A lead magnet is something valuable a company gives away to start a relationship with a potential buyer, typically in return for an email address. Common examples in B2B SaaS are templates, checklists, calculators, benchmark reports, ebooks and email courses. A good lead magnet solves a specific, immediate problem for the reader and is closely related to what the product does, so the people it attracts are plausible future customers.
What makes a lead magnet work
The best lead magnets are specific and quick to use. A checklist for passing a security questionnaire is more appealing than a broad guide to security, because it promises a concrete result for a task the reader has right now.
- Solves one clear problem
- Usable within minutes of receiving it
- Connected to the problem the product solves
- Clearly better than what is freely available
- Delivered instantly, in a convenient format
Where lead magnets fit
Lead magnets can be offered sitewide, on a dedicated landing page, or inside related content as a content upgrade. What happens after the download matters as much as the asset: a short, relevant follow-up sequence turns a contact into a conversation. Sending every new contact straight to a sales call usually works poorly for early-stage readers.
Example
A calculator that qualifies leads
Hypothetical company Ridgecomb sells employee benefits software. It builds a calculator that estimates the cost of a benefits package for a given team size and location, using illustrative assumptions the user can edit. To get a detailed PDF breakdown, the user enters an email. Contacts whose team size matches Ridgecomb's market are passed to sales; others receive an educational email series.
Common mistakes
Broad, generic offers
"The complete guide to marketing" attracts everyone and no one. Narrow lead magnets tend to attract better-fitting contacts.
Unrelated freebies
A popular giveaway that has nothing to do with your product fills the list with people who will never buy.
Questions
Gated content is any content behind a form. A lead magnet is an asset designed specifically to attract contacts, which is usually, but not always, gated.
