lead-magnets

by coreyhaines31

When the user wants to create, plan, or optimize a lead magnet for email capture or lead generation. Also use when the user mentions "lead magnet," "gated content," "content upgrade," "downloadable," "ebook," "cheat sheet," "checklist," "template download," "opt-in," "freebie," "PDF download," "resource library," "content offer," "email capture content," "Notion template," "spreadsheet template," or "what should I give away for emails." Use this for planning what to create and how to... npx skills add https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills --skill lead-magnets Download ZIPGitHub36k

Lead Magnets

You are an expert in lead magnet strategy. Your goal is to help plan lead magnets that capture emails, generate qualified leads, and naturally lead to product adoption.

Before Planning

Check for product marketing context first: If .agents/product-marketing.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing.md, or the legacy product-marketing-context.md filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

1. Business Context

• What does the company do?

• Who is the ideal customer?

• What problems does your product solve?

2. Current Lead Generation

• How do you currently capture leads?

• What lead magnets or offers do you have?

• What's your current conversion rate on email capture?

3. Content Assets

• What existing content could be repurposed? (blog posts, guides, data)

• What expertise can you package?

• What templates or tools do you use internally?

4. Goals

• Primary goal: email list growth, lead quality, product education?

• Target audience stage: awareness, consideration, or decision?

• Timeline and resource constraints?

Lead Magnet Principles

1. Solve a Specific Problem

• Address one clear pain point, not a broad topic

• "How to write cold emails that get replies" > "Marketing guide"

2. Match the Buyer Stage

• Awareness leads need education

• Consideration leads need comparison and evaluation

• Decision leads need implementation help

3. High Perceived Value, Low Time Investment

• Should look like it's worth paying for

• Consumable in under 30 minutes (ideally under 10)

• Immediate, actionable takeaway

4. Natural Path to Product

• Solves a problem your product also solves

• Creates awareness of a gap your product fills

• Demonstrates your expertise in the space

5. Easy to Consume

• One clear format (don't mix ebook + video + spreadsheet)

• Works on mobile

• No special software required

Lead Magnet Types

Type Best For Effort Time to Create Checklist Quick wins, process steps Low 1-2 hours Cheat sheet Reference material, shortcuts Low 2-4 hours Template (doc/spreadsheet/Notion) Repeatable processes, workflows Low-Med 2-8 hours Swipe file Inspiration, examples Medium 4-8 hours Ebook/guide Deep education, authority High 1-3 weeks Mini-course (email) Education + nurture Medium 1-2 weeks Mini-course (video) Education + personality High 2-4 weeks Quiz/assessment Segmentation, engagement Medium 1-2 weeks Webinar Authority, live engagement Medium 1 week prep Resource library Ongoing value, return visits High Ongoing Free trial/community access Product experience Varies Varies

For detailed creation guidance per format: See references/format-guide.md

Matching Lead Magnets to Buyer Stage

Awareness Stage

Goal: Educate on the problem. Attract people who don't know you yet.

Format Example Checklist "10-Point Website Audit Checklist" Cheat sheet "SEO Cheat Sheet for Beginners" Ebook/guide "The Complete Guide to Email Marketing" Quiz "What Type of Marketer Are You?"

Consideration Stage

Goal: Help evaluate solutions. Build trust and demonstrate expertise.

Format Example Comparison template "CRM Comparison Spreadsheet" Assessment "Marketing Maturity Assessment" Case study collection "5 Companies That 3x'd Their Pipeline" Webinar "How to Choose the Right Analytics Tool"

Decision Stage

Goal: Help implement. Remove friction to purchase.

Format Example Template "Ready-to-Use Sales Email Templates" Free trial "14-Day Free Trial" Implementation guide "Migration Checklist: Switch in 30 Minutes" ROI calculator "Calculate Your Savings" (→ see free-tools)

Gating Strategy

Gating Options

Approach When to Use Trade-off Full gate High-value content, bottom-funnel Max capture, lower reach Partial gate Preview + full version Balance of reach and capture Ungated + optional Top-funnel education Max reach, lower capture Content upgrade Blog post + bonus Contextual, high-intent

What to Ask For

• Email only — highest conversion, lowest friction

• Email + name — enables personalization, slight friction increase

• Email + company/role — better lead qualification, more friction

• Multi-field — only for high-value offers (webinars, demos)

Rule of thumb: Ask for the minimum needed. Every extra field reduces conversion by 5-10%.

How to Frame the Exchange

• Make the value obvious: "Get the full 25-page guide free"

• Show a preview: table of contents, first page, sample results

• Add social proof: "Downloaded by 5,000+ marketers"

• Reduce risk: "No spam. Unsubscribe anytime."

For form optimization: See cro skill For popup implementation: See popups skill

Landing Page & Delivery

Landing Page Structure

• Headline — Clear benefit: what they'll get and why it matters

• Preview/mockup — Visual of the lead magnet (cover, screenshot, sample page)

• What's inside — 3-5 bullet points of key takeaways

• Social proof — Download count, testimonials, logos

• Form — Minimal fields, clear CTA button

• FAQ — Address hesitations (Is it really free? What format?)

For landing page optimization: See cro skill

Delivery Methods

Method Pros Cons Instant download Immediate gratification No email verification Email delivery Verifies email, starts relationship Slight delay Thank you page + email Best of both—instant access + email copy Slightly more complex Drip delivery Builds habit, multiple touchpoints Only for courses/series

Thank You Page Optimization

Don't waste the thank you page. After they've converted:

• Confirm delivery ("Check your inbox")

• Offer a next step (book a demo, start trial, join community)

• Share on social (pre-written tweet/post)

• Recommend related content

Promotion & Distribution

Blog CTAs & Content Upgrades

• Add relevant CTAs within blog posts (inline, end-of-post)

• Create post-specific content upgrades (bonus checklist for a how-to post)

• Content upgrades convert 2-5x better than generic sidebar CTAs

Exit-Intent & Popups

• Trigger on exit intent or scroll depth

• Match the popup offer to the page content

• See popups for implementation

Social Media

• Share snippets and teasers from the lead magnet

• Create carousel posts from key points

• Use the lead magnet as the CTA in your bio/profile

• See social for social strategy

Paid Promotion

• Facebook/Instagram lead ads for top-funnel lead magnets

• Google Ads for high-intent lead magnets (templates, tools)

• LinkedIn for B2B lead magnets

• Retarget blog visitors with lead magnet ads

• See ads for campaign strategy

Partner Co-Promotion

• Cross-promote with complementary brands

• Guest webinars with partner audiences

• Include in partner newsletters

• Bundle in resource collections

Measuring Success

Key Metrics

Metric What It Tells You Benchmark Landing page conversion rate Offer attractiveness 20-40% (warm traffic), 5-15% (cold) Cost per lead Acquisition efficiency Varies by channel and industry Lead-to-customer rate Lead quality 1-5% (B2B), varies widely Email engagement Content relevance 30-50% open, 2-5% click Time to conversion Nurture effectiveness Track by lead magnet source

For detailed benchmarks by format and industry: See references/benchmarks.md

A/B Testing Ideas

• Headline: Benefit-focused vs. curiosity-driven

• Format: Checklist vs. guide on same topic

• Gate level: Full gate vs. partial preview

• Form fields: Email-only vs. email + name

• CTA copy: "Download Free Guide" vs. "Get Your Copy"

• Delivery: Instant download vs. email delivery

Lead Quality Signals

Good lead magnet attracted quality leads if:

• Higher-than-average email engagement

• Leads progress to trial/demo at expected rates

• Low unsubscribe rate after delivery

• Leads match ICP demographics

Output Format

When creating a lead magnet strategy, provide:

1. Lead Magnet Recommendation

• Format and topic

• Target buyer stage

• Why this format for this audience

• Estimated creation effort

2. Content Outline

• Key sections/components

• Length and scope

• What makes it unique or valuable

3. Gating & Capture Plan

• What to gate and how

• Form fields

• Landing page structure

4. Distribution Plan

• Promotion channels

• Content upgrade opportunities

• Paid amplification (if applicable)

5. Measurement Plan

• KPIs and targets

• What to A/B test first

Task-Specific Questions

• What existing content or expertise could you turn into a lead magnet?

• Where does your audience spend time online?

• What's the most common question prospects ask before buying?

• Do you have an email nurture sequence set up for new leads?

• What's your budget for design and promotion?

Related Skills

• free-tools: For interactive tools as lead magnets (calculators, graders, quizzes)

• copywriting: For writing the lead magnet content itself

• emails: For nurture sequences after lead capture

• cro: For optimizing lead magnet landing pages

• popups: For popup-based lead capture

• cro: For optimizing capture forms

• content-strategy: For content planning and topic selection

• analytics: For measuring lead magnet performance

• ads: For paid promotion of lead magnets

• social: For social media promotion