Company Overview: An established online school specializing in standardized test preparation used the Advanced Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) methodology to restructure its free product, doubling paid client conversions and achieving lead generation goals for the 2024/25 academic year.
This case study is shared by Kate, Product Marketing Manager, who completed the “How to Build a Product” training.
Initial Challenges
My task was to attract clients to our paid test preparation program by September for the new academic year. Two years ago, we launched a free product with recorded videos, but it was built without a clear strategy. Users who registered often forgot about it, and it generated fewer leads each year. Surveys showed it failed to showcase the value of our paid program.
Before the training, we didn’t understand how to use funnels or free products to highlight our product’s strengths or introduce clients to our offering. Most critically, we didn’t fully grasp what we were selling. The seasonal nature of our business added urgency to attract clients by September. As a non-product-trained marketer leading this effort, I felt anxious and unsure, perceiving product managers as intimidatingly skilled. The task of creating a lead-generating product seemed daunting.
When I realized our “just talk about the product” communication approach wasn’t working, I sought new strategies. I felt stuck, unsure how to proceed.
Redesigning the Free Product
We conducted JTBD research with 25 interviews, uncovering the key jobs clients performed before choosing an online school:
- High-level job: When my school’s test prep is inadequate and I’m worried about results, I want to start preparing early to make studying easier and pass the exam.
- Pre-purchase jobs:
- Find an online school.
- Ensure the school is high-quality.
- Confirm the learning format and atmosphere suit me.
Clients valued teaching style, school atmosphere, and material delivery. Interviews with users of the old free product revealed that permanent access led them to delay engagement, often never opening the content. We redesigned the free product to address pre-purchase jobs, using client interview language in marketing to showcase the learning experience and atmosphere of the paid program.
Business Results
The redesigned free product achieved:
- 2x more paid clients at the same lead acquisition cost.
- Free product registrations: 5,678 → 14,178 (+140%), plus ~5,000 in the old product.
- Met 2024/25 lead generation goals, a first for us.
It wasn’t easy. We balanced training and research with regular work, finalizing the product under pressure. The interface and user journey were initially overcomplicated, impacting activation, but we identified ways to improve conversions. Convincing the team to prioritize client interviews over familiar tactics required overcoming resistance and addressing their fears.
Kate’s Key Takeaways:
- Product thinking in marketing is achievable, even for established businesses, with iterative improvements and patience.
- Solving client jobs drives purchases. If acquisition fails, we’re likely missing the right jobs or audience.
- Research is ongoing, especially for seasonal products with dynamic audiences. Interviews must become a routine part of marketing to stay connected with clients.