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Lead Magnet Format Guide

skills/lead-magnets/references/format-guide.md

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Lead Magnet Format Guide

Detailed creation guidance for each lead magnet format.

Contents

  • Ebooks & Guides
  • Checklists
  • Cheat Sheets
  • Templates & Spreadsheets
  • Swipe Files
  • Mini-Courses
  • Quizzes & Assessments
  • Webinars & Workshops

Ebooks & Guides

Best for: Building authority, deep education, awareness-stage leads

Structure:

  1. Title page with professional design
  2. Table of contents
  3. Introduction — frame the problem, set expectations
  4. 3-7 chapters — one key concept per chapter
  5. Summary — recap key takeaways
  6. CTA — next step toward your product

Guidelines:

  • Ideal length: 10-25 pages (shorter is fine if valuable)
  • Include visuals: charts, diagrams, screenshots
  • Use callout boxes for key stats or quotes
  • End each chapter with a quick takeaway
  • Don't pad — density beats length

Tools: Canva, Google Docs → PDF, Notion export, Designrr, Beacon.by

Checklists

Best for: Process-oriented tasks, quick wins, implementation help

Structure:

  • Title: "[Number]-Point [Topic] Checklist"
  • Numbered or checkbox items
  • Group into logical sections if 10+ items
  • Brief explanation per item (1-2 sentences)

Guidelines:

  • Keep to 1-2 pages
  • Use actionable language ("Verify X", "Set up Y", "Remove Z")
  • Order by workflow sequence or priority
  • Make it printable — clean layout, generous spacing
  • Include a "done" checkbox for each item

What works: Step-by-step processes, audit criteria, launch checklists, setup guides

Cheat Sheets

Best for: Reference material, shortcuts, quick-lookup information

Structure:

  • One page (two pages max)
  • Organized by category or workflow
  • Dense but scannable
  • Visual hierarchy with headers and grouping

Guidelines:

  • Optimize for quick reference, not reading
  • Use tables, grids, or columns
  • Include formulas, shortcuts, or code snippets
  • Design for printing or saving as desktop reference
  • Bold the most important items

What works: Keyboard shortcuts, formula references, terminology glossaries, decision matrices

Templates & Spreadsheets

Best for: Repeatable processes, planning, tracking

Spreadsheet Templates (Google Sheets / Excel)

  • Include a "How to Use" tab with instructions
  • Pre-fill with example data
  • Use data validation for dropdown fields
  • Add conditional formatting for visual cues
  • Lock formula cells, leave input cells editable
  • Include a "Make a Copy" link (Google Sheets)

Notion Templates

  • Provide a duplicate link
  • Include a getting-started guide
  • Pre-populate with example content
  • Use Notion's database features (views, filters, relations)
  • Keep it simple — don't over-engineer

Document Templates

  • Provide in multiple formats (Google Doc, Word, PDF)
  • Include placeholder text with [BRACKETS] for customization
  • Add inline instructions in a different color
  • Make it immediately usable with minimal editing

Key principle: Templates should be usable within 5 minutes of downloading.

Swipe Files

Best for: Inspiration, examples, learning from others

Structure:

  • Curated collection of 15-50 examples
  • Organized by category, type, or use case
  • Each example includes:
    • The example itself (screenshot, text, link)
    • Why it works (2-3 bullet annotations)
    • How to adapt it (1-2 sentences)

Guidelines:

  • Quality over quantity — curate ruthlessly
  • Add your analysis, don't just collect
  • Organize for browsing (categories, tags)
  • Update periodically with fresh examples
  • Credit original sources

What works: Email subject lines, landing pages, ad copy, CTAs, onboarding flows, pricing pages

Mini-Courses

Email-Based Mini-Courses

  • 3-5 emails delivered over 5-7 days
  • One lesson per email, one concept per lesson
  • Each email: teach → example → exercise
  • Progressive difficulty (build on previous lessons)
  • Final email: summary + CTA for product or next step

Video-Based Mini-Courses

  • 3-5 videos, 5-15 minutes each
  • Host on unlisted YouTube, Loom, or course platform
  • Deliver links via email drip
  • Include worksheets or exercises per lesson
  • More personal — builds stronger connection

Cadence: Every 1-2 days. Don't stretch too thin or compress too tight.

Key principle: Each lesson should deliver standalone value. If someone only watches lesson 2, they should still learn something useful.

Quizzes & Assessments

Best for: Engagement, segmentation, personalized results

Question Design:

  • 5-10 questions (sweet spot: 7)
  • Multiple choice only — no open-ended
  • Questions should feel insightful, not obvious
  • Progress indicator ("Question 3 of 7")

Result Segmentation:

  • 3-5 result categories
  • Each result: name, description, personalized recommendations
  • Tailor follow-up emails by result type
  • Share-worthy result format ("I got: Growth Stage Marketer!")

Implementation: Gate results behind email capture. The quiz itself is ungated — the personalized results require an email.

For building interactive quizzes: See free-tool-strategy skill for technical implementation guidance.

Webinars & Workshops

Live Webinars

  • 30-45 minutes teaching + 15 minutes Q&A
  • Structure: Hook → Teach (3 key points) → Demo/example → CTA
  • Promote 1-2 weeks in advance
  • Send 3 reminder emails (confirmation, day before, 1 hour before)
  • Record for replay (extends value)

Evergreen Webinars

  • Pre-recorded, available on demand
  • Same structure as live but tighter editing
  • Always-on lead generation
  • Gate with email registration
  • Automated follow-up sequence

Follow-up: Send replay link + summary + CTA within 24 hours. Continue with nurture sequence.

Key principle: Teach something genuinely useful. A webinar that's just a sales pitch will damage trust.