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 copywriting. For the email sequence after capture, see emails.
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SKILL.md
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 copywriting. For the email sequence after capture, see emails.
metadata.version
2.0.0
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.
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
