Product Demo Promotions: Fill & Download for Free

First things first, you need to realize that having free trials and freemium versions of your software are middle of the funnel (MOFU) techniques—their primary purpose is to push existing leads further down the funnel by educating them and nurturing their interest.Free trials are not marketing materials or top of the funnel (TOFU) methods, in the sense that having them won’t automatically boost website/email/ social media traffic, or make more people aware of your product—so stop expecting them to do so.Now that we’re clear on where free trials stand in the funnel, let’s look at other MOFU alternatives that actually produce higher quality results:Educational videos or live product demos: Videos explaining how the software works can be better than a free trial because:It allows the lead to see how the product is used, without having to go fill up lengthy sign-up forms or spend time figuring out how to operate a new interface.Customers are able to see early on if a product is a good fit, saving time and disk space from unnecessary downloads if the product turns out to be something that they don’t need.Because videos offer a complete 360 view of how your software operates, leads don’t feel duped or annoyed with the limited features of a free trial.It’s easier to share to a wider number of people, and is a more cost-effective option for businesses. Owners and marketers avoid potential burnout from seeing increasing numbers of free downloads that don’t translate to paid conversions.EBooks or white papers that offer insight on common industry issues: Producing well-written and meaningful content can be a better option than free trials because:They serve to address specific concerns and provide real value to both leads and prospects, instead of just being promotional material.Regularly releasing eBooks and papers boosts your credibility as an industry expert and thought leader—making more people follow your posts and refer to you for future guidance or insight. Plus, the more links and followers you have, the better your SEO score will be.These require less resources and poses lower risks to businesses, compared to developing and offering free trials.These are a just a couple of MOFU strategies that I’ve used with great success over the years. Feel free to check out Tenfold’s live product demo and repository of eBooks and see if anything strikes your fancy!

A good product demo video needs to tell everything about your product. It needs to show the viewer how it benefits them. It needs to demonstrate the product in such a way that a first time viewer would know how to use the app. However, do not make it look like a tutorial.Blendtec- Will it blend? is a classic example of a product demo video that has gone viral. They have identified the right perspective to make the video really click.Another exemplary example of a product demo video is Purple feathers: The power of words.The video shows nothing about the product. It is purely a story on how words can make a difference. Since they could not connect the brand with the video. they have established a connection between the motto of the brand with the video. Have a look at it below:Words matter and they have demonstrated with a perfect real life example.Product demo videos are the face of your product online. You need to make it the best possible.Here are a few tips to make a good product demo videos:Avoid the “Meet Joe” type videos:Yes, these videos may be straight to the point, but it saturated the internet and people are no longer interested in watching such videos anymore. Moreover, these kind of videos appear amateur.2. Bring a fresh perspective:Think in terms of how your product could solve a major problem. Try to establish a natural connection with your product and the people. Do not exaggerate. Both the videos I have mentioned above has worked so well because it has a fresh perspective of viewing the product.3. Don’t be promotional:People choose brands either due to its brand value or because it is helping them. So make sure you emphasize on how your brand could help people solve their problem. Emphasize on your unique selling point to show them why you are different from the rest.On the matter of what type of product demo video you need to choose, you can either choose animated or live action. It purely depends on your idea and script.For more insights: Video Making and Marketing Blog - Learn about Video Making & Video Marketing from Animaker Experts

A lead magnet, also known as gated content, refers to a valuable offer or incentive — usually a content download, demo, or free trial — behind a landing page.It’s one of the most effective ways to build your email list, develop a loyal audience, generate leads, and convert prospects (e.g. website visitors) to actual leads, by enabling marketers to capture and store client information.The process is actually pretty straightforward: a marketer develops content that is valuable and engaging, “gates” it behind a landing page/ email opt-in form, and asks prospects to sign-up or provide their contact information (at the very least an email address) in exchange for access.Some marketers underestimate the value of a good lead magnet, but here’s the thing—an email address is a very personal thing; no matter how much your prospects actually like your products, they aren’t going to willingly hand over their contact information if you don’t give them a compelling reason to do so.A good lead magnet serves as an “opt-in bribe” that offers your prospects something valuable (e.g. industry updates, educational materials, entertainment) that will convince them to give you access to their inboxes.Below are some of the most common forms of lead magnets:Reports or eBooks: Particularly useful for prospects who are in the awareness stage of the sales cycle. This stage is all about educating prospects and building brand awareness, and eBooks or reports are a great way to provide business tips, in-depth analysis and information about your client’s pain points. Just make sure that you focus more on educating, rather than selling—excessive promotion can turn off your prospects and dissuade them from buying your products!Webinars and podcasts: These types of lead magnets are ideal for middle-of-the funnel prospects who are already evaluating available options. Webinars and similar types of lead magnets can nurture prospects by giving them a closer look at how your offer can help solve their current problems.Product demos: Usually targeted to bottom-of-the-funnel prospects that are already in the decision stage of the sales cycle—those who are done with research and are ready to buy. Product demos and free trials allow your prospects to have firsthand experience in the use of your products and can help push the vendor evaluation process forward to an eventual sale.Hope this answers your question! One more thing, once you’ve developed your lead magnets, don’t let your efforts go to waste—avoid lead slippage by contacting leads as soon as they express interest in your product.Want to know more? Check out these case studies to see how Tenfold helped businesses integrate their existing CRMs to their phone systems, so that all client details are captured and stored in real-time, making it easy for sales reps to connect with all inbound leads as soon as they enter the system. Let me know if it helps!