Build A Converting Free Trial Marketing Model With These 8 Tips

Customers are mindful of how they spend their money on products. A free trial allows them to try products before they make a purchasing decision. 71 percent of apps worldwide offer customers this transparency through various free trial models. Are you not able to convert users by the end of your free trial? If so, it's high time you optimized your free trial marketing strategy.Quest Labs is here to share eight secrets of top-notch free trial marketing strategies for various free trial models.

Advantages of Marketing Free Trial Strategy

Let’s explore the benefits marketing trial brings.

• Optimizes Conversion Rate::

  A product free trial allows users to experience it for free. Since they experience the product's value firsthand, they are more likely to get a premium subscription.

• Builds Customer Trust::

  A free trial builds trust through transparency, letting customers know what they pay for in advance. It also signals that the business believes in the quality and effectiveness of the product.

• Attracts More Users::

  Most users hesitate to try the product without a free trial. Therefore, businesses must lower this barrier and allow broader audiences to try the product.

• Open Upselling Opportunities: :

  During the free trial, marketers can demonstrate the value of premium features and services to users. Therefore, marketing strategy free trials creates upselling opportunities and convinces free trial users to upgrade to a paid plan.

8 Winning Strategies Of Free Trial Marketing Models

Opt-In Free Trial Model

An opt-in free trial model requires users to provide information and actively sign up for a free trial. It attracts potential users who are truly interested in your product and are more likely to convert.

• 1. Personalized Onboarding And Recommendations:

  Personalization has always been a winning strategy for businesses. The opt-in free trial requires users to provide their information when signing up. Therefore, it allows for a more personalized experience.
  Through personalized onboarding, you can ensure that the initial experience meets every user's specific needs. You can also direct users to the right features that meet their interests. Personalization in free trial go to market strategies builds user satisfaction and effectively reduces the time to value of your product.
  Personalizing the user experience makes users feel valued and understood. As a result, you can improve the conversion rates at the end of the free trial period.

• 2. Create Urgency With Limited Time Offers:

  Limited-time offers develop a fear of missing out, a psychological trigger encouraging free trial users to take action without thinking much. In other words, you have to make customers feel they might miss out on benefits if they don't act fast.
  Popular offers that top businesses offer free trial users are discounts on annual subscriptions or bonus features to users who convert within the free trial period.
  But what is the right way to market the limited-time offers?
  But what is the right way to market the limited-time offers?

• 3. Email Campaigns: :

  It's essential to update users with regular emails highlighting offers and benefits.

• 4. In-App Notifications::

  In-app notifications can effectively market the offer if they are not intrusive and too frequent.
  

• 5. Countdown Timers::

  Including a countdown timer in an email or on the website helps create urgency.

Opt-Out Free Trial Model

Users must share their credit card number when they sign up for an opt-out free trial. When the free trial ends, the client is automatically charged for the paid version of the product. In other words, the user should opt-out at the end of the free trial model to avoid being charged for the paid subscription.

Here's how you can improve transparency in an opt-out free trial

• Clear Instructions::

  Provide easy-to-follow instructions on canceling the trial and making it accessible from multiple points.

• Prominent Placement::

  Prominently display the opt-out option to ensure users do not have to search for it.

• Highlight the Ease of Cancellation::

  Let users know they can rejoin anytime to create a positive impression about the free trial.

4. Reminder Notifications

Charging users who forget the trial end date might make them feel deceived. Sending notifications helps build trust and makes them confident in continuing the service. Moreover, notifying users helps engage customers who have forgotten about the free trial.

Here are a few things that make a reminder effective in converting users.

• Strategic Timing::

  The notifications should reach customers at strategic intervals such as one week, three days, and one day before the expiration.

• Clear Instructions::

  It's essential to ensure that the notification mentions the end date of the free trial, the amount to be charged, and instructions on canceling with a direct link to the cancellation page

• Personalization: :

  The notifications should be personalized to make it more engaging and trustworthy.

Usage-Based Free Trial Model

The usage-based free trial model allows users to access a product with limitations based on usage metrics, such as the number of actions or data consumption. For instance, users can experience the complete benefits of a product but have limited access to it. It leads to better engagement and understanding of the product's value.

5. Data-Driven Insights and User Behavior Tracking

Businesses can use analytics to overview user interactions within the product comprehensively. It offers better insights into user engagement, feature usage, and behavior patterns. To better understand user experience and preferences, you can deploy in-app surveys and gather user feedback during the trial period. A better understanding of user behavior helps you segment them. As a result, you can offer customers personalized communication and targeted offers, improving the likelihood of conversion.

6. Gamification To Reward Engagement

Gamification uses game-like elements to engage customers during the free trial period. It encourages users to explore more features and interact with them. As a result, users perceive the product's actual value and are more likely to convert.

• Achievement Badges::

  Reward users with badges for achieving milestones and let them share them on social media and in-app communities.

• Leaderboards: :

  Rank users based on milestones achieved and create a sense of competition among others.

• Challenges and Quests::

  You can encourage users to try new features by presenting them as challenges and quests. Also, reward users for their participation and rank them on leaderboards.

Freemium Model

Users in the freemium model get access to a basic version but must pay for the premium features. This model attracts a large user base by offering valuable services for free and converting a significant portion of them to paying customers.

7. Provide Value Upfront

• Provide Valuable Features for Free::

  Core features available for the free version demonstrate the products' usefulness and encourage users to upgrade.

• Generous Usage Limits::

  A free trial allows users to use the product without restrictions, increasing the likelihood of conversion when they need more capacity.

• Access to Community and Resources::

  Access to tutorials, knowledge bases, and community forums showcases the support they receive as premium users.

• Access to Premium Features::

  Giving users access to premium features for a limited time lets them taste what premium users enjoy.

8. Effective User Communication and Support

Offering impressive customer support during the free trial period improves the chances of users converting into paid subscribers.

• Onboarding Optimization::

  Tutorials and walkthroughs that adapt to user interactions and preferences ensure users get the most relevant information. It thereby builds customer engagement and satisfaction.

• Intelligent Chatbots::

  Chatbots improve the user experience during the freemium trial through quick, accurate, and consistent support.

• Predictive Assistance:

  AI can predict future problems from user behavior and offer solutions, helping reduce friction and build user satisfaction.

• Automatic Feedback Analysis: :

  With the help of AI, it becomes easy to analyze user feedback and effortlessly identify areas for improvement.

Build A Converting Free Trial Marketing Strategy With Quest Labs

Choosing the free trial model that converts might depend on your customers' behavior and interests. However, these eight tips can improve your free trial offer marketing strategy and increase user conversion. Engaging users should extend beyond the free trial. It should be reflected throughout the customer journey to retain and encourage them to renew their memberships. Quest Labs has the perfect solutions to engage customers throughout and beyond the free trial.

• Gamified Engagement::

  Maximize user engagement with a splash of fun and offer them personalized rewards.

• AI Segmentation: :

  Segment users based on their similar preferences and interests to offer them the best features, rewards, and recommendations.

• AI-Powered User Assistance: :

  Support users throughout their free trial and ensure they understand the product at their own pace.

• Feedback and Surveys: :

  Encourage users to share their views on your product and optimize your free trial marketing strategy.

Quest integration can help you improve your free trial marketing conversion rate and support users throughout their journey. Our no-code solution empowers you to reach the market within hours, not days. Book a free demo to discuss how we can help you.

FAQs

1. Does free trial increase sales?

Free trials let users perceive the product's value and improve the free trial conversions.

2. How do I convert customers to free trial?

Businesses should ensure maximum user engagement and consistent customer support to convert users at the end of free trials.