Lead Magnets

Lead Magnets

Adapted from lead-magnets by Corey Haines (MIT). Same method, with this library's rule that company context is scanned, listed, and confirmed before it's read.

Company context: setup step, every run

This skill has no fixed place for company data and never uses context without the user's say-so. Run this before the questions below.

1. Scan the launch directory (current working directory and its repo) for likely context: CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, a context/ folder, files named for brand, positioning, ICP, persona, product marketing, customer research, or offers, and any earlier output this skill produced. List filenames only; don't read contents yet.
2. Ask one question. Show what was found (or say nothing relevant turned up) and offer four choices: use these files; point me at a different folder or file; paste the context as text; start with no context. Wait.
3. Read only what the user approved. A pasted block is the context for this run. "None" means the answers below are the whole picture.
4. Still ask the intake questions. Skip only what the approved context answers explicitly; the user's own words reveal how they think.

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

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

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.

Consideration Stage

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

Decision Stage

Goal: Help implement. Remove friction to purchase.

Gating Strategy

Gating Options

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

1. Headline — Clear benefit: what they'll get and why it matters
2. Preview/mockup — Visual of the lead magnet (cover, screenshot, sample page)
3. What's inside — 3-5 bullet points of key takeaways
4. Social proof — Download count, testimonials, logos
5. Form — Minimal fields, clear CTA button
6. FAQ — Address hesitations (Is it really free? What format?)

For landing page optimization: See cro skill

Delivery Methods

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

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

1. What existing content or expertise could you turn into a lead magnet?
2. Where does your audience spend time online?
3. What's the most common question prospects ask before buying?
4. Do you have an email nurture sequence set up for new leads?
5. What's your budget for design and promotion?

Related Skills

In this library:

• content-strategy: the gated content upgrade slot in the quarterly hub is a lead magnet
• cro: optimizing the capture page and form
• customer-research: finding the specific problem worth solving
• linkedin-ads: paid promotion of a lead magnet to a B2B audience
• writing-assistant / copy-deslop: writing the lead magnet itself
• seo-content-brief: when the lead magnet grows out of a ranking article

Not in this library (upstream has them): free-tools, emails, popups, analytics, social.