How Low-Ticket Communities can improve LTV and kill Churn

Here’s a powerful strategy by Doug Boughton for leveraging Skool’s one-time products to maximize revenue and community engagement. It’s simple, it works, and it’s one of the easiest ways to replace the headaches of a low-ticket offer.

➡️ Step 1: Switch from Subscription to One-Time Payment

Instead of charging a monthly membership (like $97/month), flip it into a one-time payment (e.g., $997) within your free community. Here's why:

No churn: No more worrying about members dropping off every month.
Higher commitment: When someone pays upfront, they take it seriously. They show up, put in the work, and get results faster.
Cash boost: You’re collecting what would’ve been ten months of payments all at once.

Bonus move: Offer the $997 as credit toward a higher-tier program (like a $5k/year coaching program) once they complete the initial program.

➡️ Step 2: Keep Paid Members in the Free Community

This doesn’t just boost revenue—it changes the whole vibe of the community. Paid members stay in the free community, and here’s what happens:

Engagement skyrockets: The energy is different when you mix paid and free members.
Creates status: Paid members get perks—special Zoom backgrounds, hotseat feedback—and that makes others want in.
Win visibility: Paid members share their success, which motivates others to step up and upgrade.

➡️ Step 3: Client Spotlights for Social Proof

Shine a light on your top paid members. Interview them, promote their communities, and use their testimonials. It’s a win-win—they get exposure, and you get proof that your system works.

➡️ Step 4: Set Up a Smooth System for Paid vs. Free

When someone buys the $997 offer:

Unlock the course and call calendar automatically.
Give them access to a paid-only category for exclusive support.
Have your client success manager keep an eye on these posts to prioritize their questions.

➡️ Methods to Sell the $997 Offer

Free course in the Start Here module — It’s basically a sales funnel disguised as a free course.
Launch posts and email promotions — Do this a few times a month, highlight new bonuses.
Onboarding calls — Invite people to enroll, and highlight client wins in pinned posts.
Paid member shoutouts during Q&A — Let attendees know they can get in on the action by enrolling.
Celebrate new members — Publicly welcome new paid members a couple of times a week.
Spotlight paid members — Promote their communities and celebrate their wins.
Workshops and other paid products — Sell them separately, or offer as bonuses with $997 enrollment.
VSLs in all paid products — Include links to the $997 with extra bonuses.
Calendar events — Promote enrollment with event links every month.
Free live trainings — Cover topics from the program, with an invite at the end.

Plus, set up automated emails to keep people engaged, and have your community manager support members throughout.

➡️ TLDR

Switching from a low-ticket monthly model to a one-time $997 boosts your revenue, cuts out the churn, and builds a more engaged, vibrant community.

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