How to Write More Powerful Lead Magnets in 5 Easy Steps

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

Updated 10.22.24

When you know how to write more powerful lead magnets, you’ll gain more followers and clients.

A lead magnet is an incentive that you give to readers in exchange for their email address (or other contact info) and permission to send information. You create a lead magnet to generate content writing leads and build your email list. (See more ways to use lead magnets.)

A lead magnet is a freebie. Freebies are everywhere and people love them. I do!

But here’s the catch. More and more entrepreneurs and freelancers offer a freebie. It’s not an unusual hook anymore. 

But if you’re a reader, what is unusual is to come across a freebie that you really, really want.

Which you, the writer, can offer when you know how to write more powerful lead magnets.

How To Write More Powerful Lead Magnets: 5 Easy Steps

1. Identify the Content that People Pay For 

“What kind of lead magnet should I create?” It’s a question I hear a lot. But it’s the wrong question.

The right question is this: “What kind of information is a reader willing to pay for?” If a reader is willing to part with her hard-earned cash, it’s a tip-off that you can attract her by offering her a short, quick version for free.

Start on Amazon. Search in your niche and find out what kinds of books are selling best. What questions do those books answer and what problems do those books solve?

Test your idea with your current readers on your website, blog, or social media sites. Create a simple poll. Ask for feedback and improvements.

2. Create Your Buyer Persona

Who do you want to attract to your email list?

Your target audience is a specific group of people most likely to respond positively to your content. Some folks call this a customer avatar or buyer persona.

They respond when you give them content that they really, really need or want.

Create an ideal reader profile before you write your piece of content. It’s a description of a typical member of your target readership. Brainstorm and create a list of what this ideal reader’s pain points. What do they need? What do they want in order to accomplish their goal(s)? 

Once you’ve got your list, then …

3. Focus on Just One Pain Point

What are the pain points of the people in your niche? Choose just one problem your target prospect faces. Let your lead magnet solve that problem. Some folks call this your value proposition specific to this project.

Key pain points to consider:

• Savings. Offer a specific way for your reader to save money
• Time. How can you help your reader get more done in less time using a particular technique or tip.
• Expertise. Your lead magnet can provide a specific piece of information for a particular niche such as, adoption, coaching Little League, clipping coupons, choosing emerging market stocks, biblical understanding
• Convenience. A reader may be able to gather the information by herself, but she may not have the time or the know-how to do so. Your lead magnet packages it all in one place.
• Immediate Gratification. Go for a quick win. Readers love lead magnets that help them solve a certain problem or answer a particular question quickly.

Notice what all of these pain points have in common: Specificity. Avoid a vague or broad problem.

Among all the pain points you've identified, choose one. Just one.

4. Choose Your Format

Your lead magnet could be an article, white paper, report, eBook, tip sheet, checklist, guide, resource list, toolkit, video, mini course, download, free trial, or free assessment. How you package your lead magnet doesn’t matter so much. What does matter is that your lead magnet soothes your reader’s pain point, solves her urgent problem, or answers her burning question.

5. Create Your Lead Magnet

Write it and load it up!

• Keep it short. Readers should be able to consume your lead magnet in a few minutes.
• Create a headline that promises a solution to the reader’s pain point.
• Use the content to deliver the solution to the problem.
• Promise and deliver just one solution to one problem. 

More Ways to Use Your Lead Magnet

Now that you’ve got a blueprint that explains how to write more powerful lead magnets, find out three different ways to use them to build your list of leads and prospects. 

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