How to use small offers to warm your audience

[Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links, this means I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links. This is at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure information for more details.]

Do you have products to sell but feel like it’s too pushy or sleezy to make a sales pitch for that $497 course? How would you feel about starting with a smaller offer?

What are small offers?

Small offers are digital products that can go from anywhere $0-$97 dollars. It’s a relatively low cost product that you can offer your customers as soon as they meet you. Be it a tripwire on your email signup or an offer on your first newsletter to them.

Types of audiences

There are three type of audiences or traffic. These are cold, warm and hot audiences. They signify the part of the customer journey where your reader is at. The content you write will be different for each stage of that reader’s journey.

A cold audience or cold traffic is represented by readers who have never heard of you, your business or your products and services.

A warm audience has had contact with you, read your content and might even follow you on social media.

A hot audience is someone that has already purchased from you. These are readers that know, like and trust you. And they will buy everything you put out for them.

You might be asking yourself, “I need to attract my target audience, but also create content for these other audiences?” Well, yes and no. You will still be targeting that one “person” you have decided is your target but will lead them through what I have mentioned before the “customer journey”.

This is where the small offers come in.

Benefits of small offers

Easy first transaction

Make sure your customer can purchase at a click of a button. Sometimes cart software takes you through several pages before actually getting to the checkout and you might lose your customer in the journey. Shopping carts like ThriveCart have a way to make the checkout just one step so your customer doesn’t have to click too many times to get his product.

Low cost investment

A small offer, like an ebook or a spreadsheet, priced at $7-$17 is something that buyers won’t balk at spending money on.

Show your expertise

This product will be their first one on one interaction with you. You’ve got their attention and you need to use that product to show your expertise and authority on your subject.

Link to the next product on the buyer’s journey

Don’t forget to add a call to action at the end of your product (ebook, course). This will guide them toward the next step in their customer journey with you.

I want to stress that these products should not be random products. They need to be valuable content that will link into a higher offer that gives even more value and helps your reader achieve their goals. So you have to think strategically about what  your different offers will be.

I know if you are starting out this might seem overwhelming. You’re just barely getting your first product up and now you’ve got to think of a whole ladder of products to offer.

If this is you, take a deep breath, hold it for two seconds and then let it go. You need to start with one little product you can sell that helps your reader.  What’s important is to get them to buy from you so that when you are ready with those next products they’ll recognize your brand and won’t hesitate to buy again.

What to put in your CTA if you are just starting out? You can have them ask you questions or tell them to share their pain points right now. That way you gather information on what their needs and struggles are so you can find the right solution for them.

How to present small offers

Tripwire after opt in

This is one of the best times to get your small offer out there. Once people sign up to your email list, instead of flashing a thank you message, send them to your sales page for your small offer.

This is called a tripwire offer and it might seem like a very forward thing to do when your reader is just signing up for that free (valuable) think you have to offer.

Instead of thinking you are being inappropriate and salesy, think of it as taking advantage of an opportunity.

Offer through newsletter

There’s always room at the bottom of your newsletter for a PS that says “Did you know that my xyz product is only $17(strike it out) $7 and can help you [reach your goal]?”

Always mention the final transformation so they know what they are getting.

Offer through social media

If you have a following on social media, you can have links to your offer on your bio (use Linktree for this) or even promote it as the valuable tool it is.

Banners on your site

A lot of people put a banner on top of their site advertising either their email list or a discount of some sort. You can use this area of your site to offer your “latest” product. Another place to put a banner is the sidebar. Display ads are usually on that area so readers will be used to seeing offers there.

Conclusion

Monica Froese, who I am a huge SuperFAN of, says that selling is a service.  You are giving someone a tool or a process on how to solve something that is keeping them from reaching their goals. 

Your ideas are valuable and your products are not only solving problems for others but making them money as well. Don’t sell yourself short or believe that your product is not worth selling or selling for a lot of money.

And, by the way, a small product is NOT your main product offered for a low sum of money. You can take part of that main product and sell it as a small offer, but don’t give your product away. You’ll be able to sell it later when you show your customer how valuable your content is.