The Secret of the Thirteenth Bread Roll

by Nick Laight | Dec 3, 2025 | Blog | 0 comments

When I was a kid in the 1970s, cereal wasn’t just about cereal.

It was about the free toy inside the box.

These could include action figurines, trading cards, puzzles or ‘3D’ glasses!

If it was something I really wanted, I’d pester my mum continually to buy the box with the freebie, even if it wasn’t my favourite cereal.

For example, I remember when Kellogg’s offered a FREE NAVY FROGMAN in every packet of Cornflakes.

To my young mind that was, just….

‘WOW! MUST HAVE!’

I think I went through at least three boxes of cornflakes in as many weeks so that I could trade them with mates.

Cereal manufacturers used this trick because it worked so well!

In fact, one reason they can’t do it anymore (aside from the choking hazard) is that they’re not allowed to lure children into their addictively sugary products with such powerful bait!

Because here’s the thing…

When you add a free gift into a product it immediately stands out from the competition, and gives people a compelling reason to buy it…

What’s more, those cereal box gifts were strictly limited – so if you missed out, then it was unlikely ever to be repeated.

Which meant I wanted the cereal with the Navy Frogman NOW, not later.

This concept is as old as commerce itself…

For instance, in 18th Century France, the custom of giving away a freebie with a purchase was known as ‘Lagniappe’ (pronounced lan-yap).

This idea travelled to New Orleans where it became such a part of everyday culture that shopkeepers were almost expected to add a tiny gift to a purchase.

When the author Mark Twain visited the city in 1883 he wrote: “It is the equivalent of the thirteenth roll in a ‘baker’s dozen.’ It is something thrown in, gratis, for good measure.”

Lagniappe is probably the closest historical ancestor of the modern marketing bonus, which one of the most powerful tools you can use to:

Increase sales
Deepen trust
Reduce refunds
Turn one-time buyers into repeat customers

Now I’m sure you’ve come across plenty of free bonuses in your time, particularly in the world of online business.

Free reports, quick-start guides, planners, webinars, templates, profit calculators, 1-2-1 consultations…

These can often stack up to £100s in value – sometimes way more than the value of the core product.

They’re so widespread because – like the Navy Frogman in the cereal packet – they really work.

And thanks to AI, bonuses are now easier than ever to create as a beginner with no writing experience or specialist knowledge.

Because tools like ChatGPT can make them for you in minutes!

All you need to know in advance are the key principles behind an effective bonus – and the prompts that get the best results.

So today I thought I’d give you a quick start bonus creation guide…

Why free bonuses are so powerful

A good bonus does several things at once…

It increases the perceived value of your offer. For example, your digital course about selling woodcrafts on Etsy is £79. But you add a bonus training with a step-by-step guide to advertising their products via Facebook (worth £47) and a guide to using AI for listings (worth £29) and you’ve almost doubled the perceived value of the offer.
It encourages sales by offering something for nothing. Humans are drawn to offers where they can get something for nothing. Which is why supermarkets constantly offer ‘Buy One Get One Free’ deals. Just the word ‘FREE’ will give your promotion or add instant appeal.
It differentiates you. There may be rivals offering a similar product to you. But with a special bonus, or package of bonuses, you can create a unique offering that nobody else can compete with.
It adds urgency. By making a bonus available for a limited time only (or in a limited number) you give the customer more reason to buy sooner rather than later,
It allows you to add more promises into your marketing. Every bonus creates another benefit (or multiple benefits) that you can talk about. For example, it might make a specific task easier or quicker. Or it might automate a step so that it eliminates the time and effort.
It refreshes your marketing. You can use a new bonus, or package of bonuses, as a good reason to advertise an existing product to people who’ve seen it before. They give you a fresh marketing angle and a new spin on an old offer.
It reduces objections. An extra bonus can directly address the common worries and doubts that stops some people from buying. For instance, “This will be too complicated,” could be answered by a ‘beginner’s walkthrough video’ or a bonus software tool that does tricky tasks for you. Or “What if I get stuck?” could be answered by offering a weekly email feedback session or access to a private Facebook group.
It lowers refund rates. Bonuses that make a product quicker or easier to use mean that people will get better results and therefore be less likely to refund. But there’s more to it than that. When you offer someone extra help, or something valuable for free, they feel good about you. They’ll feel much more obligated to stick with you and keep the product. (Psychologists call it the ‘law of reciprocity’.)
It builds trust and deepens the relationship. Your bonuses show that you’re serious about helping the customer, above and beyond what they pay for. Bonuses also increase the points of contact between you and the customer, for example, email updates, video demos or private consultations.

STEP 1: Prepare the AI

I recommend opening ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or whatever AI you prefer, and treating this like an ongoing conversation.

Start with an opening prompt like this:

PROMPT: “I want to create a bonus, or bonuses, for a new/existing product with the aim of increasing upfront sales, differentiating myself from the competition, lowering refund rates and making the product more effective.”

You can edit the above to emphasise the most important goals you wish the bonuses to achieve.

It might also be worth adding “These need to be digital bonuses that don’t require any tech skills from me to create or deliver”

Then say: “I am going to feed you the relevant information, then brief you afterwards”

STEP 2: Brief the AI

Now feed the AI with some information about your product…

What your product is – title, main promise, list of key benefits, price and format. “My product is a digital course called ‘Side Income Woodcraft’. It teaches beginners how to make and sell simple wooden craft items on Etsy through 5 training videos. Following these steps means they can make a second income from sales without any marketing experience or skills.
Who the customer is – Give details of their age, experience level, fears, goals, and life situation eg. “My customer is a 60-year-old UK hobbyist with little tech skill, no marketing experience and limited spare time.”
What problems the customer is most likely to experience. List any potential sticking points and problems. Include anything that might be frustrating, confusing or overwhelming, “eg. My buyers get stuck writing Etsy descriptions, choosing search keywords, and pricing their items. They are also unsure of how and where to actively seek new customers”
What outcomes they really desire. Now list a few of the main desires the customer will have – eg. Speed, ease, clarity, profits.

STEP 3: Get AI to brainstorm

Now that the AI understands the product and audience, ask it to give you as many ideas as possible.

PROMPT: “List [X NUMBER] or digital bonus ideas that: (a) solve the customer’s biggest problems, (b) help them reach their goals faster, and (c) add high perceived value to the product. Give a short explanation for each.”

In response, you’d then get a list like this:

——————-

1. Done-For-You Etsy Description Templates

Fill-in-the-blank descriptions for 10–15 common wooden craft items. Removes their #1 sticking point instantly.

2. Keyword Starter Pack (Woodcraft Edition)

A ready-researched list of high-traffic Etsy keywords for wooden gifts, décor, ornaments, clocks, signs, toys etc. Saves them hours of guessing.

3. Pricing Formula Cheat Sheet

A simple formula + examples that show exactly how to price confidently without undercharging.

——————–

You will now have a large list of ideas to choose from.

I recommend you pick 1-3 to get started. If you’re unsure which to choose, then get AI to analyse the choices.

PROMPT: “From the list above, identify the three bonus ideas with the highest perceived value and the strongest ability to remove purchasing objections.”

AI will explain why each bonus works which should give you some clarity.

The AI should give you details of what format the bonus will be in (e.g. email series, bonus report, swipe file pack).

But if not….

STEP 4: Pick a Format

Ask the AI to suggest different formats through which you could deliver that bonus.

PROMPT: “I like the idea of [bonus from list] – give me some different options for formats through which I can deliver this information, including reports, guides, video training, tools, templates, email updates, community access, etc”

For instance, if you like the idea of an ‘Etsy Growth’ plan for crafters, AI might suggest:

——————–

1. PDF Step-by-Step Guide (1–2 pages, checklist style) A stripped-down “do this, then this” one-pager.

2. 30-Day Etsy Jumpstart Calendar. A daily task calendar (e.g., Day 1: upload photos; Day 2: write title; etc.).

3. Short Video Training (10–12 minutes. A simple screen-recording explaining the growth plan and how to implement it.

4. Fill-in-the-Blank Weekly Planner Template. A reusable worksheet where they write their 15-minute tasks.

————————-

So it might be that you decide on a PDF report instead of a video walkthrough, or a weekly planner instead of a live webinar.

STEP 5: Get AI to Create the Bonus

Keep open the conversation so that your AI is fully briefed, then simply tell it to make the product for you.

If it’s a static, written product like eBook, report, or course, you can use this…

PROMPT: “Create the full draft of this bonus. Use my writing voice: clear, conversational, helpful, beginner-friendly, and UK-based. Include steps, examples, checklists, and practical instructions.”

If it feels too short, tell it to “expand each section with more detail.”

However, your bonus might also be an ongoing service like email updates, or monthly bonus training.

In this case, get AI to outline and plan it:

PROMPT: “Create a [TIME PERIOD] plan for my bonus [TYPE] service. Each one should be short, actionable, and tailored to my customer. Include titles and outline the content.

Now you can start getting the AI to flesh out the content for, say, the next 4 weeks, or the next couple of months.

Or it could be that your bonus is a practical digital tool like an app, calculator or templates. In which case use this…

PROMPT: “Help me design a simple digital tool as a bonus. It should take the form of [X]. I want it to achieve [X GOAL].

You can also ask: “Suggest to me the easiest ways I can get this designed and produced digitally without needing any coding or design skills.”

This should give you all the info you need to turn the idea into a reality.

If you’re interested, I can write again with more info about bonuses – including how to title them, extract the benefits and present them in your promotions.