Distinguishing between free and paid content can feel confusing, especially if you’re worried that your free content isn’t valuable enough or that you’re giving away all your best stuff for free.
Have you ever wondered how much information you should give away for free vs. what you should only share inside your paid program?
That’s the exact question someone asked recently and we decided to cover this topic on our latest episode of The Wellness Business Podcast.
WHAT IS FREE AND PAID CONTENT?
Free content is any valuable piece of information you’re providing your clients at no cost to them. I usually talk about free content as something that attracts your ideal client so they join your email list as a subscriber.
There are several ways to attract your ideal clients through free content that in turn also grows your email list. You could:
- Create a free downloadable checklist or guide
- Go live or post a video in your Facebook group
- Do an IGTV
- Write a blog post
- Share a podcast episode
- Invite to a free workshop or webinar
- Run a free challenge
The list goes on, but the main goal is that you should be providing your ideal clients with valuable information for free. This doesn’t mean you should give everything away for free. You want to save the real goodies for your paid offers.
Your free content is the first stepping stone to your paid program. That’s why your free content needs to fit into your overall customer journey and relate back to your paid offers.
If you’re launching a 3-month coaching program for moms who want to learn how to live gluten-free, here are a few examples of the free content you could use to build and nurture your list:
- A checklist for gluten-free grocery store yay’s and nay’s
- A live video teaching how to read labels so you make better decisions at the grocery store
- Write a blog post for a gluten-free recipe
- Run a free workshop or challenge teaching your clients how to meal plan and prep a gluten-free dinner menu
As you can see from this example, all of these free resources will help this health coach attract and nurture the right people so that when they launch their 3-month coaching program, it is the natural next step for their audience.
4 STEPS FOR CREATING AND PROMOTING YOUR FREE AND PAID CONTENT
There are several strategies you can use to create content. Here’s 4 simple steps to create and promote your content.
STEP 1: Brainstorm your content
Your content needs to be aligned with your niche, marketing message, and existing offers so that your free content acts as an introduction to your paid content.
Before creating your content, consider how it fits into your customer journey.
- What is your client doing before they receive your free content and after they go through it?
- How does your free content connect with at least one of your paid offers?
STEP 2: Title your content
The name or headline of your content gives your ideal clients an important sneak peek to let them know if it’s for them. It also helps you nail down what you might cover in it (and you can always revise your title after you’ve created the content).
Follow this 3-step strategy to name your free offer.
If you’re sharing a video, check out this free training on How To Create Compelling Video Titles.
STEP 3: Create the content
- Creating video? Check out this One-Minute Video Introduction Script.
- Creating a lead magnet? Listen to this episode.
- Have a bunch of content already? Repurposing your content is going to make this step a breeze!
- Creating a coaching program? Check out this episode with James Wedmore and this one on the secrets to creating a successful online coaching program.
STEP 4: Promote your content
Free content
Whether you’re releasing a PDF guide or going live in your group, you want to make sure people know about your free offer. You could run ads to get more people to see your offer, but I invite you to try these 5 free ways to promote your free offer to grow your email list.
Paid content
Your paid content generally requires more planning before the promotion. Here are some unique ways to promote your health coaching program.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR FREE AND PAID CONTENT
If you’ve ever wondered what qualifies as free or paid content; what should be included in your freebies, blog posts and livestreams, and what content should be saved for paying clients, episode 203 is waiting for you right now.
This is a question I often asked myself when I first started my coaching business and I didn’t always get it right. I don’t want that to happen to you so grab your earbuds and let’s dive in together.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The purpose for your free content as a client attraction tool and how it directly contributes to the number of people enrolling in your paid programs
- 8 popular types of free content you can use to strengthen your brand awareness and attract your dream clients
- The #1 thing we recommend avoiding when creating free content, (we don’t want you to make this mistake)
- Examples of easy-to-create free content that you can start sharing today to grab the attention of your ideal clients
Remember, the goal of your free content is to draw people in to learn something educational or inspirational that leaves them wanting more. It’s a great way to get them to join your email list, join your Facebook group, read your latest blog post, or watch a video.
The secret sauce is that your free content should be directly connected to your paid programs which ultimately means it’s easier to get your dream clients to invest in your paid programs.
Tune in to find out more.
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Links mentioned on the show:
Episode 117 – How to Easily Navigate the Changes on Instagram with Jasmine Star
Episode 144 – 5 Simple Ways to Repurpose Your Content to Reach More People
Links to resources:
