Giveaways help build your mailing list. Photo by Saquan Stimpson.
If part of your Internet marketing plan is list building, then you probably know that the most effective way of getting people to sign up for your list is to give them something in return. It’s essentially a trade: you give them something they want, they give you their email address. The question is, what to give them? It must be something of interest to them, and something which has a value.
Of course every business is different, but here are seven ideas for free information products you or your Virtual Assistant can produce with very little effort, but which will provide value to your potential customers.
- How I __________. This is a popular one among the blogging for a living crowd. Just tell the story of how you went from nothing to something in ten or twelve pages, and you’ve got a giveaway. If you’re a business coach, you might tell how you got motivated to start your own business, and what made you keep going even when things were bad. Don’t forget to end with how fabulous your business is now.
- Understanding __________. If your product is homemade dog food, you might write a report about the ingredients in commercial dog food, how commercial dog food is produced, and what to avoid when buying commercial dog food.
- How To __________. If your business is pool maintenance, your free report might be step by step directions for how to close your pool at the end of the season, or how to get extra life out of that expensive filter cartridge.
- Secrets of __________. Everyone loves to be let in on industry secrets. If you are a florist, give your potential customers some tips for keeping cut flowers fresh, how to arrange a great looking centerpiece for a summer party, or where to get the best deals on silk flowers.
- Checklists. If you provide website set-up as a service, consider giving away a checklist of things to do when you set up your site. If you sell RVs, try a printable camp set-up and camp tear-down checklist. Anyone who has ever driven away from camp with their television antenna still up will appreciate this!
- Calendars. If your product is season dependent, a printable calendar with reminders on it makes a great giveaway. If you sell tulip bulbs, give away a calendar with suggested planting and lifting dates, and short tips for better blooms.
- Recipes. If you’re in the weight loss, fitness, or food business, your customers are always looking for recipes.
Now you might be thinking, “But if I give this stuff away, people won’t buy from me!” Stay tuned. We’ll cover that next.
