Mastering Reverse Trial Funnel

If you are implementing or planning to introduce a reverse trial strategy in your PLG business, here are some best practices you can execute at each stage of the funnel.

Awareness and Onboarding

Create awareness about the reverse trial, educate users on premium features, and ensure a seamless onboarding experience with

• Clear value communication articulating the benefits of premium features. Use engaging content, videos, and tooltips to highlight your value proposition.
• Implement interactive onboarding via hands-on product tours that take the new users through key features and functionalities. Personalize the onboarding process in addition to being intuitive and enjoyable.
• Personalize the product experience with relevant communication. Be it welcome emails or in-app messages tailored to users' needs, emphasizing the advantages of the reverse trial for the user.

Exploration and Engagement

Encourage users to explore premium features, engage with the product deeply, and experience its full potential. Get the new users to their aha moments with:

• Spotlight on premium features during the trial period. Rotate these highlights to showcase various functionalities, ensuring users experience the breadth of the product.
• Send periodic value recap emails to the users and decision-makers in the account. For example, you can automate a weekly summary email that showcases the product usage metrics or a dashboard of relevant data that highlights value drawn from your product. These value reminders make your conversation about conversion much easier at the end of the trial period.
• Offer proactive support in real-time or via chatbots to address user queries promptly. Utilize product activity data to identify and reach out to users who seem stuck.
• Engage with personalized product-led emails triggered by product activity and firmographic data that have relevant resources. You can also send users in the reverse trial emails usage tips, success stories, and case studies, demonstrating how other users have benefitted from premium features.

Conversion

Facilitate a smooth subscription process, ensuring users feel confident and secure when upgrading to a paid plan.

• Follow up before the trial ends. Automate your communications to remind the users when the trial period is about to expire. Create FOMO by emphasizing the features that are not accessible in the free version and use ‘trial about to end’ messaging to speed up decision-making.
• Simplify the subscription upgrade process. Minimize the number of clicks, offer multiple payment options, and provide clear instructions. Try it for yourself to identify issues technical or otherwise.
• Be transparent about subscription terms, pricing, and renewal policies. Avoid hidden fees and clearly communicate the value users will receive with the paid plan.
• Upon conversion, deliver a **welcome email sequence comprising exclusive resources**, tutorials, and personalized recommendations, setting the stage for a positive, long-term relationship.

Post-Trial Evaluation and Decision-Making: