lead-magnets

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 distribute it. For interactive tools as lead magnets, see free-tools. For writing the actual content, see copyw

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