There may be affiliate links in this post which means I may receive a commission if you purchase something through a link. However, please be assured that I only recommend products I have personally used and love!
In November 2017, I did the thing that no-one does.
I lowered my prices.
I didn't create new, lower-priced offers. I didn't remove anything from what I was offering.
I straight-up lowered the price of my ConvertKit Club membership by 71%.
(From $35 a month to $10 a month).
And, I made it free for everyone who has ever signed up for ConvertKit through my affiliate link.
And, in order to do this, I had to go into SamCart and manually cancel over $1,000 worth of recurring monthly subscriptions.
I'd been toying with the idea of doing something like this for a long time, but let me tell you… the process of manually canceling every last bit of the 2nd* largest recurring income stream from your business is terrifying.
Why did I do this?
I launched ConvertKit Club in August 2016. Everyone wanted me to do a ConvertKit course, but I knew that wasn't going to work for me because things changed too much, both in terms of ConvertKit features and my thinking around how best to do things. A membership site felt like the perfect alternative.
I thought ConvertKit Club was going to be The Thing. The central thing of my business for the foreseeable future. I created its own Facebook page (not something that was smart in hindsight!).
But, it turned out it was not The Thing. It was one of many things I wanted to do (both ConvertKit related and non-ConvertKit).
(I also thought ConvertKit Rockstars was going to be The Thing, but the same thing happened and I turned it into a self-study course).
Couple of other bits of relevant info before we get to the why:
- I do not have my own Facebook group (apart from ConvertKit Club), but I often feel like I have interesting and refreshing things to say.
- Of the 100+ people who have signed up to ConvertKit through my affiliate link, a little over half are on my mailing list.
- I want to grow my list as a priority next year.
- I am obsessed with answering people's ConvertKit questions. I live for it. I can't help myself.
- I work best when I go from idea to done in a couple of hours.
And then, one day in the shower, the perfect solution downloaded into my brain.
$10 for everyone, and free for people who sign up to ConvertKit through my affiliate link.
It wasn't that $35 was too much. I actually felt really good at the access to me/my trainings at that price point, but I know that for me, at a lower price point, I'll feel less pressure, have more members, and be more likely to create and support from a place of ease.
My hope is that by dramatically reducing my prices for the exact same product, and not because it wasn't selling at the higher price, it's going to have the effect of people thinking about me and my business more positively. And the bigger my audience, the more people I can invite into my higher level programs (group and 1:1).
Basically, I'm (experimentally!) shifting ConvertKit Club into lead generation/low cost qualifying, instead of having it as a primary income source. I'm giving away my best stuff, and direct access to me, at a very affordable cost (or free for many people), and trusting that that will work in the long run.
But really, more than both of those things, this just feels like a really good decision. Yes, I think it rationally makes sense, but I've learnt to always follow my intuition, especially when it makes least sense!
Did I make the right decision?
I've only just done it… so I'm not sure yet ?
The responses I've had (admittedly mostly from the people who now get it for free) have been overwhelmingly positive, and people can see what I'm trying to do:
If you'd like to learn more about ConvertKit Club you can do so here: www.convertkitclub.com (see, it's got its own website and everything! I was sure it would be The Thing!)
*If you're interested, the number 1 recurring income stream in my business is ConvertKit affiliate commission. If you're interested in learning more about that, check out The Lazy Guide to Affiliate Marketing!
If you'd like to learn more about launching and growing a successful membership site, I highly recommend both Stu McLaren's TRIBE course and The Membership Guys' Member Site Academy.