—if it’s hidden in the woods, no one benefits. You need to put it in high-traffic spots, both online and offline.
If you’re looking for ideas for creating your first free tool, check out this blog post first: Create Content That Builds Your Email List (Even If You're Starting from Scratch)
Start With Your Website (Your Digital Storefront)
Most businesses, no matter how small, have at least a website—making it the first and most important placement for your lead capture.
Homepage pop-up or sticky bar:
Showcase your lead magnet front-and-center.
Example: Ethique Beauty uses a pop-up directly on their homepage to offer a discount and free shipping.
Example: Minimalist Baker uses recipe eBooks promoted via a pop-up on their website.
Example: 9Round Boxing Fort Myers promotes their founding member rate via a popup on their website’s home page.
Example: Truly Engaging uses pop-ups to capture lead information on their website.
Dedicated landing page:
Create a page optimized for sign-ups that you can link to from everywhere else.
Example: Sprout Social promotes free webinars across their channels, including a dedicated landing page on their website, with an embedded form.
Example: HubSpot promotes many of their free resources via landing pages on their website, followed by a pop-up (when the call-to-action button is clicked) to enter the email address to access the free download.
Blog post embeds:
Insert your lead magnet offer halfway through a blog post for natural discovery.
Example: Hubspot uses included lead magnet promotions (such as a banner image that clicks to another page) mid-way through their blog posts.
Example: Healthcare Training Leader promotes their free tools by using an image and placing it in the middle of their blog post.
Social Media: Still Powerful (But Not the Only Option)
If you have a presence, leverage it. If not, don’t panic—this is only one channel.
Organic posts & stories:
Share your freebie as a solution.
Example: Decorholic promotes a free eBook on Pinterest.
Example: Sprout Social promotes a free resource on social channels, such as LinkedIn.
Example: 9Round Boxing Fort Myers promotes their founding member rate to get more interest around their grand opening via their Facebook and Instagram.
Pinned posts:
Keep your lead magnet at the top of your profile.
Example: Ra Weddings Photography pinned their give away on their Instagram account for more visibility.
Reels/TikToks:
Quick demos of what’s inside (like a flip-through of a guide).
Example: Rare free sample reel.
Social paid ads:
Low-budget LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram ads promoting your freebie can drive subscribers for cents.
Example: Klaviyo promotes a free downloadable resource via a LinkedIn boost/promotion.
Example: ALGO Online Retail promotes their free resources via a paid campaign on Facebook.
Collaborations & Partnerships (Borrowing Audiences)
For brands without strong social followings, partnerships are gold:
Guest blog posts:
Write for another business’s blog and include your lead magnet.
Co-hosted webinars or podcasts:
Share audiences with non-competing businesses.
Influencer collaborations:
Send your freebie to a micro-influencer to share with their audience.
Podcast swaps:
Appear on a podcast (or run a short ad segment) promoting your freebie.
Example: Monica Little Coaching does this with collaborations.
Email Communications with Customers
Cross-promotion in customer emails:
Add your lead magnet to your email signature or in receipts/invoices.
Email footer banners:
Existing customers may download and share your freebies.
Example: Healthcare Training Leader includes a banner in their signature lines highlighting a a free demo of their subscription platform.
Referral rewards:
Encourage current subscribers to share your lead magnet with friends in exchange for a bonus resource.
Paid and Organic Search Placements
Google Ads (small budget):
Promote your freebie instead of a paid product to lower your ad costs and get leads. Start with a budget of $200 and check results daily. It’s important that you understand how “keywords” work for these types of ads, so if you’re not familiar, hire an expert on UpWork or a similar freelancer site.
You want to make sure you have a plan for any leads that come from paid ads. For example, do you have an email nurture workflow ready to go as leads come in? Are you planning on calling leads? Don’t invest in paid ads until you have a solid plan in place.
You should also test various free offers to see which ones attract more leads.
SEO optimization:
Make sure your lead magnet’s landing page is optimized for keywords like “free guide,” “downloadable checklist,” etc.
If you’re unfamiliar with SEO optimization, you can use ChatGPT or similar AI tools to get an idea of the high-rank keywords you should include in your landing page copy based on the focus of your tool, however, as soon as you are able to, hire an SEO expert via UpWork or another freelancer platform to train you and help you with SEO optimization.
Don’t Forget Offline Opportunities
Business cards & flyers:
Include a QR code that links directly to your freebie.
In-store signage:
Retailers can add opt-in offers at checkout.
Fresh Placement Ideas
To stand out, try these newer strategies:
LinkedIn Newsletter feature: Promote your freebie at the end of your newsletter.
YouTube video descriptions: Add your lead magnet in every video.
Chatbots on websites: Offer the lead magnet via automated chat pop-ups.
Partnership bundles: Combine freebies with other businesses in your niche and share across email lists.
Digital product marketplaces (like Gumroad or Etsy digital): Offer your freebie for $0 with email capture enabled.
Final Thoughts
Your lead magnet is only as powerful as its visibility. By positioning it across your website, partnerships, social media, email, and even offline spaces, you’ll multiply your chances of capturing subscribers who truly want to hear from you.
Here’s a quick recap of all the various channels recommended in this post.
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