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90% of lead magnets you create will fail. 

Yup, you read that right. Most lead magnets you create won’t bring in the results you want. I’m sorry I don’t mean to be negative or bad vibes. It’s just the truth. 

Your lead magnets will fail because you’re not creating them correctly. People often act as if making them is a super simple and easy thing you can do in your sleep. 

And well they’re right and wrong. 

Yes, creating lead magnets can be simple, but it requires a lot of forethought and planning. 

You need to think a lot about your audience before you create them, most people don’t do this. 

I’m willing to bet that’s one of the reasons your lead magents suck. In fact, I’m going to show you five different mistakes you’re making with your lead magnet. 

Then I will give you one simple resource to help you create better lead magnets. 

So get ready to dig in. 

5 Mistakes you’re Making with your Lead Magnets 

1. Your Lead Magnet Doesn’t Solve an Urgent and Painful Problem

You have a business, and you’re struggling to grow your email list, so you ask an expert for advice. They tell you; 

“Just create a lead magnet, and people will subscribe. Boom, you have an email list.” 

But you’ve done that, and no one is signing up or even noticing it. 

That’s because your lead magnet isn’t useful enough to your audience. It doesn’t solve a quick but painful problem of theirs. Something that may be small but bothers them so much, they think about it all the time. 

Something that they’re willing to give up their personal information and maybe even a bit of money for. 

You’re an entrepreneur providing products or services to a specific target audience, so no one else should know your audience better than you. 

You should know what they need, what they love, what they hate, what they might not even be aware they want, but you know that they do. 

That’s how you create a lead magnet they’ll jump for. 

Say you have a virtual assistant business. Your target audience is other professionals or business owners drowning in a sea of administrative junk, looking for a hand to pull them to shore–your hand. 

Which lead magnet will they immediately click on? 

An e-book about “tips on how to stay more organized as a business owner”

Or 

“A step-by-step checklist to help you get through your email inbox in under 30 minutes.” 

Think on it a bit. 

Option one doesn’t solve a painful enough problem. Sure everyone wants to stay organized, but is it a big enough issue to not only catch my attention, but also move me to give you my email address? 

No, probably not. 

The second option, however, speaks to a specific issue your target audience faces. As a business owner, I’m constantly drowning in emails, half of which are probably useless, but I still have to spend considerable time going through them. 

If however, you can give me a clear way to get this annoying task done and in UNDER 30 MINUTES?!?!!

Hell yes I want to know. 

And I’m willing to give up my email for it. (I know, it’s contradictory seeing as too many emails was my problem to begin with, but please it’s 8:30 am and my inbox won’t stop pinging I don’t care, I just need help). 

Forgive my ramble, I hope you see the picture I’m trying to paint. 

The best lead magnet you can create is one that solves an urgent and painful problem.

2. You’re Targeting the Wrong Audience

I once read a blog post about Retinol (the skincare ingredient) and what it does for your skin (because I’m a part-time closeted skincare nerd). 

Then an offer for a lead magnet popped up for a free guide on the best anti-aging supplements to take daily. 

And I remember thinking, “ummmm……..no thanks, I just wanna know more about retinol” and I clicked out of the form. 

You might be thinking, “well, okay, Tife, that’s just you.” 

But is it really just me? 

How many other people would have landed on that blog post looking for information on Retinol, see an anti-aging freebie guide, and also clicked out cause it has nothing to do with what they’re looking for? 

I’m willing to bet it’s not just me. 

However, you (and the owner of that website) shouldn’t be willing to bet that people might want it, cause if they don’t, that’s wasted opportunity right there. 

When you don’t target your lead magnet to the right audience, you miss opportunities for the right people to see it. 

When you don’t pair your lead magnet to the right content, you miss opportunities for the right audience to see it. 

In my case, even though anti-aging supplements and retinol are related in the broader sense of skincare and aging, the lead magnet didn’t directly address my immediate intent. It was paired with the wrong content, so it was useless to me (the audience). 

Now, if the skincare blog had instead offered something like this;

An ebook: “Beginner’s Guide to Retinol: How to Use It Without Irritation” 

 or 

“Retinol Cheat Sheet: The Best Formulas for Every Skin Type”, 

I probably would have jumped on it, cause it fit my current needs. 

To avoid making the same mistake that website did, ensure your lead magnet is hyper-relevant to your content and audience. 

Think about why someone is on your page in the first place. What question are they trying to answer? What problem are they hoping to solve? 

You’ll see far better results if your lead magnet seamlessly fits into that journey—rather than feeling like a loosely related afterthought.

Also, be mindful of where and how you promote your lead magnet. If you’re running ads or sharing it on social media, ensure you’re targeting the right demographics and interest groups. 

The more aligned your lead magnet is with your audience’s needs at that moment, the more likely they are to engage.

3. Your Landing Page or Opt-in Form is Weak

How you deliver is just as important as what you’re delivering. 

People are consuming 10 times more content than ever before (more than they probably should, to be honest). 

They’re filtering and scrolling and zooming past lots of content. The only ones that make them stop are the ones delivered in an attention-grabbing and expert way. 

For you, in this scenario, means your landing pages and opt-in forms. 

The harsh reality is that your target audience could be dying, and your lead magnet could be exactly what the doctor ordered. If your landing page or opt-in form isn’t up to par, then well………your audience will die. 

I’m sorry, that sounds morbid and extreme, no one’s going to die (I hope). 

I’m trying to say that even if your lead magnet is valuable, it won’t convert well if your landing page isn’t optimized. 

Many businesses lose potential leads because their landing pages are cluttered, confusing, boring, or ask for too much information.

A high-converting landing or opt-in page should be clear, concise, and focused. 

It should have a compelling headline, a short description of what the lead magnet offers, and a single, call-to-action (CTA). 

It can be that simple. I like simple, it’s why I use Kit for all my opt-in forms. It’s simple and it works. 

If your landing page is overloaded with text, multiple offers, or too many distractions, your visitors will become overwhelmed and leave without getting your amazing, life-saving lead magnet. 

4. Your Offer Isn’t Specific Enough

Your lead magnet should solve just one specific problem. That’s right just one, not five, not ten, not all their problems. 

Just. One.

Clarity is key when it comes to lead magnets. You should know the one problem you want to solve for your audience, and your audience should know the one problem you’re helping them solve. 

If your offer is vague or too broad, potential subscribers may not understand why they need it and will simply move on. 

The more specific you are about the one problem your lead magnet solves, the more compelling it becomes.

For example, imagine you run a personal finance blog and want to create a lead magnet to help people better manage their money. 

If your offer is something broad like “The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom”, it’s too vague. 

A potential subscriber might think: Does this focus on budgeting? Investing? Debt payoff? Saving for retirement? Crypto? An MLM scheme? What???

Do you see how endless the possibilities are with that broad lead magnet? 

Because the offer is so general, it’s unclear what problem it solves, and people are less likely to download it.

Compare that to a more specific and focused lead magnet like “The 5-Minute Budget Hack to Save $500 This Month (Without Giving Up Your Daily Coffee)”. 

With this offer, you tackle one clear pain point—helping someone save money right now, in a way that feels realistic and achievable. A person struggling to cut expenses without making drastic lifestyle changes would immediately see the value and be far more likely to sign up.

To add this point with our first point, when your lead magnet solves one specific, urgent and painful problem with a clear and actionable solution, it instantly becomes more compelling. 

Instead of trying to help your audience with everything, focus on one thing they’re struggling with right now.

You can use this lead magnet cheat-sheet to avoid making these mistakes and create freebies your audience needs. 

5. Your lead magnet is too difficult to understand 

Your lead magnet should not be too much, remember it’s supposed to solve one simple but painful problem. It should be easy to digest and implement. 

If it’s too complex, too jargon-heavy, or requires a significant time investment to understand, you’ll lose people before they even get started. Your audience is looking for quick and easy, not a research paper or a textbook (save that to sell). 

They want a quick win.

You might think, ” Well, isn’t it good to provide a lot of value? Wouldn’t that lead to even better results?” 

In most cases, you would be correct, but not here. The truth is, when something feels overwhelming, people procrastinate or abandon it altogether.

For example, say you’re a nutritionist offering a lead magnet called “The Complete 70-Page Guide to Understanding Macronutrients and Meal Planning”. 

While the information might be valuable, the length and complexity make it daunting for someone looking for quick, practical advice on eating healthier.

What could be a better alternative? 

Instead of an exhaustive guide, create something like “The 5-Minute Meal Plan Formula: How to Prep a Week of Healthy Meals in Half the Time”. 

This version immediately communicates ease and efficiency, which busy individuals are likelier to engage with.

When crafting your lead magnet, ask yourself:

• Can someone consume this in under 10 minutes?
• Does it avoid unnecessary complexity and jargon?
• Does it provide a quick, actionable result?

If your lead magnet feels too time-consuming or difficult to grasp, simplify it. The easier it is to understand and use, the more likely people will engage with it and your business.

Go through all the lead magnets you’ve created so far, which of these mistakes would you say you’re making with your lead magnets? 

It’s not too late to tweak your already existing lead magnets, a little change can make a lot of difference in your results. 

I hope you learned something from this. 

Don’t forget to grab my cheat sheet, and use it as a guide when creating your lead magnets going forward.  

Till next time.