People love a freebie and try before they buy, which is why free trials are such a valuable marketing tool. From a business perspective, they’re a fantastic way of hooking people in - you can control which content is available to them on the trial so they get a taster of a full membership and not access to all the content on your platform. However, the tricky task comes in keeping them there. It’s realistic to know that not everyone who signs up for a free trial is going to stick around and become a paying member. However, some will just need a little nudge to push them over the line and into a paid membership.

But how to give them that nudge?

There’s nothing worse than signing up to an online platform, only to be left to your own devices. It’s like arriving at a new job and not being given a tour. Just because you’re online it doesn’t mean you can't welcome people in and show them around. A good idea is to set up a welcome email [or even better a welcome video] that gives a breakdown of everything you offer. Remember to include links to make it as easy as possible for people to access the content.

People like things to be simple and easy to use and if takes them 10 minutes to find a recipe for pasta then the chances are they won’t be returning. So stay organised and keep things in categories. It’ll also mean that it’s simple and clear to see what kind of content you offer if it’s set up this way.

Thinking about your trial as a teaser is a good way to encourage people to want to return and extend their trial into a subscription. For example, if your trial is 7 days long, create a ‘30 Day Kickstarter Program'. It’ll incentivise people to want to finish the course and they’ll therefore need to stay and move into a membership.

As we mentioned before, signing up for an online platform and being left alone isn’t the most welcoming of introductions. Encourage them to join the discussion on your community board. If they feel nurtured and seen and like they are part of a wider community there’s more of an incentive to stick around beyond the trial.