LTO Funnel Reference — Complete Architecture

Created: May 13, 2026 Purpose: Single source of truth for the LTO funnel pattern. Read this one file to understand every component, how they connect, and the rules that govern the system. Use as a template for building new LTO funnels.

Reference implementation: 52 Claude Skills for Independent Consultants ($7 + $12 bump + $29 OTO)

What an LTO Funnel Is

A Limited-Time Offer funnel converts a lead into a buyer at a low price point ($7-$27), then nurtures the buyer toward a higher-value offer. The LTO sits between a free lead magnet and the core offer.

Lead Magnet (free) → LTO ($7-$29) → Core Offer ($49+/mo or high-ticket)

The LTO does two things: recovers ad spend and identifies buyers. A buyer at any price is worth more than a lead who never pays. The LTO separates "interested" from "willing to pay."

Funnel Components

An LTO funnel has 7 layers. Every layer must exist before launch.

Layer 1: Pages

These are the HTML pages the buyer sees.

CTA routing rule: If the page contains the full sales pitch (what it is, what's included, price, guarantee), link to ThriveCart checkout. If it's a brief mention, link to the sales page. The sales page does the selling. The checkout collects the money.

Meta Pixel rule: Every page on your domain gets the base pixel (PageView). The thank-you page adds Lead. The final thank-you adds Purchase. The pixel ID is the same across all pages.

52 Skills implementation:

Layer 2: ThriveCart Products

Every product in the funnel is a ThriveCart product with a webhook that fires on purchase.

After purchase: ThriveCart displays the invoice. Delivery emails handle product access. No redirect needed unless you want the Purchase pixel to fire (see Layer 1).

52 Skills implementation:

Layer 3: MailerLite Groups

Groups are the connective tissue between ThriveCart and MailerLite. Every purchase event adds the buyer to a group. Every automation triggers on group membership.

Naming convention: Start | [Product Name] and Complete | [Product Name] — paired groups per product.

52 Skills implementation:

Layer 4: Delivery Emails

One delivery email per product. Pure delivery — no selling. They stack: a full-stack buyer gets all three.

The main LTO delivery email is B1 in Sequence B — not a separate automation. This is a key architectural decision. The buyer enters Sequence B, gets the delivery email immediately as B1, then the nurture emails follow starting at B2 on Day 2. The bump and OTO delivery emails are separate automations because not every buyer gets them.

Each delivery email contains:

• Subject line + preview text
• Product access link (Notion link or download)
• Brief "where to start" orientation
• Signature
• No selling, no cross-selling, no upselling

52 Skills implementation:

Layer 5: Nurture Sequences

Two sequences handle non-buyers and buyers separately.

Sequence A — Non-Buyer Nurture (cold traffic → LTO buyer)

• Trigger: Opts in AND NOT in buyer group
• Length: 5 emails over 8 days
• Purpose: Convert leads into LTO buyers
• CTA links to: Sales page (not checkout — the emails are brief mentions)
• Exit: Purchases LTO → exits A, enters Sequence B at B1
• Structure: Brunson SOS arc — set stage, attractive character, scope expansion, FAQ, close
• Copy source: nurture-sequences-v2.md — Sequence A section

Sequence B — Buyer Nurture (LTO buyer → core offer)

• Trigger: Joins buyer group (ThriveCart webhook)
• Length: 10 emails over 28 days (B1 = delivery, B2-B8 nurture, B9-B11 core offer pitch)
• Purpose: Convert LTO buyers into core offer members
• Exit: Purchases core offer → exits B, enters onboarding
• Structure: Value delivery → relationship building → core offer presentation
• Copy source: nurture-sequences-v2.md — Sequence B section

52 Skills implementation:

Layer 6: Existing List Sequence (one-time)

For subscribers who were on the list before the LTO existed. Not part of the evergreen funnel — runs once.

• Trigger: Manual group population (filter: subscribers AND NOT buyers)
• Length: 2 emails (impulse price to warm audience — announcement, not campaign)
• Exit: Purchases LTO → exits, enters Sequence B
• Copy source: existing-list-sequence.md

Sequence length rule (from offer-sequence-rules.md):

Layer 7: Segmentation Rules

1. One selling sequence at a time. A subscriber never receives parallel selling tracks.
2. Purchase exits current sequence, enters next. Buy during A → exit A, enter B at B1. Buy core offer during B → exit B, enter onboarding.
3. Group membership is permanent. Buyers keep their purchase groups forever.
4. Core offer members exit all tripwire selling. Once they join, they're out of everything above.
5. Existing list sequence runs once. New opt-ins go through Sequence A (evergreen).

Build Order

Build in this order. Each layer depends on the one before it.

1. Products in ThriveCart — create all products, set prices, configure bump and OTO
2. Groups in MailerLite — create all Start/Complete pairs
3. ThriveCart → MailerLite webhooks — connect purchase events to groups
4. Delivery emails — build automations for bump and OTO delivery
5. Sequence B — build buyer nurture with B1 as the main LTO delivery email
6. Pages — build all HTML pages with correct CTA links and pixel events
7. Deploy pages — destination pages first (sales page, final thank-you), then source pages (thank-you, delivery)
8. Sequence A — build non-buyer nurture
9. Test end-to-end — opt in → thank-you → checkout → bump → OTO → delivery emails → sequence entry
10. Existing List sequence — build and fire to warm subscribers
11. Swap — activate new sequences, deactivate old nurture, swap live pages

Deploy destination pages before source pages. The sales page must be live before any page or email links to it.

QC Checklist — Before Launch

• [ ] Every page has the Meta Pixel with correct events (PageView on all, Lead on thank-you, Purchase on final thank-you)
• [ ] Every CTA follows the routing rule (full pitch → checkout, brief mention → sales page)
• [ ] Every ThriveCart webhook fires and adds to the correct MailerLite group
• [ ] Every delivery email contains the correct product access link
• [ ] Sequence A has exit trigger on buyer group
• [ ] Sequence B has exit trigger on core offer group
• [ ] All email copy has been through Copy QC (business-aos/reference/brand/copy-qc.md)
• [ ] All destination pages are deployed before source pages link to them
• [ ] Existing subscribers mapped by state (completed old nurture, mid-sequence, not started) before any swap
• [ ] End-to-end test: full-stack purchase produces all 3 delivery emails
• [ ] Footer on every page includes: Meta disclaimer, Anthropic/Claude disclaimer, results disclaimer, copyright, contact email, Privacy Policy / Terms of Use / Disclaimer links

For New LTO Funnels Without a Front-End Lead Magnet

If there's no free opt-in (no CIB equivalent), the funnel simplifies:

TRAFFIC SOURCE (ad, LinkedIn, email)
  ↓
SALES PAGE (full pitch)
  CTA → ThriveCart checkout
  ↓
THRIVECART CHECKOUT
  ├── Bump?
  ├── OTO?
  └── Invoice
  ↓
DELIVERY EMAILS (up to 3, stacked)
  ↓
SEQUENCE B (buyer nurture → core offer)

What drops out:

• No thank-you page (no opt-in to confirm)
• No delivery page (no lead magnet to deliver)
• No Sequence A (no non-buyers to nurture — everyone who enters is a buyer)
• No Existing List sequence (no warm list from a prior opt-in)
• No Lead pixel event (no lead — the first conversion event is Purchase)

What stays:

• Sales page with PageView pixel
• ThriveCart products with webhooks
• MailerLite groups (Start/Complete pairs)
• Delivery emails (B1 in Sequence B + standalone for bump/OTO)
• Sequence B (buyer nurture → core offer)
• Final thank-you page with Purchase pixel (if redirecting from ThriveCart)
• All segmentation rules
• All CTA routing rules
• All QC checks

The build order is the same minus steps 6-7 for the pages that don't exist.

Platform Details

Vault File Map — 52 Skills Implementation

All files in content/business/marketing/campaigns/claude-skills-for-consultants-lto/ unless noted.