LeadMagnetGeniusWhat makes a good tripwire offer? Not every cheap product will work. Here are the elements:
Low Price, High Value: The price should be a no-brainer. Typically, under $20 and often under $10. Some go as low as $1 or $3 (especially for digital products where cost of delivery is negligible). It should be an “impulse buy” range. Despite the low cost, it must promise and deliver value far above that price. For example, selling a $50 course for $7 as a one-time offer. Or a bundle of templates worth $100 for $19. The customer should almost feel like stealing (in a good way). In examples, marketing guru Frank Kern had a tripwire at $27 – relatively high for a tripwire but still considered low-dollar in his context – and on his page he makes a strong, clear promise and shows the price upfront. Another example: digital marketer Kim Garst offers a “Mini Course Creation Plan” as a tripwire (price not mentioned in snippet, but likely <$20) and even adds an order bump for extra value.
Relevance to Your Main Offer: The tripwire should be closely related to your core product or service. If there’s too much disconnect, you might get buyers who aren’t actually interested in your main offer – they just wanted the cheap thing. Ideally, the tripwire is like a slice of your core offer or something that complements it. For instance, if you sell a $500 online course, a tripwire could be a $7 mini-course or premium ebook that is one module or aspect of that bigger course. If you sell consulting services, a tripwire could be a paid introductory analysis or toolkit that naturally leads to needing your services. The idea is that after consuming the tripwire, the next logical step for the customer is to go deeper (with your main offer). Kim Garst’s example, a mini course planner tripwire, obviously relates to her audience who might later buy more in-depth marketing courses.
Urgency/Scarcity: Often tripwire offers are framed as limited-time or one-time opportunities. For example, only available immediately after signup (like you can’t find this $9 deal elsewhere on the site), or a 15-minute countdown timer on the page to encourage immediate action. As noted in Frank Kern’s example, he explicitly had a countdown timer on his tripwire page because timers are effective, even in 2023. The urgency pushes people to decide on the spot, capitalizing on the excitement from whatever they just signed up for. If you just got a cool freebie and see a one-time offer for more, you’re in peak interest. Urgency ensures they don’t wander off and forget.
Short Sales Page (But Convincing): Unlike a $1000 product that might need a long sales letter, tripwires often sell with very concise copy. Still, you should include key persuasion elements: a strong headline promising a result or benefit, a few bullet points or a short paragraph about what they’ll get, maybe a testimonial if available, and a clear call-to-action with the price. Importantly, state the price clearly and early to avoid people guessing. On Kern’s page, the price $27 was stated early below the video, making it transparent. Visuals of the product (ebook cover, course mockup) help too.
One-Time Offer Positioning: Many tripwires are positioned as a special deal you can only get at that moment (on that thank you page, or via email link soon after). Sometimes they’re available later but at a higher price. This is critical – you want the user to feel this is a special chance. If they can navigate your site and find that $7 offer any time, it loses impact. For example, some marketers use language like “As a new subscriber, you can get this at 80% off right now. This offer won’t be on our site elsewhere.” However, ensure this is ethically done (don’t lie about scarcity).
Immediate Access: The product should be delivered immediately (if digital) or be something they can start benefiting from quickly. The quicker they get value, the better the impression. If it’s a physical product, perhaps offer fast shipping or a digital bonus so they feel instant gratification.