Find lead magnet ideas that solve a real customer problem and connect naturally to your offer. Give your assistant the audience, buying stage and expertise or assets you already have; this Skill helps choose a useful format, define its content and plan how visitors request, receive and follow up on the resource.
A download should provide enough practical value to attract the right people, not simply collect as many email addresses as possible. This Skill considers the resource format, buyer-stage fit, whether to require contact details and what happens after delivery.
Use it when planning a new signup offer or replacing a generic discount-only lead capture. The output is a resource concept and distribution plan. Producing the full resource, hosting it and configuring forms or email delivery are separate tasks that the plan should make explicit.
Format selection starts with the audience's task and the assets you can credibly provide. A focused resource that helps someone make a decision can be a better fit than a long guide with little connection to the eventual purchase.
Gating, delivery and follow-up are designed as one journey. Decide what information to request, how the promised resource will arrive and which next step is relevant, so the signup offer does not become a disconnected form on the site.
Audience problem, existing expertise or assets, offer, funnel stage, distribution channels, and success metric.
Use a compatible agent that can discover the installed Skill and read its supporting files. Any external service or creative runtime must be configured separately.
It plans the resource and distribution flow; email forms, hosting, delivery automation, and full content production are separate.
Copy this request into Codex or Claude Code. The assistant downloads the original repository at the specified commit, installs the complete files and checks required dependencies.
Install lead-magnets in the app I am using and carry out the file installation, not just explain it.
Original repository: https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills.git
Commit: e85f3cbc2e4a79bf33b2a12e9bdd9087d414735b
Skill folder: skills/lead-magnets
1. Download this exact source into a new directory. Read SKILL.md and its setup references before running any bundled scripts. Do not substitute another author’s package.
2. For Codex, use ~/.agents/skills/lead-magnets; for Claude Code, use ~/.claude/skills/lead-magnets. Install only for my current app. Install the complete Skill folder, including scripts, references, assets and bundled notices. Keep any root license with the installed folder. Check all destination folders first; if any already exist, report differences before replacing them.
3. Compare the source and installed file lists and hashes. Inspect documented runtimes, dependencies and required connections. Configure only the local dependencies needed for this Skill; use an isolated environment when appropriate. Ask me to complete any account login locally, without putting credentials in chat.
4. Report the source commit, actual installation path, file-check results and any remaining runtime setup. Explain how to invoke lead-magnets in this app. Check discovery separately from file copying; start a new session if needed. Do not run production tasks or claim a successful business outcome from installation alone.This is the unchanged source SKILL.md for the reviewed version. Install the complete package to retain referenced scripts, assets, and instructions. Starter prompts below are EcomAgentTools examples.
---
name: lead-magnets
description: 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," "what should I give away for emails," "course as a skill," or "package our content as an agent skill." 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: 2.1.0
---
# 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.
## 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](references/format-guide.md)
**Agent skills as a lead magnet**: a course, webinar series, podcast, or newsletter archive you own can ship as an installable agent skill. See [references/content-to-skill.md](references/content-to-skill.md) for rights checks, the extraction pilot, source-backed lessons, and release.
---
## 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
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
| 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](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
- **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
Starter prompts for the main use cases—copy and use them directly.
Choose a buying checklist for a product audience Use for: Choose a buying checklist for a product audience. Prepare: Audience problem, existing expertise or assets, offer, funnel stage, distribution channels, and success metric.
Use the installed lead-magnets Skill. Task: Choose a buying checklist for a product audience. Inputs: [INPUT]. Constraints: [CONSTRAINTS]. Check missing information first. Produce a reviewable result with evidence, assumptions, and next steps. It plans the resource and distribution flow; email forms, hosting, delivery automation, and full content production are separate.[INPUT][CONSTRAINTS]Outline a useful downloadable template Use for: Outline a useful downloadable template. Prepare: Audience problem, existing expertise or assets, offer, funnel stage, distribution channels, and success metric.
Use the installed lead-magnets Skill. Task: Outline a useful downloadable template. Inputs: [INPUT]. Constraints: [CONSTRAINTS]. Check missing information first. Produce a reviewable result with evidence, assumptions, and next steps. It plans the resource and distribution flow; email forms, hosting, delivery automation, and full content production are separate.[INPUT][CONSTRAINTS]Plan gating, delivery, and qualified-lead measurement Use for: Plan gating, delivery, and qualified-lead measurement. Prepare: Audience problem, existing expertise or assets, offer, funnel stage, distribution channels, and success metric.
Use the installed lead-magnets Skill. Task: Plan gating, delivery, and qualified-lead measurement. Inputs: [INPUT]. Constraints: [CONSTRAINTS]. Check missing information first. Produce a reviewable result with evidence, assumptions, and next steps. It plans the resource and distribution flow; email forms, hosting, delivery automation, and full content production are separate.[INPUT][CONSTRAINTS]The merchant wants a low-production-cost resource that helps commuters judge mug suitability. Specifications, customer questions and channel context support both the strategy and the finished checklist.
Case input files: business-inputs.zip
Use the lead-magnets Skill.
Choose a genuinely useful pre-purchase resource for this product and create it in full. Compare formats, then make a three-minute fit checklist covering capacity, available space, carrying, washing, microwave use and delivered cost. Include its landing-page copy, distribution plan and relevant follow-up message.
The attached business materials are:
- inputs/brief.json
- inputs/merchant.json
- inputs/reference-evidence.md
Deliver a complete result.md report that the operations team can read, plus any finished files needed for this task. Keep supporting calculations and evidence with the deliverables. Write the report in English; use the requested target language for customer-facing copy. The business datasets are fictional examples unless the brief explicitly names a live public website.The primary file produced by this prompt is shown below in its original language.
Choose a short, ungated checklist. The supplied fictional research mentions capacity, bag space and cleaning. A checklist answers those questions within the available two hours of production and 30 minutes of review. A long ebook would exceed that scope; a scored quiz would add implementation and data collection without better product evidence. No test supports a leakproof or temperature-duration promise.
A three-minute buying checklist. Tick each item after checking it. You can use it without subscribing.
Decision: If capacity, space, carrying, washing, reheating and cost all fit, review HarborMug's product details. If one of your essential needs fails, compare another mug before buying.
US delivery only. Dispatch in 2 business days, then 3–5 business days in transit. Unused returns within 30 days of delivery require final merchant refund approval. Return postage has not been specified; ask support before sending an item back.
Headline: Check whether a 500 ml mug fits your routine
Description: Compare capacity, available space, carrying, washing, microwave use and the delivered price before buying. This six-point checklist takes about three minutes to work through and includes the details for HarborMug.
Primary CTA: Read the free checklist
Download link: Save the checklist
The resource opens immediately. Email is not required. Below it, offer a separate unchecked choice: “Email me product and care updates from HarborMug.” Label the email field and explain the actual frequency only after the merchant approves it. A download is not consent to marketing.
FAQ: Is it free? Yes. Do I need an account? No. Does this prove the mug will not leak? No; no leakproof evidence is supplied. Is it useful if I choose another mug? Yes; the fit and care questions still apply.
Production owner: support/content lead, two hours to format the checklist and add an inline link to the owned commute-preparation blog. Review owner: merchandising lead, 30 minutes to check dimensions, price, care and accessibility. Share three excerpts on the owned social account across 14 days; each links to the checklist. Budget: $0. Do not buy traffic or claim partner placement.
Follow-up draft for people who independently opted into marketing:
Subject: Did the mug pass your six checks?
Preview: Start with the routine you already have.
Hi there,
Before choosing HarborMug, compare its 500 ml capacity and 9 × 9 × 19 cm size with your everyday cup and available space. It is hand-wash only and cannot go in the microwave. One mug is $29 including US shipping, before applicable tax.
If those details fit your routine, the product page has the full specifications and return conditions. If they do not, keep the checklist for your next comparison.
CTA: Review HarborMug's details
Include the configured unsubscribe link when implementing this optional marketing email. This draft has not been sent.
The existing footer converts 20/1,000 exposures = 2%. The proposed goal of 40 valid voluntary subscribers from 200 unique landing visitors requires 20%, ten times that baseline rate. Traffic context differs, so this is an ambitious goal, not a forecast. At the old rate, 200 exposures would produce four subscriptions; reaching 40 would require 2,000 comparable exposures.
Track resource views, downloads, separate explicit marketing opt-ins, confirmed subscribers where confirmation is used, product-page clicks and purchases separately. Deduplicate by the proper event or subscriber identifier. Review the funnel after 14 days even if the goal is missed. Interview readers about whether the checklist prevented an unsuitable purchase; do not optimize list size by hiding the free resource behind consent.
Merchant business data is synthetic. Website observations, when present, come from the public URLs listed in the report.
It plans the resource and distribution flow; email forms, hosting, delivery automation, and full content production are separate.
Source and package files reviewed: GitHub e85f3cbc2e4a. This is a static review, not an installation or business-outcome test.
Use authorized inputs and keep secrets out of prompts. Review customer-facing claims, calculations, code changes, and any proposed external action before applying them.
Plan useful downloadable content that connects audience needs to qualified lead capture. Format selection, buyer-stage fit, gating, delivery, and follow-up are considered together.
Choose the method for your agent and install the complete package, not just the displayed SKILL.md. Audience problem, existing expertise or assets, offer, funnel stage, distribution channels, and success metric. Start a new agent session and explicitly ask to use lead-magnets. Try one use case below with a small sample and review the output.
Choose a buying checklist for a product audience; Outline a useful downloadable template; Plan gating, delivery, and qualified-lead measurement
It plans the resource and distribution flow; email forms, hosting, delivery automation, and full content production are separate.
Source and package files reviewed: GitHub e85f3cbc2e4a. This is a static review, not an installation or business-outcome test.
Source and package files reviewed: GitHub e85f3cbc2e4a. This is a static review, not an installation or business-outcome test.
Source and package files reviewed: GitHub e85f3cbc2e4a. This is a static review, not an installation or business-outcome test.
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