1---
2name: lead-magnets
3description: 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-tool-strategy. For writing the actual content, see copywriting. For the email sequence after capture, see email-sequence.
4metadata:
5  version: 1.0.0
6---
7 
8# Lead Magnets
9 
10You 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.
11 
12## Before Planning
13 
14**Check for product marketing context first:**
15If `.agents/product-marketing-context.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
16 
17Gather this context (ask if not provided):
18 
19### 1. Business Context
20- What does the company do?
21- Who is the ideal customer?
22- What problems does your product solve?
23 
24### 2. Current Lead Generation
25- How do you currently capture leads?
26- What lead magnets or offers do you have?
27- What's your current conversion rate on email capture?
28 
29### 3. Content Assets
30- What existing content could be repurposed? (blog posts, guides, data)
31- What expertise can you package?
32- What templates or tools do you use internally?
33 
34### 4. Goals
35- Primary goal: email list growth, lead quality, product education?
36- Target audience stage: awareness, consideration, or decision?
37- Timeline and resource constraints?
38 
39---
40 
41## Lead Magnet Principles
42 
43### 1. Solve a Specific Problem
44- Address one clear pain point, not a broad topic
45- "How to write cold emails that get replies" > "Marketing guide"
46 
47### 2. Match the Buyer Stage
48- Awareness leads need education
49- Consideration leads need comparison and evaluation
50- Decision leads need implementation help
51 
52### 3. High Perceived Value, Low Time Investment
53- Should look like it's worth paying for
54- Consumable in under 30 minutes (ideally under 10)
55- Immediate, actionable takeaway
56 
57### 4. Natural Path to Product
58- Solves a problem your product also solves
59- Creates awareness of a gap your product fills
60- Demonstrates your expertise in the space
61 
62### 5. Easy to Consume
63- One clear format (don't mix ebook + video + spreadsheet)
64- Works on mobile
65- No special software required
66 
67---
68 
69## Lead Magnet Types
70 
71| Type | Best For | Effort | Time to Create |
72|------|----------|--------|----------------|
73| Checklist | Quick wins, process steps | Low | 1-2 hours |
74| Cheat sheet | Reference material, shortcuts | Low | 2-4 hours |
75| Template (doc/spreadsheet/Notion) | Repeatable processes, workflows | Low-Med | 2-8 hours |
76| Swipe file | Inspiration, examples | Medium | 4-8 hours |
77| Ebook/guide | Deep education, authority | High | 1-3 weeks |
78| Mini-course (email) | Education + nurture | Medium | 1-2 weeks |
79| Mini-course (video) | Education + personality | High | 2-4 weeks |
80| Quiz/assessment | Segmentation, engagement | Medium | 1-2 weeks |
81| Webinar | Authority, live engagement | Medium | 1 week prep |
82| Resource library | Ongoing value, return visits | High | Ongoing |
83| Free trial/community access | Product experience | Varies | Varies |
84 
85**For detailed creation guidance per format**: See [references/format-guide.md](references/format-guide.md)
86 
87---
88 
89## Matching Lead Magnets to Buyer Stage
90 
91### Awareness Stage
92Goal: Educate on the problem. Attract people who don't know you yet.
93 
94| Format | Example |
95|--------|---------|
96| Checklist | "10-Point Website Audit Checklist" |
97| Cheat sheet | "SEO Cheat Sheet for Beginners" |
98| Ebook/guide | "The Complete Guide to Email Marketing" |
99| Quiz | "What Type of Marketer Are You?" |
100 
101### Consideration Stage
102Goal: Help evaluate solutions. Build trust and demonstrate expertise.
103 
104| Format | Example |
105|--------|---------|
106| Comparison template | "CRM Comparison Spreadsheet" |
107| Assessment | "Marketing Maturity Assessment" |
108| Case study collection | "5 Companies That 3x'd Their Pipeline" |
109| Webinar | "How to Choose the Right Analytics Tool" |
110 
111### Decision Stage
112Goal: Help implement. Remove friction to purchase.
113 
114| Format | Example |
115|--------|---------|
116| Template | "Ready-to-Use Sales Email Templates" |
117| Free trial | "14-Day Free Trial" |
118| Implementation guide | "Migration Checklist: Switch in 30 Minutes" |
119| ROI calculator | "Calculate Your Savings" (→ see **free-tool-strategy**) |
120 
121---
122 
123## Gating Strategy
124 
125### Gating Options
126 
127| Approach | When to Use | Trade-off |
128|----------|-------------|-----------|
129| **Full gate** | High-value content, bottom-funnel | Max capture, lower reach |
130| **Partial gate** | Preview + full version | Balance of reach and capture |
131| **Ungated + optional** | Top-funnel education | Max reach, lower capture |
132| **Content upgrade** | Blog post + bonus | Contextual, high-intent |
133 
134### What to Ask For
135 
136- **Email only** — highest conversion, lowest friction
137- **Email + name** — enables personalization, slight friction increase
138- **Email + company/role** — better lead qualification, more friction
139- **Multi-field** — only for high-value offers (webinars, demos)
140 
141Rule of thumb: Ask for the minimum needed. Every extra field reduces conversion by 5-10%.
142 
143### How to Frame the Exchange
144 
145- Make the value obvious: "Get the full 25-page guide free"
146- Show a preview: table of contents, first page, sample results
147- Add social proof: "Downloaded by 5,000+ marketers"
148- Reduce risk: "No spam. Unsubscribe anytime."
149 
150**For form optimization**: See **form-cro** skill
151**For popup implementation**: See **popup-cro** skill
152 
153---
154 
155## Landing Page & Delivery
156 
157### Landing Page Structure
158 
1591. **Headline** — Clear benefit: what they'll get and why it matters
1602. **Preview/mockup** — Visual of the lead magnet (cover, screenshot, sample page)
1613. **What's inside** — 3-5 bullet points of key takeaways
1624. **Social proof** — Download count, testimonials, logos
1635. **Form** — Minimal fields, clear CTA button
1646. **FAQ** — Address hesitations (Is it really free? What format?)
165 
166**For landing page optimization**: See **page-cro** skill
167 
168### Delivery Methods
169 
170| Method | Pros | Cons |
171|--------|------|------|
172| **Instant download** | Immediate gratification | No email verification |
173| **Email delivery** | Verifies email, starts relationship | Slight delay |
174| **Thank you page + email** | Best of both—instant access + email copy | Slightly more complex |
175| **Drip delivery** | Builds habit, multiple touchpoints | Only for courses/series |
176 
177### Thank You Page Optimization
178 
179Don't waste the thank you page. After they've converted:
180- Confirm delivery ("Check your inbox")
181- Offer a next step (book a demo, start trial, join community)
182- Share on social (pre-written tweet/post)
183- Recommend related content
184 
185---
186 
187## Promotion & Distribution
188 
189### Blog CTAs & Content Upgrades
190 
191- Add relevant CTAs within blog posts (inline, end-of-post)
192- Create post-specific content upgrades (bonus checklist for a how-to post)
193- Content upgrades convert 2-5x better than generic sidebar CTAs
194 
195### Exit-Intent & Popups
196 
197- Trigger on exit intent or scroll depth
198- Match the popup offer to the page content
199- **See popup-cro** for implementation
200 
201### Social Media
202 
203- Share snippets and teasers from the lead magnet
204- Create carousel posts from key points
205- Use the lead magnet as the CTA in your bio/profile
206- **See social-content** for social strategy
207 
208### Paid Promotion
209 
210- Facebook/Instagram lead ads for top-funnel lead magnets
211- Google Ads for high-intent lead magnets (templates, tools)
212- LinkedIn for B2B lead magnets
213- Retarget blog visitors with lead magnet ads
214- **See paid-ads** for campaign strategy
215 
216### Partner Co-Promotion
217 
218- Cross-promote with complementary brands
219- Guest webinars with partner audiences
220- Include in partner newsletters
221- Bundle in resource collections
222 
223---
224 
225## Measuring Success
226 
227### Key Metrics
228 
229| Metric | What It Tells You | Benchmark |
230|--------|-------------------|-----------|
231| **Landing page conversion rate** | Offer attractiveness | 20-40% (warm traffic), 5-15% (cold) |
232| **Cost per lead** | Acquisition efficiency | Varies by channel and industry |
233| **Lead-to-customer rate** | Lead quality | 1-5% (B2B), varies widely |
234| **Email engagement** | Content relevance | 30-50% open, 2-5% click |
235| **Time to conversion** | Nurture effectiveness | Track by lead magnet source |
236 
237**For detailed benchmarks by format and industry**: See [references/benchmarks.md](references/benchmarks.md)
238 
239### A/B Testing Ideas
240 
241- **Headline**: Benefit-focused vs. curiosity-driven
242- **Format**: Checklist vs. guide on same topic
243- **Gate level**: Full gate vs. partial preview
244- **Form fields**: Email-only vs. email + name
245- **CTA copy**: "Download Free Guide" vs. "Get Your Copy"
246- **Delivery**: Instant download vs. email delivery
247 
248### Lead Quality Signals
249 
250Good lead magnet attracted quality leads if:
251- Higher-than-average email engagement
252- Leads progress to trial/demo at expected rates
253- Low unsubscribe rate after delivery
254- Leads match ICP demographics
255 
256---
257 
258## Output Format
259 
260When creating a lead magnet strategy, provide:
261 
262### 1. Lead Magnet Recommendation
263- Format and topic
264- Target buyer stage
265- Why this format for this audience
266- Estimated creation effort
267 
268### 2. Content Outline
269- Key sections/components
270- Length and scope
271- What makes it unique or valuable
272 
273### 3. Gating & Capture Plan
274- What to gate and how
275- Form fields
276- Landing page structure
277 
278### 4. Distribution Plan
279- Promotion channels
280- Content upgrade opportunities
281- Paid amplification (if applicable)
282 
283### 5. Measurement Plan
284- KPIs and targets
285- What to A/B test first
286 
287---
288 
289## Task-Specific Questions
290 
2911. What existing content or expertise could you turn into a lead magnet?
2922. Where does your audience spend time online?
2933. What's the most common question prospects ask before buying?
2944. Do you have an email nurture sequence set up for new leads?
2955. What's your budget for design and promotion?
296 
297---
298 
299## Related Skills
300 
301- **free-tool-strategy**: For interactive tools as lead magnets (calculators, graders, quizzes)
302- **copywriting**: For writing the lead magnet content itself
303- **email-sequence**: For nurture sequences after lead capture
304- **page-cro**: For optimizing lead magnet landing pages
305- **popup-cro**: For popup-based lead capture
306- **form-cro**: For optimizing capture forms
307- **content-strategy**: For content planning and topic selection
308- **analytics-tracking**: For measuring lead magnet performance
309- **paid-ads**: For paid promotion of lead magnets
310- **social-content**: For social media promotion
311