How I Use Systeme.io to Grow Leads & Income

But over time, I realized I could do much more than just build websites and funnels with Systeme. With a little creativity, I could use the features of Systeme.io to attract leads, showcase my marketing skills, and generate multiple income streams all at once. What started as a simple tool became the centerpiece of a new marketing strategy that brings in clients, affiliate commissions, and ongoing opportunities.

In this article, I’m going to share exactly what I do, how I do it, and the real examples of how I’ve turned Systeme.io into a lead-generation machine, a live portfolio, and a source of passive income.

Before I dive into the strategy, let me quickly explain why I chose Systeme.io It combines all of the core features you need to run an online business—landing pages, email marketing, membership sites, payment processing, and analytics—into one platform. That means no juggling multiple subscriptions, paying for everything separately, or struggling with complicated integrations.

I can design a landing page, create a blog, connect an email list, and automate follow-up sequences, and add online courses all on one platform. And perhaps the best part is that you can get started for free. This makes it perfect for experimenting without spending a dime.
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If you just want to build an online business, Systeme.io is already a great tool. But if you’re willing to think outside the box, it can become a powerful marketing engine that grows your income in unexpected ways. So let’s dive into the fun part.

Download the free template we build in this video HERE.

Everyone in online marketing talks about lead magnets—those free resources you give away to capture email addresses. If you don’t yet have a high-converting lead magnet, you are massively missing out. The most effective lead magnets (at least in my industry) are e-books, interactive tools, or quizzes. And while those can work, they’re everywhere. After giving away more than 100,000 copies of my most popular e-book, I wanted something that would make it easier for people to launch their online business—something that was more than just advice but actually did some of the work for them. 

That’s when I came up with the idea of giving away an entire website as a lead magnet.

Using an Entire Website as a Lead Magnet
Using Systeme.io’s drag-and-drop builder, I create simple but beautiful website templates, specifically designed for my ideal customers—life coaches, consultants, and other well-being entrepreneurs. Anyone, regardless of their technical skills, can copy and customize them. These aren’t just pretty pages; they’re fully functional landing pages or mini-sites that people can use to launch their own projects. Because Systeme.io allows you to share fully complete website, blog, and funnel templates with a single link, it’s incredibly easy to distribute these free websites to an infinite number of people.

For example, the first ‘complete website lead magnet’ that I built was a multipage coaching website. It includes a home page, blog, and a call-to-action button—all professionally designed. Visitors simply click the link, import the template into their own free Systeme.io account, and they’re ready to go.
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By giving away something as valuable as a fully built website, I cultivate gratitude and create a deeper connection with my audience. People are excited because they’re getting a ready-to-use business asset, not just information.

The next layer of this strategy is turning each free website into a live advertisement for my services.

When I create a template, I include a small but noticeable footer that says something like “Created by [My Business Name]” and link to my services. This subtle touch ensures that everyone who downloads or shares the template knows who built it and what they offer.

Think about the ripple effect. A single person might import my template, customize it, and then share their finished site with dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of people. Every visitor to their page now sees my branding. Even if they don’t use my template directly, they might click the credit line to check out my services.

This is how I use Systeme.io templates as a portfolio in motion. Instead of sending potential clients a static PDF of my work, I let my lead magnets circulate freely on the internet, spreading my name and demonstrating my skills in real time. It’s marketing that never sleeps.
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It is creativity like this that has enabled me to get contract work with Facebook and LinkedIn, see my writing on websites like Headspace and Franklin Covey, and grow my personal website to more than 16 million viewers in only 5 years. The beauty is that I don’t have to actively pitch anyone—my work does the selling.

The third—and perhaps most exciting—part of this strategy is Systeme.io’s affiliate program. Every time I give away a free website template, I share it with my Systeme.io affiliate link.

Here’s how it works:
To import my template, a person needs a Systeme.io account. If they don’t already have one, they sign up—free or paid—through my affiliate link. If they later upgrade to a paid plan (and many do because systeme is pretty cool), I earn a recurring commission.

This means I get paid even if the person never hires me for a service or buys one of my products. All they have to do is start using Systeme.io. This is the magic of multiple income streams. Even if someone doesn’t directly hire me or purchase my products, I still benefit financially from their interaction with my lead magnet.

It’s a win-win situation:

• The recipient gets a free, professionally designed website they can use immediately.
• I get a new lead for my email list and the potential for ongoing affiliate income.
• Systeme.io gains a new user.

To test this strategy, I added one email to my automated email sequence, and it’s earned me more than $3000. Now that I’ve tested this out and see that it’s working, I’m scaling up my efforts by doing things like writing this article.

Next, I started offering to make free, custom one-pager websites for my best customers. This is a bit more time consuming, but it still reaps the benefits of steps 1, 2, and 3 listed above. Each template serves the same triple purpose: lead generation, service promotion, and affiliate income.

It’s also helping me create a larger portfolio while simultaneously enabling me to do user experience research—I’m discovering what my customers need and want.  I can now create templates for coaches, online businesses, and mental health practitioners. As my portfolio and email list both grow, it becomes even easier to promote these websites and this creates an upward spiral of opportunity. 

Check out some of the one-pagers that I’ve made this month (click the images to see the full pages).

If you’d like to try this strategy yourself, here are a few things I’ve learned along the way:

• Choose a niche: Part of what makes my business successful is that I know my niche inside and out. Pick a niche that resonates with you (like pet sitting, HVAC, or cooking) and start creating free websites for people in that industry.
• Focus on quality: Your templates should be visually appealing and easy to use. People will use them only if they look professional.
• Add subtle branding: A small footer link is enough to promote your services without distracting from the template itself.
• Educate your audience: Create a short tutorial or video showing how to customize the template. This builds trust and increases sign-ups.
• Promote strategically: If you don’t already have an email list, share your templates in niche Facebook groups, on LinkedIn, or through blog posts targeting your ideal audience.

When I first started using Systeme.io, I thought it was just a simple tool to build a website and send emails. Today, it’s the foundation of a multi-layered marketing strategy that attracts leads, showcases my skills, and generates multiple income streams.

By giving away free website templates, I’ve created lead magnets that stand out in a crowded market. By including subtle branding, I’ve turned those templates into a live portfolio that brings in customers. And by sharing them through my affiliate link, I’ve built a stream of recurring income that grows every time someone signs up for Systeme.io.

If you’re looking for a way to build, grow, or diversify an online business, this is a great strategy.  The key is to think bigger than a single website or funnel. Think not only about how to build your business, but how to multiply your impact, create value for others, and get paid from every angle. That’s the power of creativity in marketing.