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I Was Terrified to Create My First Lead Magnet

Not because I didn’t know what to make.

Because I was scared no one would want it.

For six months, I told myself I was “researching.”

Really? I was refreshing Facebook. Watching other people’s lead magnets. Convincing myself mine needed to be better.

Every week I’d think: “Maybe next week.”

Because what if I spent all this time creating something and then…crickets?

What if people downloaded it and never used it?

What if it just proved I wasn’t cut out for this?

Eventually, I got so tired of my own BS that I just…did it.

Created a 5-day email series in one afternoon.

And people signed up.

Not hundreds.

But actual humans who wanted what I made.

That first lead magnet worked. Not because it was perfect.

Because it existed.

Now that we’ve talked about getting over your fear and the waiting game, let’s look at what a lead magnet actually is.

Forget all the fancy business words. It’s simpler than you think.

A lead magnet is something helpful you give away for free.

Someone gives you their email. You give them something useful.

That’s it.

It’s not some massive, perfectly designed, 47-page PDF with custom graphics and a table of contents.

It’s something that solves one specific problem for your ideal person.

Could be a 5-day email series like mine. Could be a template or toolkit. Could be a one-page cheat sheet.

The fancy name makes it sound complicated.

But really? You’re just trading something valuable for permission to stay in touch.

Simple.

You won’t know what works until you put it out there.

Let me tell you about the quiz.

I spent weeks on it.

Researched quiz platforms. Wrote all the questions. Created custom results pages for each outcome. Designed graphics. Wrote copy for every single result.

It was going to be amazing. People love quizzes, right?

I put it out there and waited for the signups to roll in.

Crickets.

I was crushed. Not just disappointed—crushed.

Because I’d put in all that work and it felt like proof that I didn’t know what I was doing.

See? I knew no one would want my stuff. Everyone else can create lead magnets that work but I can’t.

But here’s what I learned after I stopped spiraling:

The quiz didn’t flop because of me.

It flopped because it wasn’t what my people needed.

They didn’t need a fun quiz. They needed practical help getting started with email.

So I made the 5-day email series instead. Simple daily emails that walked them through building momentum.

That worked.

Not because it was fancier or more impressive than the quiz.

Because it actually solved the problem my people had right now.

Maybe you’ve been there too.

You spent time on a lead magnet that nobody wanted. Or you’re staring at a half-finished one right now, scared to put it out there because what if this one falls flat too?

Here’s what I wish someone had told me:

Every setback is just information.

It’s not proof you’re bad at this. It’s proof you’re trying things.

And trying things is literally the only way to figure out what works.

I see you over there, making this harder than it needs to be.

You’re thinking:

I know. Because I thought all of those things too.

But here’s the truth you don’t want to hear:

You won’t know what people want until you give them something to react to.

You can’t research your way to certainty. You can’t outsmart the fear with a perfect plan.

You just have to create something. Put it out there. See what happens.

Terrifying? Yup. I know.

But here’s what people actually want:

A quick answer to the problem bothering them right now.

They don’t want to download a 50-page guide they’ll never read. They don’t want homework.

They want the thing that helps them today. In the next ten minutes if possible.

Your lead magnet doesn’t need to be impressive.

It needs to be useful.

Here’s what I was scared would happen with my 5-day email series:

No one will sign up.

If they do, they won’t read the emails.

Even if they read them, they won’t do anything with them.

Then I’ll know I created something useless.

Here’s what actually happened:

Some people signed up right away. Some didn’t.

Some people read every email. Some probably didn’t.

But here’s the thing:

Enough people found it helpful that it was worth making.

And the ones who didn’t want it? It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t your people. It just means they didn’t need that specific thing right then.

Your lead magnet doesn’t need to work for everyone.

It just needs to work for the right people.

Your first lead magnet probably won’t be the one you use forever.

I’m currently working on better versions as I figure out what my people actually need.

And that quiz that fell flat? I deleted it and moved on.

No shame. Just learned what didn’t work and tried something else.

You can’t know what will work without trying things.

Don’t waste time creating five different lead magnets at once. Start with one. Get it out there. See how people respond. Then improve from there.

Some lead magnets will work. Some won’t. Some will work for a while and then stop working.

That’s not failure. That’s just learning what your people actually need.

But you can’t learn anything if you don’t put something out there.

If you’re stuck on what your lead magnet should be, answer these:

1. What’s the one thing your ideal person is scared to start?

Not ten things. One.

The thing they keep putting off because it feels overwhelming.

That’s your lead magnet topic.

2. What format makes it easiest for them to take action?

A 5-day email series that breaks it into tiny steps?

A template they can copy?

A simple checklist?

A toolkit with everything in one place?

Pick the format that makes starting less scary.

3. What would YOU have wanted when you were where they are?

This one’s huge.

The best lead magnets solve problems you actually had.

I made my 5-day series because I needed that when I was starting.

I would’ve killed for someone to just tell me what to do, one day at a time.

Start there.

Here’s your focus for the week:

Finish or create one simple lead magnet this week.

No pressure for perfect.

Just something helpful you can put out there.

If you have an idea in your head, set a deadline. Finish it this week. Put it out there. Even if it’s not perfect.

If you have one that isn’t working, ask yourself:

Is this solving the right problem for my people?

Then try something different.

I know you’re thinking, “But what if no one wants it?” or “What if it’s not good enough?”

Listen…

A done lead magnet that’s helping people beats a perfect one sitting in your Google Drive 💯

The only way to know what works is to try.

You’ve got this. Your business is moving forward.

👉🏾 Hit reply and tell me: What’s the real fear stopping you from creating one? I promise I’ve probably felt it too.

Talk soon,

~ Kristina