Author lead-magnet (free → email) opt-in pages: longer than a squeeze, full Method-compressed argument for why the freebie is worth the email. Emits brief + paste-ready HTML/CSS.
Use when the user has a substantive free asset (guide, training, swipe file, audit, calculator) and needs a page that converts cold-to-cool traffic into email subscribers.
Not for super-short single-promise opt-ins (see /convert squeeze-page) or post-opt-in delivery pages (often fold into /convert thank-you-page).
Author lead-magnet (free → email) opt-in pages: longer than a squeeze, full Method-compressed argument for why the freebie is worth the email. Emits brief + paste-ready HTML/CSS.
Use when the user has a substantive free asset (guide, training, swipe file, audit, calculator) and needs a page that converts cold-to-cool traffic into email subscribers.
Not for super-short single-promise opt-ins (see /convert squeeze-page) or post-opt-in delivery pages (often fold into /convert thank-you-page).
"A lead magnet page is a sales page where the price is the email. Same Method, same locks, same close - but the currency is permission instead of money."
This skill builds the page that converts visitors into email subscribers in exchange for a substantive free asset. Longer than a squeeze, shorter than a sales page - the full Method, scaled for a lower-friction yes.
When to Use
Trigger phrases: lead magnet page, free guide page, free training page, opt-in landing page, /convert lead-magnet-page <topic>.
Use when:
The user has a substantive free asset (15–60 minute training, 20+ page guide, full swipe file, calculator/tool, mini-audit).
Cold-to-cool traffic needs more persuasion than a squeeze provides.
The lead magnet is the front of a longer email-driven funnel.
The lead magnet - what's being given away. Format, length, deliverable.
The promise - the specific outcome the lead magnet delivers (not "tips" - "the exact 6-email cold sequence that's pulled $1.4M for our agency clients").
One person + Nerve (One Person Rule).
Form destination + post-opt-in URL.
Optional:
Brand colors / logo + lead-magnet cover image.
One full proof beat - Anecdote + Receipt.
Backend offer hint - what the email sequence eventually pitches (informs what kind of lead the magnet should attract).
out_path - defaults via build_report_path.
Workflow - All Eight Method Phases
Phase 0 - Four Questions
Why You? - Why this person, today, needs lead magnet.
this
Why Me? - Drive-By credibility, one beat.
Why This? - Why this lead magnet vs. the dozen other free guides on the same topic.
Why Now? - Often "free + curiosity" + one real-time reason ("course launches Tuesday - this prepares you").
Phase 1 - Temperature
Lead-magnet pages typically run Cool to Warm. Page length 400–900 words. For Ice Cold traffic, place a /convert bridge-page upstream.
Phase 2 - Four-Layer Open (call convert-open)
Full Open, but condensed:
Layer 1 = Nerve Strike headline (the pain the magnet addresses).
Layer 2 = Side Door subhead/opening paragraph.
Layer 3 = Skin in the Game in 1–2 sentences.
Layer 4 = Fingerprint as a one-line aside or distinctive opening phrase.
Phase 3 - Three Locks
Want = the outcome the magnet delivers.
Trust = one Anecdote + one Drive-By. Lighter than a sales page; the price is just an email.
Excuse = built in (free), but reinforce: "no upsell on the next page" or "no credit card" - whatever's true.
Phase 4 - Bullets (call convert-bullets)
5–8 bullets. Mostly Keyhole + Snapshot ("Inside, you'll see..."). Each bullet sounds like a chapter or module title from the magnet itself.
Phase 5 - Proof (call convert-proof)
One Anecdote (someone who got the magnet and used it) + one Drive-By. The page is too short for a heavy proof block.
Phase 6 - Cascade Close (call convert-close)
Compressed cascade:
Stack - what's in the magnet.
Vision - paint the state after using it.
Math - "free" + the implicit cost-of-not-knowing.
Safety Net - "if it's not useful, unsubscribe in one click."
Door - the form button.
Phase 7 - Greased Chute (call convert-chute)
Lead-magnet pages often die in the middle. Section transitions must pull forward. The form should be visible above the fold and repeated near the bottom.
Phase 8 - Voice + Bullshit Filter
Most common failure: the lead magnet over-promises and the page over-claims. Rein in claims to what the magnet actually delivers. Over-promise = unsubscribe by email #2.
The cover image is a load-bearing visual anchor on lead-magnet pages - pages without one convert measurably worse on cold-to-cool traffic. Provide an actual mock, not a placeholder rectangle.
Two forms: top + bottom. Same form action. The bottom form converts the readers who scrolled the bullets and the Anecdote.
The reassurance line ("no spam, unsubscribe anytime") sits under both forms, not above. Above the form, it pre-introduces a doubt the reader didn't have.
Method coverage report:
Open: full - all 4 layers (compressed); Fingerprint lives in voice across the page
Three Locks: partial - Want (the outcome) full; Trust (1 Anecdote + 1 Drive-By) light; Excuse (free + reassurance line) micro-loaded
Proof: partial - 1 Anecdote + 1 Drive-By; full proof block lives downstream on the paid offer page
Bullets: full - 5-8 bullets, Keyhole / Snapshot mix with specificity
Cascade Close: partial - Stack / Vision / Math / Safety Net / Door + P.S. compressed for a free opt-in (no P.P.S., math reframed as "no cost")
Greased Chute: full - short paragraphs, form repeated mid-page and bottom for second close
Voice Rules: full - first person, contractions, no marketing-speak
Temperature: {{COOL / WARM}}
Required next step: Run /convert bullshit-filter on this draft before shipping.
The Filter is a SEPARATE pass - this skill cannot grade its own output.
## Notes / Cross-Skill Composition
- For Ice Cold traffic, bridge through `/convert bridge-page` first.
- The post-opt-in URL should fold into `/convert thank-you-page` (delivery + secondary-offer stack) - that's the single biggest under-leveraged surface on most funnels.
- Lead-magnet quality is the conversion lever above all others. A weak magnet behind a great page underperforms a strong magnet behind a mediocre page.
- The match between lead-magnet topic and the eventual paid offer determines whether the email sequence converts. Mismatched magnet → list that won't buy.
## Lineage
- Lead-magnet opt-in canon - direct-response info-marketing.
- Headline mechanics - Caples (Tested Advertising Methods, 1932).
- Reciprocity (free value → permission to follow up) - Cialdini (Influence, 1984).
- Awareness-level fit (typically targets levels 2–3) - Schwartz (Breakthrough Advertising, 1966).
- The Method itself - Wayland-owned operating system.
