How 1 Marketing Idea Made $3 Billion

Have you heard of Fortnite?

If teens live in your home, you know it well. It’s an online video game that has skyrocketed into a global phenomenon.

What’s the business secret of the developer, Epic Games?

Ready for this?

They offer the game for… FREE.

With zero upfront cost, players can jump out of the Battle Bus and forever challenge competitors.

But here’s the brilliant strategy: to “unlock” other goodies, players have to pay. Upsells might include a new character outfit, a cool dance move, or a powerful weapon.

So how did this strategy work out? In 2018, Epic Games reaped a $3 billion profit from their free game. Not too shabby, huh?

Now back to you. There’s the temptation to unload your full array of products/services on new prospects at the outset.

“Hello! Wanna buy my $500 product?”

Whoa, nelly. Don’t do it. Give people a chance to warm up, to check out your offerings, to like you and trust you.

Discipline yourself with a simplified process, which includes on-ramping customers with ONLY your lead product.

What is a lead product? Anything that gets a customer’s foot “in the door.”

  • For Fortnite, free play is their lead product (upsells create the profits).

  • For printer manufacturers, printers are their lead products (ink cartridges deliver the profits).

  • For McDonald's, hamburgers are their lead products (fries and soft drinks bring the profits)

See how it works? Always think Lead Product.

Think of an effective lead product as a proverbial carrot, tempting prospective customers with an inexpensive (or free) product/service.

When determining your lead product, remember the 3 “A’s”:

  • ATTENTION (it draws eyeballs)

  • ATTRACTIVE (it's a great deal)

  • AMAZING (it connects to something greater)

Design your marketing to pave a yellow brick road to your lead product, which should then point to your bullseye product.

What's a bullseye product? Your most profitable product/service.

Study your marketing. Are you pointing to a lead product? And does it connect to something greater — your bullseye product?

By the way, ask your kids about the Crackshot skin in Fortnite.

You’ll get instant street cred.

PS: Interested in a system that produces more leads for your business? Check out our new, free training video (10 min).