To those that gave me advice on my free 5 day course, an update

1 replies
Hey everyone,

A while back I posted a question asking advice about a free 5 day vocal training course I was giving away at the time to build my list and convert people into my full length paid course.

It was a great list builder that converted at almost 50%. However, at the time at least, I didn't think it converted well enough into my full length course.
I got so much help and great feedback I wanted to update you guys on what I've tried since then based on some of the feedback.

Taking several of your suggestions and combining them, I created a pop-up that talks about my 5 day course and offers the first one free. There's no opt-in required to watch the first lesson. That converts around 6%.

At the bottom of first lesson video there's a "continue" button which leads the the person to a video where I sell the option to get the rest of the course at $7. The video is touting it as an inexpensive way to see if my full length course is right for you. I go on to say quite honestly that I'm selling the course for $7 to separate those who are really serious about their ministry from those who are just looking for free stuff. These are all things that were pointed out to me in the first thread a while ago.

Anyway guys, the point is this version is converting terribly. Very few people take advantage of the $7 course and while I may not have enough numbers to know for sure, the conversion rate for those who paid for the 5 day course doesn't seem any better than those who got it free. That may be harder to gauge since so many more people opted in for the free option than are opting in for the paid option.

So I'm contemplating bringing the free version back because it converted so highly, was a great list builder and it was in fact a major factor in the decision of those who did upgrade. Plus I just kinda miss that feeling of blessing people that I was getting from giving it away. But I need to do more than give it away, I need to give it away and sell more paid memberships as a result, lol! But I need to do something differently than I was doing before, and that's where I need your help again.

Having had more time to think, read and learn more since then, I think my follow-up series may have been the problem more than the course being free. Before, people who opted in for the free course were added to my main list where I send out blogs, etc. So they got the 5 day course and regular blog updates. But it really didn't promote upgrading to the paid course much more beyond the 5 lessons, except for the occasional discount.

But any time I mailed out a discount I'd get sales. I think I was building a list of singers who were interested in vocal training (even if they did want it free) and really wasn't taking advantage of that properly or doing enough follow-up after the free course to get them to upgrade.

Maybe if I added these free course opt-ins to a separate list where I only promote upgrading to the full course conversion rates might improve. Also I could continue to market to them using affiliate products related to singing, etc. Another vocal coach friend of mine even promotes other courses as an affiliate, even though he sells his own.

Before, I was concerned that I was building a list of freebie seekers. Someone responded to that with something I haven't forgotten. She said basically that we're all building a list of freebie seekers, and it's our job to turn them into buyers. Maybe that's where I was dropping the ball!

So anyway I was really grateful for all the great feedback I got on that thread the last time. I wanted to thank you guys again, update you on what I tried and where I am. Sometimes it feels good to know that when you take time to offer advice someone thought enough to actually take some of it. Any feedback or advice is humbly accepted and appreciated, as always.
#advice #day #free #gave #update
  • Profile picture of the author MusicMinCoach
    Thanks for the response HB,

    This was mainly to those who participated in and would remember the original thread. I should have linked to it, sorry. But the course I'm referring to is a short, 5 day course that features short $10 minute lessons. As per the very popular advice everyone offers to build a list, this was my valuable free offer to get people to opt-in to my list(kinda like you're doing in your signature). And it worked great as such. But I wasn't seeing as many as I thought I should upgrading to my full length course, so I came to ask the warriors for advice.

    One of the warriors suggested maybe I should give away 1 lesson and then charge a small amount to access the remaining 4, thereby building a list of buyers. That's where the $7 came from. My full length course sells for $147.

    I got a lot of great feedback from the guys here and implemented some of their ideas. So this is just an update of what I did, how it's been going and perhaps an opportunity to brainstorm a little more.
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