Gating a thin resource
A few lines of text may not earn an email address. If the content could be read in two minutes, publish it openly as a short article, and offer the longer version only if it is substantially more useful.
Sales & MarketingContent Creator
Lead magnet: a free resource that earns a name and an email address
A lead magnet is a free resource, such as a checklist, template or short guide, that a visitor receives in exchange for contact details. It works when the resource solves one problem your readers already have, and the landing page explains what it is, who it is for and what the reader gets. Plan how you will deliver it before you publish, because a promise of delivery needs a process behind it.
What people search
Lead magnet: 1,600 average monthly searches.Google Ads Keyword Planner · 2026-10-09 · United States
Weak and strong wording
Replace a generic offer with one a reader can use today
Weak: Download our ultimate guide to growth.
Strong: A one-page checklist for the first week after a new client signs.
A specific resource tells the reader what they will hold and how long it takes to use. A broad guide makes them guess whether it is worth an email address.
Weak: Get your free e-book now!
Strong: Eight questions to ask before you hire a freelance bookkeeper, with space to write your answers beside each one.
The count and the outcome make the offer checkable. Give a page count only when it is accurate.
Weak: Discover exclusive insider secrets.
Strong: Three handoff mistakes that delay a project, and a fix for each one.
Claims of insider knowledge need a source behind them. Describe the content itself rather than the secret it supposedly holds.
Weak: Sign up to get started.
Strong: Enter your name and email, and the checklist goes to that address.
The reader sees the exchange clearly. Write this line only if the resource really goes to that address.
Section outline
Landing page outline for one free resource
Headline with the resource name
Name the resource and the reader it is for in one line a person could repeat to a colleague.
30 wordsWhat is inside
Describe the contents in order, with the number of steps, pages or questions. Quote a short preview only if the resource is short enough to show.
80 wordsWho it is for and who should skip it
Name the role, situation or problem. Saying who should skip it helps the right people sign up and keeps the list relevant.
60 wordsSign-up fields and why each is needed
Ask for a name and an email address at minimum. Explain in one line why each field is needed, such as the email address being the route the resource travels by.
60 wordsDelivery and first message
Say how and when the resource arrives and what the first follow-up message will contain. Promise only the timing you will meet.
70 words
Total: 300 words
Mistakes to avoid
Mistakes that waste the reader's time and your follow-up
Promising automatic delivery
The form notifies you when someone signs up, but it does not send the resource. If the page says the file arrives in their inbox, you need a step that sends it, and you must do that step for every sign-up.
Asking for a phone number on the first step
A phone field adds effort and signals a sales call. Ask for it only when the next step is a call the reader has chosen.
Writing the offer around your product
A reader who wants a checklist may leave when the checklist turns into a product tour. The resource should still help if the reader never buys from you.
Counting the list as the result
A list of names with no follow-up is not a result. Decide what the first message says and when it goes out before you publish the page.
Share the finished page
Place the offer where readers already look for help
Public link
Link the landing page from articles or posts that cover the same problem, and from your profile. The page cannot show view counts, so judge the offer by sign-ups in the form's submissions grid.
WhatsApp share button
Send the page to a contact who has raised the problem before, with one note explaining why you thought of them. A personal note can get a reply more often than a broadcast does.
HTML download
Download the generated HTML file when you want a copy for your records or for a manual send. Name the file with the resource name and the date, because the page keeps no version history.
Frequently asked questions
What is a lead magnet?
A lead magnet is a free resource offered in exchange for a name and an email address. Common examples are a checklist, a template, a short guide and a worked example. It works best when the reader can use it on the day they receive it.
What are good lead magnet ideas?
Start from a task your readers already struggle with. A checklist for a recurring job, a template with sample wording, or a guide to one decision tends to be easier to judge than a broad overview. Ask three people whether they would use it this week before you build it.
Is there a lead magnet template I can edit?
A template gives you the sections to fill in: the promise, the contents, the sign-up and the delivery. Keep the working draft in the editor you already use, because the generated output is a web page rather than an editable file.
Should I ask for a phone number on a lead magnet form?
Usually not on the first step. Each extra field can lower the number of people who finish the form. Ask for a phone number only when a call is the next step and the reader has chosen to take it.
How do I deliver the resource after someone signs up?
Plan that step before you publish. The form tells you about each sign-up, but you send the resource yourself from your own email tool, and the page states the timing. Keep the first message short and useful.
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How to build it
Follow the eight-step wizard: type, assets and description, images, branding, contact and call to action, Atty Suggestions, blueprint, and generate. Atty generates one HTML page in the background. Review it, then publish and share the page link or download the HTML file.
