It may seem like the height of counter-intuitive marketing, but giving away your service could be the very thing that helps you sell it (think grocery store food sampling while you shop). The same principle applies to motivating buyers to sign up for your services. Learn the tricks—and the rationale—behind our latest Growth Tactic, #45 Try Us for Nothing—a Free Trial Tactic, from your 100-Day Digital Growth Plan. It’s a proven way to win over skeptical or tuned-out prospects who could be getting to know your amazing service.
OVERVIEW: Try Us for Nothing—a Free Trial Tactic
It is difficult to invest so much time, money, sweat (and tears?) developing a product or service, and then think about giving it away. Doing so successfully requires that you follow a few key steps to preserve the true value. The goal is to incentivize users so they’ll take a next step and subscribe to a more extended term. Check out these handy tips and resources to craft a rewarding free trial offer.
HOW-TO
STEP ONE: Shape the offer to achieve your goals without breaking the bank. Will it be a brief taste—say, a 14-day free trial—or an extended 30-day trial? It depends in part on how long people need in order to get a good feel for the service. Consider how soon you think it will work to create urgency in the relationship–in other words, decide when users should be required to make a commitment before the free offer expires.
STEP TWO: Work on the product itself to build a free trial function. Have your developer create a special edition or turn off some functionality and preserve premium aspects. Update the free trial offer to your website.
STEP THREE: Create a plan to announce and promote your new offer. Include multiple social media channels to reach diverse audience segments that might be interested. Set up emails to selected lists or use your marketing automation program. Be prepared to track response from your various audience segments and promotional outlets.
RESOURCES & TOOLS
- Google Analytics (to research audience market segments)
- GoodData
- SharpSpring (automated email marketing)
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