lead-magnets – Marketing & SEO skill for AI agents
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," "cont
Install the lead-magnets skill with one command
Pick the tool you use, copy the command and paste it in your terminal. The skill lands in that tool's skills folder and is ready in your next session.
Claude Code
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && curl -fsSL https://skill.dn1nguoi.com/z/lead-magnets-4b4c6.tgz | tar xz -C ~/.claude/skills
Call it in Claude Code: /lead-magnets – then describe the task you want done.
Codex
mkdir -p ~/.codex/skills && curl -fsSL https://skill.dn1nguoi.com/z/lead-magnets-4b4c6.tgz | tar xz -C ~/.codex/skills
Call it in Codex: $lead-magnets – then describe the task you want done.
Hermes Agent
mkdir -p ~/.hermes/skills && curl -fsSL https://skill.dn1nguoi.com/z/lead-magnets-4b4c6.tgz | tar xz -C ~/.hermes/skills
Call it in Hermes Agent: /lead-magnets – then describe the task you want done.
DeepSeek
mkdir -p ~/.deepcode/skills && curl -fsSL https://skill.dn1nguoi.com/z/lead-magnets-4b4c6.tgz | tar xz -C ~/.deepcode/skills
Call it in DeepSeek: /lead-magnets – then describe the task you want done.
SKILL.md content
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
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Output Format
When c
… (full content is in the download package)
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