The Freebie Strategy to Grow Your Audience on Autopilot

Tune in or read the blog version below!

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Personal Update

 Hello, my loves. Welcome back to the Wanderlover Podcast. The day this episode releases, I will be taking my Portuguese proficiency exam for my Brazilian citizenship. Just to recap, earlier this year, I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy in Rio. Which granted me permanent residency and now I’m on the path to becoming a Brazilian citizen, which is crazy to think about because it wasn’t even on our cards just a few years ago.

I think having more than one citizenship opens up so many doors and opportunities. I can’t wait to share my entire journey once it’s over and once I actually successfully complete this process. So wish me luck and I will keep you all updated.

In the meantime, we are diving into one of my favorite strategies for audience growth and consistent income, what I call the freebie funnel.

Freebie Funnel Overview

We’ve been implementing and refining this for years, and it’s how we’re able to consistently grow the Wanderlover every day without having to constantly be creating content or constantly having to be online. We’ve helped so many of our clients do the same, and it’s worked wonders for all of their businesses.

And of course, most recently it’s worked amazingly well, even while I’ve had to go on months and months of maternity leave. So if you’ve wondered how to consistently attract new followers, subscribers, and clients on autopilot, this episode is for you. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to create a high converting freebie that grows your email list and sets you up for effortless sales.

What is a Freebie?

So let’s get started with the basics. What even is a freebie? So a freebie, also called a lead magnet, is something valuable that you give away for free in exchange for someone’s email address. So it could be something like a downloadable guide or checklist, a video training, a template planner workbook, or even an audio training or like a quiz.

The goal is to give your audience a quick win. So something that solves a small but very specific problem while showcasing your expertise. So think of it like a free sample, like a free sample you get at Costco. You get a taste of what it is that they have to offer, but you don’t get the full experience of having the full product or service, right?

Why Freebies Are Powerful

So why is this so powerful? Your email list is your most valuable asset in business. Social media platforms can change algorithms overnight, and most of them are wired so that you constantly have to create new content in order to stay relevant. But your email list is something you truly own, and you can set up automations to nurture even when you’re not actively creating content.

When you have a high converting freebie working behind the scenes, you’re able to attract new leads every single day, and that is the top of the funnel. With those new leads, we want to then funnel out unqualified buyers, unqualified clients until we have an automation that directly converts your new leads, using the freebie into ideal clients and customers.

Choosing the Right Freebie Idea

So how do you choose the right freebie idea? Here is the key. Your freebie should directly relate to your paid offers (if you want tips on how to create irresistible offers that sell, check out this blog post). So your bottom of the funnel product or service. If your main program is about building a personal brand, your freebie could be 10 Instagram story ideas to build trust and sell with ease.

If you are, let’s say, a fitness coach, it could be a seven day home workout plan for busy entrepreneurs. You want to attract the exact people who will eventually want to work with you, because at the top of the funnel, you’re attracting the most people and you want to make sure at least some of them are your target clients and customers. Ask yourself, what quick win can I help my audience achieve? What first step do they need to take before they’re ready for my paid offer? And what’s something I can teach in five to 10 minutes that leaves ’em wanting more? Your freebie isn’t meant to give everything away. Again with my Costco example, it’s meant to give them just a taste, but let them know how good you are.

It’s meant to open the door to your world and show them what’s possible if they follow through. Like, this is already so good. Look at this quick transformation. Now, imagine what your life would be like if you committed to the full program once you’ve chosen your topic.

Creating Your Freebie

Let’s now talk about how to actually create your freebie. A lot of people get overwhelmed ’cause they’re like, how does the tech work behind this? How do I share my information? Honestly, you do not need to over complicate it. There is no one right way. So whatever just feels the most natural and the most easy. We wanna work with the path of least resistance. You can use tools like Canva to design a PDF, or you can even just have it in Google Docs for a simple download. Or if you are more comfortable recording, let’s say an audio or a video, you can just press record on your phone and that literally can be your freebie file.

Here is a bonus tip. Name your freebie in a way that makes people need to click and download. So instead of like social media tips, say the three step Instagram strategy that tripled my engagement instead of something generic like healthy eating guide. Say the five minute meal plan that keeps you energized all day. Your title alone should make it irresistible and super clear what the results are if they download your freebie.

Sharing Your Freebie On Autopilot

Once that’s created, we’re going to dive into a bit of tech, and this is where the autopilot magic happens. Once your freebie is ready, let’s say you either have a PDF or you have a Google Doc or you have an MP3 file, you will upload it to either your website or Google Drive and you will want to connect it to an email funnel.

So here’s what that looks like:

1. Landing Page & Email Sequence

First, you’ll want a landing page where people sign up to get your freebie. And as soon as they click submit, you’ll want to trigger a welcome email sequence as soon as they give you their name and email (check out this blog post for a beginners 101 on email marketing). It triggers a series of three to five emails that first delivers your freebie, so that first email will have the link from your website, your Google Drive, or wherever the file is hosted and the next series of emails will build trust and naturally lead to your offer. This setup means that you’re generating leads and nurturing them automatically instead of having to manually send an email to every single person that signs up. All of these emails are just sent after a few days of them first clicking download.

So this setup means you’re generating leads and nurturing them without having to do anything. And every time someone downloads your freebie, they’re instantly added to your funnel. They’re learning more about you and how you can help them. We personally use and recommend Campaign, but I know Flow Desk, ConvertKit, Kajabi. So many other programs online do this for you. I know the tech can be a little overwhelming for some, but think of it this way. You just have to set it up once and from there. Not only are you gonna know how it all works, but you can just tweak and then set it and forget it.

2. Promoting Your Freebie

The next step is promoting your freebie so people actually see it. And there are two ways to do this. Organically and with paid advertising. We’re first going to cover the organic methods. So my favorite go-to organic methods are:

1. Including a link in bio on your Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, whatever social media channels you have. Make sure to add it everywhere. This also includes your website, so you can create a website banner or a menu item.
2. Create a pinned post or a highlight on your social media pages. So not only do you have the link, but you have a call to action inside one of the main highlights.
3. Create content on Instagram. Carousels, reels around your freebie. Have a call to action in the caption, either to comment “freebie” or to click the link in your bio.
4. Writing blog posts optimized for SEO. Once you start ranking on Google, people will be finding that post that drives traffic to your freebie download without you having to constantly create new content.
5. Creating Pinterest pins leading directly to your landing page. You can actually create multiple Pinterest pins for one post and continue cycling them over and over.

3. Scaling with Paid Ads

Once you have all of your organic content driving traffic to your landing page, the next level is scaling it with paid ads, specifically Instagram and Facebook ads. Your freebie is already working. People are signing up, opening emails, and some are converting into customers and clients. Ads allow you to amplify what’s working, even with a small budget.

4. Measuring Success

Track these key metrics: conversion rate, open rate, click-through rate, sales or discovery calls booked, cost per lead, and return on ad spend. Small tweaks make a big difference. Rarely is it perfect from the first draft. Continue refining to improve results.

When I first started, I relied heavily on social media. Constantly posting multiple times a day was draining and not sustainable, especially as a mother. Once I implemented my first freebie funnel, my audience started growing without me having to lift a finger. My email list tripled in a few months and leads flowed in globally, even while I was offline. This created freedom and growth with exponentially less work.

Apply for Private Coaching

For the first time in over a year, I’m opening private coaching spots for 2026 for established entrepreneurs. This is for those making at least $5,000 per month who want to double or triple that next year. Private coaching is by application only. Spots are extremely limited and will fill up fast.

Remember, the best is yet to come! Thank you all for tuning in, and I will see you in the next episode.

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