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What is Email Trial?

Written by, Ljubica Gjorgievska

Updated April, 18, 2022

Every business that uses email channels as part of its marketing campaign is looking to convert free trial users to customers. 

But, what is email trial and how can it help grow your business?

Let’s find out.

What Are Email Trials?

Email trials are an effective way to improve engagement with your potential customer and increase your conversion rate.

The primary purpose of email trials is to convert trial users into long-term customers. Businesses can use a free trial business email to inform and educate new subscribers about what they have to offer and entice subscribers to try out their products and services.

To make the most out of email for a free trials campaign, businesses need to utilise a solid, long-term marketing strategy that might involve sending different types of free trials emails and keeping tabs on key metrics, like user activity and retention.

Types of Emails to Use for Free Trials

There are several types of email trials that businesses can use as part of their email campaign. 

Welcome Emails 

A trial introduction mail is the first email that trail users receive from a business establishment. As such, it should be short, concise, and personable.

More importantly, effective welcome emails usually include an offer to a potential customer that they might be interested in, like activating a free trial or giving access to some exclusive features for a limited period of time.

Educational Emails 

Unlike welcome emails that give a short overview of the services, educational emails often feature something extra, like tips on how to use certain features, access to a free webinar, or any other type of free resources that the user might find valuable.

The key is to show users how they can benefit from your services and how to get the most value from your product.

Discount Emails 

Sometimes, even though a user might be interested in your product, they may decide against buying it because it’s a little out of their price range. Sending an email offering a discount on some of your services might be exactly what they need or pique their interest, at the very least.

Follow-up emails

Sometimes free trial users miss the welcoming email or weren’t interested in the product at the time when you sent it. A follow-up email (which you can automate for all trial users) might be a good idea to remind trial users of your services

You can also use this opportunity to offer them an extension of the free trial.

Feedback Emails 

Not all trial users turn into paying customers, but they still can provide invaluable feedback. You can use this information to improve your marketing strategy and the feedback might give you an idea for a new product or a necessary upgrade. 

How to Improve your Trial Emails 

Most of the time, low conversion rates indicate that your marketing strategy needs improvement. 

Here’s what to watch for to ensure that your free trial email is successful.

How to Onboard Active Users 

Most businesses already have a base of users that are using their free services. The best way to make sure they become paid customers is to send educational emails to explain how to properly use your services or resources that can help them better understand the topics they’re interested in. 

How to Onboard Partially Active Users

In most cases, partly active users have shown interest in a business’ services at the start but their engagement dropped over time. 

To prevent this from happening, it’s important to make sure that businesses properly introduce trial users to their products and send welcome and follow-up emails in the first several days. You can also segment the users based on their activity.

While the first couple of days is crucial, it’s best to avoid overwhelming trial users with emails. 

How to Onboard Inactive Users

Some users may be inactive but they’re not entirely gone. To re-engage inactive users, you can try sending several trial emails, including discounts, special promotional offers, and an educational email to show them what’s new.

Free Trial Email Marketing Best Practices  

The main reason why certain emails for free trials don’t have a high conversion rate is that the strategy isn’t following best practices.  Here are some tips on how to do that:

  • Emails should be personable and personalised
  • Use Call to Action (CTA) techniques to encourage faster response. 
  • Show trial users how your services and product can solve their issue rather than listing features.
  • Let users know when the trial ends and what they’ll love access to when it does.
  • Send emails with useful tutorials, free resources, and informative links that can help better understand how to use your product.
  • One email is not enough to convert trial users to paid customers. Businesses need to use different emails for free trials as part of their campaign.
  • Keep tabs on key metrics about users’ activity and design an appropriate onboard strategy.
  • Start split testing.
  • Set up trigger emails based on users’ activity.

Bottom Line 

“What is email trial?” is a crucial question in email marketing businesses. Email trial is part of a business’ marketing strategy that turns free trial users, whether active or inactive, into paid customers. There are many techniques and email types businesses can use to concern users into customers that’ll likely bring them success, provided they follow the best practices.

As a writer for Don’t Disappoint Me, my job is to collect relevant key information and interpret it into a wide range of content. I also have an MSc in Marketing, so I am always trying to expand my knowledge and discover new and exciting areas of digital marketing, SEO and web traffic building. I am a nature enthusiast, so when I’m not researching and analyzing, I love to go hiking with my dogs, camping, or snowboarding. I am a bookaholic as well and have an ongoing obsession with crime TV shows and movies.