Why Mini-Tools Make the Best Lead Magnets

Most lead magnets are forgettable. Another PDF, another webinar replay. Mini-tools are different: they’re something people actually use, remember, and associate with you.

What counts as a mini-tool?

Think calculators, configurators, small assessments, or single-purpose utilities that solve one real problem in your niche. A recruiter might offer a “salary benchmark” tool. A marketer might offer a “headline score” checker. The bar is “useful in under 60 seconds,” not “replacement for your product.”

Why they work

• Low friction. People try a tool before they hand over an email; the value is front-loaded.
• Sticky. If it’s good, they bookmark it, share it, and come back.
• Positioning. You’re the person who built the thing they use, not just the person who wrote the ebook.

How to start

Pick one painful, repeatable question your audience has. Build the smallest thing that answers it. Gate it behind email (or not, and use it for SEO + “powered by” backlinks). Iterate from there.

Placeholder post — expand with your own examples and tactics.