Hey there,
It is Matthew Larsen, back with my daily newsletter.
In today’s email, we will talk about the VAR Rule I use to make lead magnets people will actually consume. This is a crucial part of the standard marketing and sales funnel.
What Is A Lead Magnet?
A lead magnet is a free asset or special deal offered to potential customers in exchange for their contact information.
It will usually be something like an eBook, whitepaper, PDF, checklist, video, or course, although it could really be anything.
Normally, someone submits their email address or phone number through a form. They receive the lead magnet, and you collect their contact information.
That is the basic transaction.
However, collecting their contact information is not enough.
The goal is getting them to actually consume the lead magnet. If they download it and never open it again, it is already pretty pointless.
The VAR Rule applies to the structure and organization of each individual idea inside your lead magnet.
It stands for:
Valuable.
Actionable.
Readable.
Valuable
“Value” and “valuable” are often subjective and arbitrary.
How many times have you heard someone say, “Just add value, bro”?
Probably enough times that you hate when people say it.
For the VAR Rule, I have a clear definition of what Valuable means.
Honestly, seriously, no joke or word of a lie:
Even though this lead magnet is free, would you pay $100 for it?
This is a yes-or-no question.
You should be honest with yourself. You can also ask people in your network to look at it and tell you what they think.
If the answer is not a clear yes, then it is a no by default.
If you have to think about it, then no.
It needs to be obvious and undeniable.
That is the goal.
Actionable
The Actionable part of the rule also comes down to one question:
If someone consumes this lead magnet, or any individual part of it, is there a clear action or set of actions they could take within the next 24 hours that would help their business?
This usually works best when you clearly outline the specific action steps for every part of the lead magnet.
Again, this is a yes-or-no question.
If someone could take a clear action within the next 24 hours, that part passes.
If not, it needs to be reworked.
Readable
What makes something unreadable or difficult to consume?
Huge walls of text.
No clear separation between ideas.
No examples, frameworks, or images.
No checklists.
The Readable part of the rule is meant to make the information easier to consume.
Remember, a lead magnet is pointless if no one actually consumes it.
The more they consume, the greater the chance that they become a paying client.
Here is what I recommend:
Use one idea per slide or headline. Every time you introduce a new idea, separate it.
Use one image per idea when an image would make the idea easier to understand.
Use one example per idea. The image can also serve as the example when appropriate.
End every idea with a summary checklist of action steps.
The checklist should be so good that someone could do whatever you are telling them to do using only the checklist, with no external resources or additional explanation.
If you master the VAR Rule, each individual slide or idea becomes modular and standalone.
Because every part represents your best work, you can combine different sections to create new lead magnets, training material, or other assets without rewriting everything every time.
Hope this was worth your time,
Matt