Build a lead magnet with Claude

What you'll make

A lead magnet — a short, practical downloadable (2–5 pages) that solves one specific problem for your audience. Designed to be valuable enough that someone gladly gives you their email to get it, and specific enough that it doesn't feel like generic filler.

What you need

• A Claude account
• Knowing who your audience is and what they struggle with
• One specific problem you can help with (not a broad topic — a single, concrete problem)
• A way to deliver the file (a simple landing page, an email automation, or even a Google Drive link)
• 40 minutes

Steps

1. Ask Claude to help you pick the right format and angle:

My audience is [who they are]. Their biggest struggle is [one specific problem — e.g. "writing product descriptions that don't sound generic", "finding the right keywords for their Etsy listings", "knowing what to post on Instagram each week"].

I want to create a lead magnet (a free downloadable they get in exchange for their email). Suggest 3 formats that would work for this problem:
1. A checklist (step-by-step actions)
2. A template (fill-in-the-blank structure)
3. A mini-guide (short how-to with examples)

For each format, tell me:
- What the title would be
- Why it works for this problem
- How long it should be (pages or number of items)
- What makes it better than a generic blog post on the same topic

Then recommend which one to start with and why.

2. Ask Claude to write the lead magnet content:

Write the full content for the [chosen format] lead magnet. Title: [chosen title].

Rules:
- Keep it to [2–5 pages / 10–20 checklist items / 1 template page]
- Every section must be actionable — no theory or fluff
- Write in plain language, like explaining to a friend
- Include at least 2 real examples (not [placeholder] examples — actual sample content they can model)
- End with a "what to do next" section that's one concrete action, not a sales pitch

Format as a clean document with headings, bullet points and short paragraphs — ready to paste into a Google Doc or Canva template.

3. Ask Claude for a landing page description:

Now write the copy for a simple landing page where people download this lead magnet. I need:
1. Headline (the promise — under 10 words)
2. Subheadline (who it's for and what they get — under 15 words)
3. Three bullet points of what's inside
4. Button text (under 4 words)
5. A one-line privacy note ("I won't spam you. Unsubscribe anytime.")

Keep it under 80 words total. No hype words.

4. Create the actual file. Paste the lead magnet content into a Google Doc or Canva template. Export as PDF. Keep the design simple — clean typography, lots of white space, your name or logo at the top.

5. Set up the delivery. The simplest method: create a landing page (even a free Carrd or Google Sites page), add an email signup form (Mailchimp, ConvertKit or Formspree all have free tiers), and set up an automated email that sends the PDF link to new subscribers.

Check your result

• The lead magnet solves one specific problem (not three — one)
• Every page or section has something the reader can act on immediately
• The examples are real, not [bracketed placeholders]
• The landing page copy is under 80 words and has no hype
• The delivery method works (test it yourself: sign up with your own email and confirm you get the PDF)

If the lead magnet feels like it could be a blog post, it's not valuable enough. A lead magnet needs to be more structured and more immediately useful than free content. Add specificity: instead of "tips for better listings", make it "the 12-point checklist I run through before publishing any Etsy listing" with each point explained in 1–2 sentences.