You can give yourself permission to stop worrying about this one…
I’ve been grabbing more lead magnets lately, partly because I’m curious about what systems creators are using, and partly because sometimes the content actually helps me.
You know what I’m seeing 100% of the time? The download/swipe file/mini-guide/etc. lives in one of these “public” places:
- Google Drive
- A notion board
- A file sitting in /wp-content/uploads/ dir in someone’s WordPress site.
These assets are not hidden or protected or behind any fancy delivery mechanism. They’re freely accessible to anyone with the link.
This makes me weirdly excited. Big name creators who aren’t worried about “forcing you to hand over an email address” in exchange for their PDF (valued at over $3,000, but yours for FREE!)
So here’s why I think this is both a good thing and a thing you should stop worrying about, if you do.
I run a membership platform, so I see first hand how obsessed people get with “file protection” and “content security.” The reality I always share with these obsessed people: you cannot actually protect a file that you want people to be able to use.
With most membership platforms, the file itself usually isn’t deeply protected. That’s true of PMPro default behavior, MemberPress, Kajabi, everything.
The page content is. Access to click the download button is. But once something is downloadable? It’s out in the world.
And that’s fine.
Because at some point even your paying members get the file, and humans are humans. They’ll share it with a colleague. Drop it in Slack. Email it to a friend. DM it to someone who needs it.
And that’s the best kind of marketing in the world. A trusted person saying, “Hey, this might help you,” with your brand and name attached.
We spend so much time worrying about protecting things that aren’t actually all that proprietary. The idea that these things must be locked away behind technical barriers? ** Unnecessary friction. **
- Friction slows down the people who actually want to learn from you.
- Friction slows down your own momentum.
- Friction slows down the spread of your ideas.
The creators who are winning right now understand that speed and accessibility matter most. They’d rather have their ideas circulating than sitting behind a gate that no one bothers to open.
If you’re worried that someone might “steal” your lead magnet, maybe consider that the real win is getting your expertise into more hands.
So please… brand your PDF + put your website + contact methods on it. Then, do your damnedest to make it something people want to share.
The people succeeding in this moment are the ones giving generously without overthinking every technical barrier.
