One of the biggest challenges many of my clients have is growing their list (and of course getting traffic to their website). In fact many can’t understand why they aren’t getting as many opt ins as they think they should be. My response is always “well what are you giving away?”. Our newsletter – it’s packed full of great info. Hmmm is that all? How often do you sign up to a newsletter these days? It’s so old school. Nowadays people expect some kind of gift to entice them to give away their email address and be flooded with sales emails.
Marketing is about being creative and being different. A newsletter to grow your list is just not going to cut it anymore. You have to think about your target audience, your reader and what they want/need. I currently give away a free ebook on Traffic Generation, and I’ve been told that this Ebook is worth a considerable amount of money as it provides so much value. I also make it very clear that anyone who opts in to my list will receive free tips before I post them here on my blog. For example I recently created a LinkedIn checklist which I sent out to my list one month before I posted it up on my blog.
There is nothing worse than signing up for something that under delivers so if you’re going to give away a freebie make sure that although it is free it is actually worth something of value rather than a sales pitch but in a “guide”.
But what about whether you have to give away a free introductory meeting? Or a free mentoring session or whatever it is you’re selling. We’ve all been there – we think by offering them a freebie session will make them come back begging for more. I’m not 100% convinced this method works. Whilst I have put on and continue to offer free webinars and even speak at events for free there is the upsell after. Which is fine and to be expected. On the odd occasion when I have given a free mentoring session (normally because they’re broke and I’m a great believer in “giving” whilst they have been thankful they don’t always see the value as it’s free).
Sometimes we have to feel the pain or spend the dough to really take action. Also and this sounds a little ruthless but you will always get “freebie seekers” who have no intention of buying as they believe they can get everything for free online. And in some cases this is true. The Internet has a wealth of free information. Take my blog here for example, I know for a fact that some people spend hours on my blog gleaning information and learning and that’s great, that’s what it’s here for to provide value and over the years I’ve worked out how to sniff out the “freebie seekers” and the ones that are prepared to pay for my time and expertise. There I said it… I’m probably not supposed to say that but as a regular reader of my blog you will know that I’m always honest and transparent.
So I guess I’m a little contradictory here… I do give away freebies… I do have the odd (free) Skype mentoring call with people who I know need my help. I guess the trick is to make sure that you do get a return on your time by giving away freebies. So make sure you’re monitoring and tracking all your free gifts that you give away and that your email list is making a profit.
Do you give away freebies? Is it worth it? Is it something that you just do it because everyone else is? Or do you not see the value in it? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Lilach
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51 Responses to Should you be giving away freebies?
Lilach… I think you cover the topic from many different angles. While freebies have their place at the end of the day you want a return on your investment. And hey I was on the receiving end of your generosity so thank you for that session!
John Moussan recently posted..The 6-Step Guide To Sponsor More Reps Than You Can Handle!
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Thanks John and my pleasure:)
You’re right, like anything you do in businesses you need to ensure you’re getting a return on your investment and you’re in profit.
Twitter: lilachbullock
A lot of hype is about free bees but really 99%of freebees are not worth the time it takes to down load them.
if people would take the time to make it worth your while then I feel they would do a lot better then they do.
example ( Chris Farrell )
what he offers is worth the time
cheers Peter
Interesting article and great question. I do give away a ‘freebe’ eBook. I’ve tried a few things – one of the biggest bombs was actually recommended by one of the ‘gurus’ of blogging. His idea, based on keeping subscribers around longer, was to offer a email series rather than eBook so they don’t get everything at one time. I went back to an eBook and this time it’s been a huge success – of course a few do subscribe just for the freebe and leave, but a very small percentage – maybe 1 out of 10. In fact it’s been so well received that I’m now working on an expanded version I’ll be selling.
marquita herald recently posted..When is Your Future Behind You?
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Thanks Marquita:) We have to try these things don’t we? I’ve also heard of email series although haven’t done this myself.
Great news about your ebook, it just shows that when you put something together of huge value what can be achieved:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Hi Lilach,
I think the technology companies started the craze of the Freemium business offer. For example Google offer us a complete suite of tools, Gmail, Google docs. Facebook offers a free platform for anyone and any business, to build a profile and communicate with millions of other potential business partners.
If the top online companies are doing it; and their stock prices suggest very well, then I think it is something that the end user expects and as such as a small business owner we must look to emulate.
Whether it be an eBook, a video series, a white paper it needs to be packed with value that leaves the receiver in no uncertain terms that your business is credible, you have authority in your space and as such you can drive results for the receiver.
Regards,
James
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Thanks James:) Yes there are a lot of free sites around. In fact there are now so many free events (which a few years ago used to be paid) but then they turn into “pitch fests” which is why in some cases free isn’t always the best way…
Providing value wins every time:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
I have 3 groups on FB , was going to start a web/blog and pay for the hositing and so forth.
I have written a small booklet of infomtion, with tons of link, how too, and more!
I have gained an adudiance of 293 ppl in one group alone.
When offering contests, for a free booklet, coupons ect.. they all join up and poof they are gone.
I find that even in a coupon trading group i have same thing. they all want the coupons and fee bee stuff but are not willing to pay for these things.
More over, ppl are not participating or leaving comments as they used to in the begging. Many of the group members have branched out opening their own fan pages, groups and some even copy the the documents into theirs..
My thought, to many blogs out there, to much of the same old free bee ideas, contest and so forth, It’s discouraging to think that after 3 yrs of establishing and ready to start my own site that I have been used by the public for these so called pardon me “Free Loaders”…
Twitter: The Tigress
At my company we try to find that balance between giving away content and filling our lead sheets. Our blog and newsletter are free (and updated/sent out frequently), but all our whitepapers are behind forms. We have the occasional free consultation as well.
Personally, I’m a big believer in giving away content. Of course there are those lurkers and leads who get the content and vamoose, but every now and then we get a real winner of a client through something we’ve given away on our site. It all evens out in the end.
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Thanks Amy:) I like to think it evens out in the end and as long as you can suss out the lurkers and freebie seekers then that’s fine:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Lilach, I do see the value in giving away freebies, but as you said, they have to have value or people will unsubscribe to your list very quickly, and the freebie is there to capture names and email addresses. This post did give me food for thought though about what type of freebies I need/want to give away. Thanks!
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Thanks Val:) I agree, if you’re going to give something away make sure it’s of value to your targeted audience:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Hi Lilach,
Well I’m a first time visitor to your blog but I love that you’re so open and honest. I can definitely relate to you there.
Okay, I give away WAY too much information for free. I can’t help myself. My story is rather long so I won’t bore you with all the details but I sympathize with those people who are lost and confused and just need some help with something. I felt so bad that I created a free training site for those who wanted to learn a lot of the basics.
I don’t have coaching services, although all my buddies tell me I should, but I am honest with them and let them know that I’m here to make money just like everyone else. If you really want to get me more up close and personal then join my business. If not, I’ll do what I can for you when I can but, I won’t spend hours on the phone with you. I’ll point you in the right direction but you have to do the work yourself.
So there, I said it. I could do better, I know. Hopefully with more time I will.
Enjoyed your post so thanks for the honest opinion. It’s always nice to have.
~Adrienne
P.S. Did you know that your Twitter ID isn’t set up on your Twitter button? Didn’t know if you were aware.
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Thanks Adrienne – great to see you here:)
I think you have a good approach, you’re offering heaps of free value and people will see that and want more… and that’s when they start to pay for your expertise and see the benefit of working with you.
Thanks for the heads up re my Twitter ID will check that out:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Hi Lilach,
I do not give away a freebie on my blog, yet. I don’t want to give away something just because. I want to offer something of value that will build my list, and have people return for more. I’ve thought about offering an ebook. We’ll see how it goes.
Jamella Biegel recently posted..Where Would You Live If You Could Live Anywhere In The World?
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Thanks Jamella:) I’d strongly recommend you think about something that gives value that you can give away… it’s the best thing to build a list. People are so skeptical these days so make sure it delivers what you say it does too – which I’m sure you would of course:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
So glad you wrote this blog post and it reminded me of one I wrote in a similar vein over a year ago. Free newsletter just don’t count as value in exchange for a name and email. Subscribers want more and we have to give it to them but at the same time emphaise the value so they don’t expect freebies for every more. That is wher e building the relationship with your list becomes key and training them to buy. Great one Lilach
Susan
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Thanks Susan:) Yep gone are the days where marketers can be lazy and simply sign up to our newsletter! Besides people are so busy now that I’m not even sure how good conversions are on sending out a long newsletter these days…
Building relationships with your readers always comes first and as you say you do need to train them to buy too:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Giving free samples of whatever product it might be, is a good strategy to get new customers. On several occasions I have carried on buying a product I hadn’t tried before after a free give-away. This also applies to books, as after reading a free chapter, you just want to finish reading the whole story and buying future releases from that author. All in all, getting you products out to a wider audience is always a smart move.
Thanks Fatima:) Yes great example about giving away the first chapter… I’ve seen that work well with authors.
Twitter: lilachbullock
Hi Lilach,
a very thought provoking post.I guess you have to try out different methods and if
it works stick with it.
All the best Brian.
Brian Addy recently posted..When was the last time you spoke to your mentor?
Thanks Brian, appreciate your comment:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Hi Lilach,
Newsletters are indeed old school. I recently went through my gmail filter that I called “newsletters”, bypassing my inbox and going straight into the archive. Guess what? I deleted all the emails (sadly, without reading).
These days tips and tricks arrive via RSS feeds, and you are right, the free giveaway has to be of compelling value to get me to part with my email address.
As a relatively new comer to list building, I’ve tried 2-3 different giveaways on my blog and managed all of *1* opt-in in 2 weeks
You’ve confirmed what I’ve suspected – it’s got to be a huge freebie. Perhaps list building is not quite what the business model to pursue …
Food for thought. Thanks.
Dee
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Thanks Dee:) Yep newsletters are very old school.
I’ve found that if you give something away that people would potentially pay for that really helps generate more optins. I’ve been told many times that I could sell my ebook (but don’t) and that really does do my list building for me.
Obviously you need to get the traffic as well and make sure it’s targeted.
Twitter: lilachbullock
I was a bit confused when I read through this as I “thought” you were going to be talking about more tangible incentives. Judging by all the comments, everybody else was on your wave-length!
The reason for my interest being piqued is that over the past fortnight I have been involved in four “giveaways” and the results have been MOST interesting.
One competition was for flights to Spain from the USA. Sounds like a good enough prize BUT the prize was never “marketed”. You would only get to know about it IF you were already on the site. The prize had been donated by a third party (the airline) and was almost “lost” in a page of text. I imagine the take up was minimal and I am struggling to believe that either the site or the airline benefited much.
(NOT helped that you HAD to start your journey IN the USA. So, you could not win Spain-USA-Spain but only USA-Spain-USA. In other words, although it was a Spanish-based site, it was attracting only N.American entrants,)
The second competition was for a weekend at a 5* Madrid hotel. NICE prize, I thought but it was offered in the same paragraph as the flights (above) and became almost an after-thought. If I had been the hotel I would have been offended by the presentation. In reality, in monetary value, there would be little difference BUT because of the way it was presented there was a huge difference in perceived value.
There was almost zero promotion of the “freebies” per so. Not on FB on twitter, no appeals to RT or market to one’s own users, lists etc. I have seen no press releases and the whole competition was ONLY in the English language. Pretty disappointing at whatever level you consider it. More like a damp squib than viral I am afraid.
So, in conclusion, I think the organiser of the freebies will have gained little in terms of attracting clients to their site. I am not sure whether their database will have grown much as the visitors were already on the site and I am not convinced that a particularly professional impression will have been made by the organiser. The airline and hotel will have achieved little as they were not well promoted and could well see the competition as a straight money-loss. Very sad. (Those competitions have now finished)
I am still involved in helping with two competitions for friends.
One is on an English-language FB page in Spain and it is to win an iPad2. It is a simple data snatch for the organiser. One must “like” a FB page and answer three questions BUT:
1) It is in direct breach of FBs T&Cs!
2) It is promoted in one language only and it is NOT clear whether the winner must live in Spain …in fact there are very sketchy conditions.
3) The company is at risk of upsetting the existing followers on FB as the winner must be a NEW fan.
4) The quiz is far far too difficult. It involves reading through the minutae of the site to find the answers.
I have heard one person spent 45 minutes and another 20 minutes. Obviously most people won’t wait. There is even the question of whether for tax purposes it could be seen as a reward!
5) One has to be a FB member.
6) Well, I guess you are getting the picture!
The other one is to win 1000 euros of Spanish holiday accommodation. If you can make your way to Spain/or you already live here this IS an attractive prize. The organiser is VERY clear what they want to achieve and has done everything to maximise on the effect of the competition.
1) Is is a freebie that has MASS-appeal. It is being aggressively marketed in NINE different languages aggressively with quality images, tools …..which are also available to their existing customers/suppliers etc.
2) The freebie is being promoted in its own right – it is being promoted as having genuine value in and of itself.
3) The competition is SIMPLE – it has a very simple message. “Give me your email address and I will enter you to win 1000 euros of Spanish holiday accommodation”. There is NO quiz/survey etc….(this also means that there cannot be any issues as to whether the accommodation is a reward for tax purposes. See iPad.
4) The competition runs for several weeks giving people the chance to enter and recommend it to friends and family. It is run by the company itself and NOT by FB.
5) It is open to EVERYBODY. Existing customers, new prospects, whether you have a FB page or not
6) It is being offered to OTHER non-competing companies. Other companies are using the competition to get people to THEIR shop or website http://www.thisisspain.info/holiday
I could go on but you will already be able to compare this freebie with the iPad, flights and hotel above.
All four companies are trying to do the same thing but IMHO only one has succeeded.
I am not at liberty to quote figures but I can assure you that the holiday competition has got the hit counters absolutely swirling. Their database is increasing exponentially and people ARE going to the site, making bookings/enquiries, checking content, registering for more details/updates etc
I think the lesson is that we need not be so “precious”. Yes, I would love another 5,000 people to register to “my” newsletters about “Eco-friendly cars for left-handed Lithuanians” or for owners of “Incontinent, deaf Siamese cats”. However, in the real world, to expand my list I may do better looking for people with an interest in any type of transport or any type of cat. Once I have built the list, I can then filter this MYSELF. Has it cost me any more? No. Same iPad or holiday? Has it reduced massively the cost per enquiry? Exponentially.
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Thanks Steve:)
Interesting to learn how these competitions have gone. I have to say that with competitions it just goes to show you how important it is in terms of the marketing side… not necessarily the prize.
I think competitions are good however it really does depend on what you want to ultimately get out of them. Gone are the days where everyone enters to win a competition… people want something there and then and are often of the mindset “well I never win anything so what’s the point…” Also a lot of competitions come with a box that they share you data so you have to be careful what you tick/untick.
I think now more than ever email marketing is so important. I receive literally 100′s if not more emails on a daily basis and in order for me to sign up to something, albeit a competition or a free gift I am a little skeptical and don’t just hand over my email as easily as I did a few years ago. But that is also good… it means that the people on your list are often more likely to ultimately buy from you.
Twitter: lilachbullock
This is a really interesting article, Lilach. All the more so because over the last 3 weeks or so, we have been giving away meals for 2 at different Nando’s over the country (up until now in Manchester, Leicester, Bristol and the West Midlands) to random fans who like or share relevant Facebook statuses on our page. The good thing is that invidivual Nando’s branches are providing the prizes so it isn’t a cost to us but we are not sure if it actually getting more people onto our website, which is the ultimate goal. It has definitely raised our Facebook profile and obtained us more fans but we are sure that we could be using these prizes in an even more efficient way, we just aren’t sure how. Does anyone have any suggestions?
We don’t want this whole scheme to simply attract freebie seekers who have no intention of actually writing reviews and getting involved with our events and website!
Keep up the great work, Lilach!
Twitter: RateYourNandos
Thanks Marc:) I love your freebie and the beauty of it is it doesn’t cost you anything:)
Sometimes you need to measure things for a length of time so I would continue with the freebie and also maybe think about creating a poll on your Facebook page so you can get some feedback from your fans.
It’s at least raising your profile and got your more fans. You don’t actually say what you do want to get out of it? For example, I give away a freebie (my free traffic ebook) and the sole purpose is to build my list – which it does.
Twitter: lilachbullock
Well as we raise our profile, more people will visit the website, submit reviews and hopefully increase advertising revenue which can then be reinvested into the website. A huge aspect of the site is word of mouth and the more people who have eaten free Nando’s through us, the better! The problem is that it is near on impossible to know if our website traffic is being directly generated by these competitions or not. Either way, as it is not costing us any money, we will carry on with it for now!
I’ve just posted a status on our Facebook page asking fans which branch they would like to see donate an upcoming prize. Hopefully that gives us some useful information on our target audience! Does anyone else have any tips?
Twitter: RateYourNandos
Maybe it was a nightmare, but I wondered what would happen if a subscriber thought the freebie was better than what he paid for. It seems that there are so many, the market is being saturated and people are getting used to getting so much for free they expect everything for free and want to pay very little for our expertise, that we spent hours and days and weeks developing.
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I tried it and it didn’t work that well. However, that was partly my own fault as I didn’t forewarn people early enough. I will certainly try it with better preparation.
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Thanks David, appreciate your comment:) Hope it works for you next time.
Twitter: lilachbullock
Honestly I usually prefer to get the freebie first and then if it’s good subscribe to the newsletter later so I can avoid usubscribing after having received the freebie which 90 percent of time is either crap or just a way to push affiliate links. Everyone wants things for free, me too obviously, but many times you receive what you pay and it’s difficult to find good stuff for free. Here there is and in some other places too but it’s not easy to find.
Your ebook is very good though.
That’s why I’m still subscribed.
Andrea Hypno recently posted..Overcoming Fear of Clowns
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Thanks Andrea and delighted you’re still a subscriber:)
You’re so right, there is a lot of “stuff” out there that under-delivers and doesn’t provide true value. If you’re going to give away a freebie make sure it says what it will do and over-delivers:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Hi, I thing freebies are good thing to give to your costumers in order to get more. It is a way to spread the word about your product and increase your chance to make your product more marketable.
Twitter: diannabellerose
Hi and thank you for giving me this opportunity to comment here. I think it is worth it to give for Free information and product which cost money in order to make it marketable and let people know about you and your product. It is necessary to sacrifice something which took you years sometimes to create. Nowadays, people want to get something for Free in order to feel more confident to buy or spread the word about your product. I have wrote a book which took me two years to bring it to life. Last week I gave it away for FREE and send so many paper books as well. This is the only way to let people know about me and my book, and I am still trying to find ways to market it. Here it is a link to it here:
Fire and Ice
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0741470357/ref=…
Nancy was sitting at home trying to sort out her life. Trying to figure out what had gone wrong and what could be done to fix it. The weather was windy and rainy. Summer was almost over. There was something to look forward to, her trip to Hawaii. She was hoping to clear her head there and sta…
Twitter: diannabellerose
I definitely think freebies have their place, especially depending on what you’re selling. But as you’ve stated, they don’t necessarily guarantee anything unless the product is like, loved, and ultimately used. I think freebeies definitely work great with people who are already buyers, as it makes them feel appreciated as customers for spending their money with your company/product. Gives people a sense that their dollar is appreciate and in some ways their getting some of their money back. If car insurance companies gave me money back I’d be a ot more loyal.
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Looks like I’m going to be the contrarian here, Lilach.
“Free” is not a business model.
The internet will never have a shortage of freebie chasers. And once you set the tone for “free”, people come to expect everything for free — at least that’s been my experience in the past 4+ years. Many of them will opt in to get your fabulous freebie and then immediately opt out. So I think you’ll agree, that’s not serving you or your business in any way.
Now don’t get me wrong.
I’m in favor of offering your “loyal subscribers” — those who are TRULY INTERESTED in building a relationship with you and receiving emails from you — something great for free. But I don’t believe using a freebie to entice people to sign up to your list is a good idea. The biggest problem? Other than what I’ve already mentioned, you’ll find that people who are NOT your ideal customer or client will still grab the freebie and then either never open your emails or simply disappear.
And I don’t believe newsletters are dead. As a matter of fact, I receive several newsletters that I anxiously await every week or every month — loaded with value and the best emails I receive.
Just my nickel’s worth.
Just my two cents worth.
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My first comment seems to have got lost in the ether, so apologies if this turns out to be a duplicate!
This is a very interesting subject Lilach, and Melanie is not the only one questioning this strategy.
I recently read Robert Cialdini’s book ‘Influence – Science and Practice’ which goes into fascinating detail about the so-called psychological ‘weapons of influence’ used in sales, supported by academic studies that underscore the effect of each ‘weapon’ under much more serious conditions. The relevance here is in using reciprocity as a factor in securing sales – so when someone receives a free gift they feel under an obligation to the giver and therefore are more open to buying from them as the next stage.
I understand the principle, but with the proliferation of freebies now given away over the internet it seems that the reciprocity factor has lost its power. People have become ‘freebie tarts’ and harvest free information rather than buying it, especially in the current economic climate. The comments already made tend to reflect the difficulty of moving people from freebie consumer to paying customer. The typical internet marketing sales page is now so long & formulaic that people are becoming immune to that too.
So, I would appreciate some suggestions as to how to get people to the next stage and how to interact with them on an ongoing basis if most of our emails get automatically archived so our continuing messages get ignored. How do you move your subscribers from readers to spenders? I am a subscriber to your newsletter and see you send out some affiliate offers, but haven’t seen you promote your services. I read a post by a social media strategist on LinkedIn questioning the freebie because he hadn’t had any ROI by giving his freebie away and no ROI from his social media strategy, and this was someone selling his services as a social media strategist!
So, getting people onto your list with a freebie is just stage 1. How do we continue to nurture them without giving away so much that they don’t see a need to buy? And how do we convert them without bombarding them with sales emails thinly veiled as ‘information’?
Janet Moore recently posted..Why Motivational Products Can Reinforce Failure (Part 2)
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Hi Lilach,
You have convinced me that developing a giveaway and developing an email marketing database is important. However, the reason that you are successful has little to do with the ebook you produced (although it is good), it is because of the content that you produce and your creative insights that you share.
Have you written an article about the coaching services that you provide? I would like to learn more.
Regards
John Cosstick
John Cosstick recently posted..Starting Your Small Business Website or Blog?
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Hi Lilach,
I stumbled across your site last Saturday after key wording something along the lines of blogging. I could tell that as soon as I clicked on your site that it was full of useful information I can use without even searching the site. I am about to get my first WordPress site designed and so I’m obviously going to be reading through much of your useful content here. I am a complete newby to all of this. I’m getting a basic WordPress site designed with 5 pages to start with, blog etc. I was just after some pointers for someone who is just starting up their site. What pluggins should I be looking at as I start out? I am going to offer seminars, events, downloadable products and videos will play a big part. I have Camtasia which is amazing. Can you point me in the right direction of getting started. I found your free ebook extremely useful!
Thanks
David
Hi Lilach
I agree with you that you do need to give readers and subscribers quality information as there are so many people giving away things in exchange for their emails, if we don’t give them good products/reports etc then they will unsubscribe.
It is so important to build up a solid relationship with your list so I do give a lot of freebies at the beginning and now and again point them in the direction of a paid product in the hope I will have gained thier trust enough to want to buy from me now and again!
We all have to start somewhere in this business and need some help and guidance so I like to give back as I had some great help when I was at that point, of course you will get freebie hunters but that is just a small percentage in my mind.
Thanks for sharing
Have a great day!
Pauline
Pauline Bennett recently posted..How Social Media Can Help Build Your List
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I give freebies to entice people to buy from me ( I sell skin care) and to follow me on FB. IBut it is a delicate balance; I can give too much and notice people get greedy and also very occasionally someone has implied I am desperate for their business because it is a recession. I’m not. Usually I give freebies to regular customers to reward their custom and generate loyalty rather than purely for enticement. Yet the other side to this is that I use – and greatly appreciate – the free information that Liliach and others give – it increases my knowledge base and reinforces some opinions I have already. I haven’t paid yet – I may one day buy a product but am not planning to do so in the immediate future. What I actively do, to respect what I’m given is to tell others about Liliach. I have a small business ( only me) and a small budget for marketing so I try to use it very wisely. I appreciate the support I am given. I respect that its for free. I do value it. I haven’t become a paying customer. You may stop sending me more information. Like I say it’s a delicate balance…
Twitter: hauschkagrace
As most people say, freebies are only good if you get a return on your investment. I wouldn’t mind giving a free ebook if the receiver would do a review on the novel. But that’s not going to happen unless the receiver actually does it. I’ve given free books away with just the simple promise of doing a review with either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Promises are meant to be broken I guess.
Interesting you should ask. It is the same discussion a small group of writers had on a goggle hangout. Five of us are working together to create a marketing approach for writers that will get then known and develop a readership. Here are a few of our thoughts. We saw our market presently dividing into 3 price points – the high end of established writer above $8.99./ebook, the low end at $.99 /ebook, and the middle range between. We five are very different people and only recently gathered – no time to imprint so to speak – but it was so very clear how we immediately ranked quality relative to price – I sense it is the American way. I say all this to explain this culture’s (I know I’m making sweeping generalizations) attitude toward pricing. I believe that “free” is less attractive than “a good deal” for we are children of the old saw, “you get what you pay for, so free is always a tad suspect, but we feel so very clever when we get a good deal.
Twitter: CarsonCanada
hey Lilach!
i think giving away freebies only works if you are giving away valuable freebies. Also, for me, it works because you can provide some real value, at the same time as using your freebie to prove to your potential buying customer that you are in fact good value for money before they even buy!
Carl.
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Twitter: CarlDavidAshton
Lilach, the biggest freebie for me is an opportunity to leave a comment and get a backlink to my humor site. CommentLuv sites like yours are blogger gold.
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In order for something to be worth having. It must have some perceived value to the recipient. The problem about freebies is that everyone is given them away and those with more resources can afford to give away bigger and more elaborate freebies which makes the old e-book freebie seem a little past its sell by date. You can have the best information in an e-book, but if people are unwilling to download it because they have been jaded by the amount of free e-books that turn out to be nothing but a sales pitch, few people are ever going to know how great it is.
I think the same is true free sessions. I’m sure that there are sessions surfers who do nothing but sign up for freebies with no intention of ever using any more of the product. Perhaps the real problem isn’t that something is being given away for free but that a large number of ordinary people on the Internet are wary of giving away their e-mail details in return for any thing. It’s just not worth the grief of the spam that you will receive as a result. And there are the people who just want free stuff and have no intention of buying anything and use dedicated spam e-mail addresses to sign up for things. Obviously, there are ways to combat this however if the aim is to get qualified customers who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer you I think that the future is crying out for a different solution.
The new kid on the block seems to be lumpy mail – that is going back to good old-fashioned letters and making them look lumpy because they contain odd shaped promotional objects which entice the receiver to open the letter. Perhaps we should be looking for the equivalent lumpy e-mail.
This seems to be is a “wicked” issue For many people using the Internet as a primary source of traffic, myself included. Thanks for opening the discussion.
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Hello Lilach, It is my first time here and I would have been here sooner except my daughter and I both have been pretty sick off and on for the passed three to four weeks as I have type two diabetes and my eyes give me a lot of problems and when this happens I can”t see very well so if I don”t get back to the site it is most likely because I can’t see or because I get real sick. Now as to the freebies I think that we should giving out something free as that was the way that I was raised as I was raised on a farm and we always traded stuff or things or something and we worked with each other and helped each other and we always gave people something for free as it was the right thing to do and it was good for our business to. I enjoyed stopping by thank you so much for having me and letting me post a comment. take care best wishes and God Bless!
Twitter: simpleman909
A lot of people have it wrong the secret is to give away some thing that is of value.
How many times have you given your email for some thing that is not relevant to what is offered.
I think now people have there spam folder so every thing goes into the garbage, then just see if any good will come out of it.
people talk of making millions then give a throw away item now is that greed or is it just you are a sucker.
cheers Peter.
As far as free sessions yes there are people whom want free sessions but then if you had a bricks and mortar then you would have your lookers or Tyre kickers it is part of selling.
Yes it would be great if every person that entered your shop brought, what a roll we would be on.
A man (salesman) told me once to be a great sales man you have to keep going back they will buy.
And I thought there was a big secret to the whole deal.
cheers Peter