5 deadly mistakes killing your lead magnets (and how AI can fix them)

Most lead magnets fail because they’re too general.

I’ve created dozens of lead magnets for my business and clients. AI helps me develop them quickly and easily, partly because I trained it to avoid these 5 mistakes.

Mistake 1: Creating what YOU think is valuable (not what your audience wants)
​Inspiration is good, but validation is better.

I ask subscribers one question when they sign up to my email list. "What’s the number one problem you’re struggling with right now?

Their answers usually validate my ideas—unless they want to discuss a divorce or court case! Then, I transform the most common pain points into simple lead magnets that solve specific problems.

If your list is small, prompt AI to act as your ideal client or customer and ask that question.

Mistake 2: Creating a general lead magnet
​For a few years, bloggers grew their lists by copying all their posts and turning them into a downloadable PDF.

I tried this approach. It was fast and reasonably effective. But it was also the digital equivalent of using a shotgun when I needed a sniper rifle.

A great lead magnet solves a specific problem for your readers or subscribers.

For example, writers love tracking their daily word count. So, I created a simple spreadsheet where they could input their daily word count and total it up at the end of the week.

Mistake 3: Overcomplicating design
​Fancy marketing teams love turning their lead magnets into even fancier branded designs. They agonise over logo placement and branded colors.

In 9/10 cases, it’s overkill for creators. A quick win beats a fancy-looking lead magnet.

A read-only Google Sheet, Google Doc, or Notion link is surprisingly effective. These low-tech lead magnets are easier and cheaper to create than messing around in Creative Cloud.

Mistake 4: A weak call to action
​Who wakes up and says, “I can’t wait to read this great lead magnet!”?

Most subscribers browse a lead magnet once and skip half of it. But, they will usually flick to the end.

So, include a clear call to action for your newly acquired subscriber. Book a discovery call or buy the product.

Mistake 5: Not tracking performance metrics
​I use a simple Google sheet to track the performance of my lead magnets and opt-in forms. I update this sheet once or twice a month. This way, I can see which lead magnets attract subscribers and which ones I should send to the farm.

Conversely, don’t let too much data and analytics get in the way of creating something new.

If you need help creating a lead magnet with AI, you’ll love my next workshop.

I’ll show you how to craft the perfect lead magnet with Claude or ChatGPT and give you the exact AI prompts and growth strategies you need to promote it. You’ll leave the workshop with a formula for creating high-converting lead magnets in under ten minutes.

This live workshop will be held on Wednesday, March 19th, at 15:30 GMT / 10:30 EST. It is for ticket holders only, but I will send you a recording if you can’t attend.

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