Smaller vs. Larger in Marketing Offers

---

Sometimes size really does matter. In the world of digital marketing, Yuri Elkaim and others state that the marketing funnel that creates sales looks like: Content which leads to a lead magnet that captures e-mail addresses to a no-brainer offer (which converts the browser to a customer) to a core or back-end offer (higher priced that provides added service and value). Underlying this whole process is the idea that each step provides the potential customer or customer something of value and that the level of value increases which helps build trust in the relationship. In the case of Healthpreneur and others, for example, this may look like free articles and maybe a booklet (for which the customer pays shipping and handling only), followed by an offer for a free phone call or for a video recording of a one-day long conference, followed by an invitation to a longer in person conference or person coaching program.

Or for another example: How many times have you been exposed to an author unknown previously to you on Amazon with a promotional deal on that author's book. Maybe you were offered a one-day only, acquire it for free price, or for 99 cents or $2.99. The author or publisher does this because they hope the discounted price causes you to purchase, and then, after you enjoy your experience with that first discounted story, you'll want to read more from that author and be willing to purchase things at full price. Marjory Kaptanoglu did this successfully with her novel Dreadmarrow Thief, as she explains in my new book, Creating A Freelance Career.

This marketing concept is also the reason why every person or company with a mailing list or a site subscription offers you free educational, informative, and/or entertaining information on a regular basis. The idea is to create content that people find valuable and will want to follow you. This content can be done through writing articles, releasing snippets of songs if you're a composer or a sneak preview of a music video, or creating video content. Musician and painter Andrew Cadima entertains his audience with YouTube video that captures his painting process, as you can see if you click on his name in this sentence. The videos show the beauty in his work and his skill and they entice the viewer to want to see more, by maybe even joining or following his YouTube channel so they never miss the next installment.

While potential customers/clients and current clients need regular useful content from the people or companies they follow, the question remains how much content should you provide and how long should that content be? I, for one, have immediately unsubscribed when I've felt like the content provider was in contact way too often, such as daily or multiple times per day. My exception to this rule is content providers who send out a daily quote in the morning. No one wants to feel badgered or pressured.

And since we live in a world that is fast-paced and filled with abundant information, what we send out in any part of the marketing funnel needs to be relevant and we need to be conscious about the amount of time it would take the consumer to engage with the product for the value they are getting (meaning, they may not have time nor inclination to sit through a 30-minute video whose real purpose is to try to upsell them at the end of it). People may be more apt to read or listen to or watch short things (or need the small vehicle like the white truck above) as opposed to buying the massive vehicle of your message. 

The bottom line is that successful business offers a variety of things at different levels of price points both as a way to build relationships and as a way to reach customers.