Be honest: how many downloaded PDFs are still sitting unread in your inbox? Your audience is just as tired as you are of PDFs. Not because your freebie isn’t valuable. But because attention spans have shifted. We’re overloaded with information, we expect instant answers, and we’ve all downloaded things we never opened again.
People are getting stingy with their email addresses these days. And fair enough. We've all been burned by too many downloads that promised the world and delivered... a slightly reworded blog post.
Now, with tools like ChatGPT at everyone’s fingertips, people can generate information faster than they can read it. That means your lead magnet needs to do more than educate: it needs to engage.
Which is why online quizzes are having their moment (back in) the spotlight.
Quizzes are the lead magnet of the moment
You may have noticed a rise in personality quizzes, assessments, and interactive diagnostics in your feed. Quizzes are gaining traction because in our content-saturated world they offer the perfect mix of entertainment, insight, and personalisation.
And unlike a static download, a quiz is an experience. When done well, it feels tailored, responsive, and—yes—even fun.
Why quizzes work so well as lead magnets
Here’s why quizzes are outperforming old-school downloads:
1. They’re instant
People don’t want to wait for value. A quiz gives them something meaningful in minutes. It's fast, frictionless, and rewarding.
2. They’re personal
Generic downloads give generic advice. A quiz speaks directly to the person taking it, offering tailored insights based on their answers. That personalisation creates instant connection, and primes them for your offer.
3. They’re fun (seriously)
A well-designed quiz taps into curiosity, gamification, and self-discovery. People love learning about themselves, and sharing the results.
4. They drive action
Because quizzes are inherently outcome-based, they naturally lead to a call to action. Whether that’s booking a call, enrolling in a programme, or signing up for your waitlist, your quiz can guide people straight to the next step.
5. They help you segment
One of the most underrated benefits? Quizzes give you clean, organised data. You can segment your list based on quiz results, meaning you can send follow-ups that are actually relevant to your audience.
The PDF isn't dead, but it's no longer enough
There’s still a place for downloads. But if your goal is to stand out, get more qualified leads, and connect faster, a quiz will get you there.
I’ve partnered with Interact (my go-to quiz platform). They make it easy to build high-converting quizzes that look great, integrate with your email system, and are built with conversion in mind.
Interact makes it super easy: you can start from scratch, use AI to help you or start with a template. I started with a template, so all I had to do was drop in my content, make some edits to be a bit more on-brand and then add it to my home page (go and check it out if you like!). Trust me, it's actually pretty fun!
How to come up with a quiz idea for your website
So, with the tech part taken care of, the trickiest part is choosing your topic. Here are a few prompts towards a winning idea:
Think about your audience's biggest questions or challenges
What are they wondering? What do they get stuck on? Your quiz should help them understand something about themselves, in relation to your zone of genius (.Start with your offer(s), and reverse engineer it
What would someone need to know, feel or believe before they're ready to work with you? Create a quiz that helps them get there, and gently introduces your offer as the natural next step in their results.Lean into personality or self-assessment styles
There's a reason we all loved Cosmo-style quizzes or got hooked on Buzzfeed quizzes during lockdown. People love feeling 'seen', validated and learning about themselves. Quizzes that reveal a 'type' are often the most engaging. It becomes an easy lead-in to some helpful, targeted advice from you (and then recommendations on next steps).
Once you're settled on your quiz concept, it's a matter of writing a few questions, mapping the responses to the results, and letting Interact do the heavy lifting.
Try a quiz for yourself
Ditch your dusty old freebie and experiment with something more engaging, give a quiz a go (you can then create a follow up sequence to share some of your more high-value content assets once you've captured an email address!)
Start your free trial with Interact [affiliate link]
P.S: Need help coming up with the right quiz topic, questions, or outcomes? I can help with that too.
