Freebie Funnel: How to Attract Clients Without Feeling Salesy
Let’s face it—bringing website visitors into your world is one thing. Attracting the right audience and turning them into new leads for your email list and into a prospective customer? That’s a whole different challenge.
This is where freebie funnel basics come in.
If you're a wellness coach sharing blog posts, recording podcasts, and showing up on social media platforms. A digital marketing sales funnel is the best way to guide your target audience from simply browsing to becoming new subscribers who are excited to hear from you.
Today, I’m sharing six steps on how to build a wellness coach freebie funnel that feels good to you and delivers real value to your potential customers. No tech overwhelm, no overcomplication—just a lead magnet funnel that works.
By the end of this post, you’ll know how to build a freebie funnel that not only grows your email list but also nurtures your ideal clients with valuable resources they actually need.
Why Every Wellness Coach Needs a Freebie Funnel
Here’s the truth—social media posts and blog content are great for getting your name out there, but they aren’t always enough to turn website visitors into new leads for small business owners.
That’s where your freebie funnel steps in.
A lead generation funnel gives your target audience a clear path to follow—a next step that feels natural and valuable. Instead of hoping someone scrolls your feed or binge-listens to your podcast and then magically signs up for your offer, you’re giving them a specific invitation: Download this free resource, and I’ll show you how to solve a specific problem.
And here’s the best part: When done well, a lead magnet funnel is a great way to build trust.
You’re not just growing your email list—you’re building real relationships by offering valuable content that speaks directly to your ideal customer’s needs.
Without a dedicated landing page and effective lead magnet, you could be missing out on high-quality leads—those people who are looking for exactly what you offer but haven’t had that strong call to connect with you yet.
Bottom line? If you’re serious about growing your wellness coaching business, a freebie funnel isn’t optional—it’s a powerful tool in your digital marketing sales funnel to guide prospective customers toward becoming new clients.
Step 1: Start with the End in Mind
Before you create your lead magnet offer or start designing that opt-in page, you need to know exactly where you’re leading people. This is one of the best practices for building the best lead magnets.
Ask yourself:
- What’s the next step I want my ideal customer to take after they download my free resource?
- Am I guiding them toward an online course, a free trial, or maybe a discovery call?
When you’re clear on the main goal of your marketing funnel, every piece of valuable content—from your free guide to your follow-up emails—works together to move your potential clients toward that destination.
Here’s the thing:The top of the funnel isn’t your free offer—it’s the content marketing you’re already doing. Your blog posts, social media marketing, and podcast episodes attract your ideal clients. Your lead magnet funnel gives them a reason to stick around, take action, and get to know you better.
Pro Tip: Think about what specific problem your irresistible offer solves for your ideal client.
What are they actively searching for a solution, what are they facing right now, and what valuable offer would help them take that first step toward solving it? That’s where your freebie funnel starts. Your offer needs to be a direct line to all your lead magnet ideas.
Step 2: Create Aligned Pillar Content
Your freebie funnel doesn’t work in isolation—it’s part of your bigger marketing strategy. That means your blog posts, social media posts, and podcast episodes should all connect back to the specific problem your lead magnet helps solve.
This is called pillar content—the core topics you cover that attract your target audience and set the stage for your lead magnet funnel.
For example:
If you’re a wellness coach who helps women manage stress, your pillar content might include:
Blog posts about simple stress-relief techniques that are written for people and search engines.
Podcast episodes on balancing hormones
Social media posts sharing quick mindfulness tips, remember that it is repurposed from that pillar of core long-form content.
Then, your lead magnet offer—let’s say a free guide with “5-Minute Stress Relief Routines”—becomes the next step for those who’ve been consuming your valuable content.
Why this matters: When your pillar content aligns with your free offer, you naturally attract high-quality leads who are already interested in what you help with. This is one of the best ways to make your lead generation funnel effective without relying solely on paid marketing, such as Facebook ads.
Pro Tip: Stick to 3-5 specific topics that relate directly to your paid offer. This helps you stay focused and makes it easier for website visitors to see the connection between your content and your lead magnet.
Step 3: Craft Your Freebie Offer
Now that your pillar content is aligned to the specific topic and relevant content, it’s time to create your free offer—the heart of your lead magnet funnel. This is what turns website visitors into new subscribers by giving them something they can’t resist. Naturally aligned to your sales process.
Here’s the key: A good lead magnet solves one specific problem for your ideal customer—just enough to give them a win, but not so much that they don’t need your paid offer.
It’s like offering a free trial of working with you—a valuable resource that showcases your expertise while leaving them wanting more.
Great lead magnets come in various forms:
- A free guide (like “7-Day Meal Plan for Hormone Balance”)
- A checklist
- A mini video training
- A free download like journal prompts
- Lead magnet examples could even include a webinar funnel or free tool depending on your style
Pro Tip: Think about what your target audience needs right before they’re ready to work with you. What’s the first step they need to take? Your lead magnet offer should help them do that.
Also, make sure to create a dedicated landing page with a clear opt-in form, or make signing up even easier by using a ManyChat flow on Instagram. This allows people to get your freebie straight from a social media post without ever leaving the app.
Whether you use a landing page or a tool like ManyChat, the key is to make the sign-up process feel seamless for your target audience. Focus on the real value of your free resource and the specific problem it solves.
Bonus Tip: Add some social proof—like case studies or testimonials—to your lead magnet landing page. This helps potential customers feel more confident about sharing their contact details (like email addresses or phone number for text messages) in exchange for your valuable content.
Step 4: Build the Nurture Sequence
Your freebie funnel doesn’t end when someone grabs your free resource—that’s just the beginning of the sales process. Now, it’s time to nurture those new leads with follow-up emails that build trust and move them closer to becoming new customers.
This is where your email sequences or automated sales funnel come in.
Think of these emails as a conversation with your ideal customer. You’re continuing the relationship by offering more valuable content, sharing your story, and positioning your paid offer as the next step that can help them go deeper. I always put myself in my ideal client's shoes. What would I consider to be valuable? Let's be real at one point in my business I was in this exact same place.
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to a 4-email nurture sequence:
- Welcome + Deliver the Freebie: Thank them for signing up and give them the free download. Remind them of the specific problem this solves.
- Share Your Story or a Client Win: Offer social proof—maybe a case study or a personal story that helps them relate to you.
- Provide More Value: Send an additional tip, resource, or blog post related to the lead magnet offer. This shows you’re invested in helping them.
- Introduce Your Paid Offer: Show them how your program, online course, or service can help them take the next level step. Include a strong call to action.
Pro Tip: Make sure every email includes a valuable offer, even if it’s just a quick tip or link to helpful content marketing. You want your email list to feel like they can’t wait to hear from you. I share stories with my email list that I do not share anywhere else. I view every email as if I'm sitting down with a friend over a cup of coffee. They get to hear about all the shenanigans going on in my life.
This nurture sequence is one of the best practices for increasing higher conversion rates in your digital marketing sales funnel. It keeps the momentum going and makes sure your potential customers don’t forget about you.
Step 5: Add a Tripwire (Optional)
Once someone fills our your lead capture form, grabs your free offer and enters your lead funnel, you have a golden opportunity to introduce them to a low-ticket offer—this is called a tripwire.
A tripwire is a valuable resource offered at a low price point (think $7-$27) right after someone signs up for your lead magnet. It’s designed to provide even more real value and move potential customers one step closer to becoming paying clients.
Adding a tripwire is one of the simplest ways to bridge the gap between free and paid content. Did you catch episode 119, where I share how to use your free content and give it new life as a low-ticket or tiny offer?
Here’s how to do it:
- After someone opts in for your free download, redirect them to a thank you page with the option to purchase your tripwire.
- This page should highlight how the tripwire complements the free resource they just received.
- Include social proof, such as testimonials or case studies, to show the high value they’re getting for a low price.
Examples of Tripwires:
- A mini-course
- A workbook that expands on the lead magnet
- A free tool with bonus features
- A webinar replay with actionable steps
- A video series repurposed from when you went live in your private Facebook group
Adding a tripwire can help you cover the cost of Facebook ads or other marketing funnel expenses. Plus, it helps qualify your new leads—those who purchase are often more serious about working with you.
Pro Tip: Keep your tripwire relevant to your lead magnet offer. It should solve a specific problem that’s connected to your main goal—whether that’s leading to an online course, coaching program, or sales page. It is a small dollar amount with exceptional value.
Step 6: Keep Showing Up (Middle of the Funnel)
This part of your lead generation funnel often gets overlooked—but it’s where trust is built.
The middle of the funnel is where your new subscribers are warming up. They’ve downloaded your free resource, maybe they’ve seen your tripwire offer, but they’re not quite ready for your paid offer yet.
This is where you keep showing up with valuable content that speaks directly to their specific problem.
Think of your email list like a coffee date—it’s where you build the relationship over time. Use follow-up emails and social media posts to stay connected. Offer real value consistently:
- Share case studies and social proof
- Send blog posts that align with their needs
- Introduce free tools or tips they can implement right away
Your goal in this middle of the funnel stage is to nurture, not push. You’re preparing them for the next step—whether that’s checking out your online course, booking a call, or visiting your sales page.
Pro Tip: Keep track of how often you show up and what content resonates. This helps you refine your marketing strategy and improve conversion rates over time. The more consistent you are, the more likely your potential customers are to see you as the solution they’ve been searching for.
Show Up Consistently—Without Doing It All Yourself
Your Podcast, Repurposed into a Full Marketing Strategy
A done-for-you repurposing service where we turn one piece of content into 5 Days of Marketing Content so you can grow your audience and impact in less time.
5 Days of Content from 1 Podcast Episode
- 2 vertical video clips
- 1 Carousel post graphic and caption
- 1 Quote/Static post graphic and caption
- 1 Graphic and caption to specifically promote the podcast episode
- 4 Additional Social Media Captions
Time to Wrap This Up
Building a wellness coach freebie funnel doesn’t have to be complicated. When you focus on offering real value and guiding your ideal customers through a simple, thoughtful lead magnet funnel, you’re creating more than just an email list—you’re building relationships that lead to new customers and real business growth.
Let’s recap the step-by-step guide:
- Start with the end in mind—know the next step you want your potential customers to take.
- Align your pillar content—make sure your blog posts and social media posts lead naturally to your free offer.
- Craft an effective lead magnet—solve a specific problem with a valuable resource that feels like a quick win.
- Set up your nurture sequence—use follow-up emails to build trust and offer social proof.
- Add a tripwire (optional)—introduce a low-ticket offer to ease people from free to paid.
- Keep showing up—the middle of the funnel matters just as much as the start.
The main goal of your digital marketing sales funnel isn’t to push—it’s to serve. And when you serve well, the right lead magnet paired with a solid marketing funnel becomes a powerful tool for growing your business.
What’s next? If you’ve already got a free offer, this is a great time to review it. Does it align with your paid offer? Are your email sequences helping guide your prospective customers toward the next step?
Or if you’re starting fresh, what’s one specific problem you can help solve with a free resource?
I’d love to hear about it! Send me a DM on Instagram and tell me about your lead magnet, or ask any questions about your lead generation funnel. I’m here to help you make this work.
Here are a few frequently asked questions:
What is a freebie funnel and why do I need one as a wellness coach?
A freebie funnel is a simple system that guides your potential customers from discovering your content to joining your email list through a free offer. It helps build trust and grow your audience in a way that feels natural and aligned with your wellness coaching business.
What makes a good lead magnet for wellness coaches?
A good lead magnet solves a specific problem your ideal customer is facing right now. It could be a free guide, checklist, or mini-course that gives them a quick win and prepares them for your paid offer.
How do I deliver my freebie without using a landing page?
You can use tools like ManyChat on Instagram to automate freebie delivery directly in DMs. This is a great way to simplify the process for your audience, allowing them to sign up without leaving the app.
Do I need a tripwire in my freebie funnel?
No, a tripwire is optional—but it’s a smart way to introduce a low-ticket offer immediately after someone downloads your free resource. It helps filter in high-quality leads and covers marketing costs like Facebook ads.
How many emails should I send after someone signs up for my freebie?
A simple nurture sequence of 3-5 follow-up emails works well. Use these emails to build trust, provide additional valuable content, and introduce your paid offer as the next step.
