It’s not easy to get people to sign up to your mailing list these days unless you give them a freebie as an incentive. This article looks at ways you could create your own freebie e-book, plus audio and video.
And it’s not as difficult as you may think.
By the way, if you’re not sure why why you need a mailing list, I have the perfect post for you here: Why you must have a mailing list.
I have a free e-book and it does bring in subscribers to my mailing list (have a look here). But e-books have been floating around the internet for a long time now, so it’s well worth considering something different, like video or audio, to pull in your audience.
Creating freebie e-books
A word of warning, though. Any freebie is better than no freebie at all, so if you find yourself procrastinating because creating your freebie is just too daunting, just get stuck in and get an e-book done.
The big advantage to e-books is that they are very easy to create and you can often write one just by expanding upon a popular blog post. They don’t have to be long or in-depth, just useful and attractive enough to encourage people to join your mailing list.
If you’re stuck for ideas, try these starting points:
– 7 common mistakes you could be making when…
– 9 signs that…
– 10 ways to…
Or you could think of the top problems your clients want to solve and write a short e-book around the solution to one of them.
If you’re ready to go beyond e-books you could try audio or video….
Audio downloads
Creating audio files is not as hard as it sounds. You just need a microphone attached to your computer and most computers already come with software that can record audio for you. Once you’ve had some practice, you may even find audio faster to produce than e-books. Don’t worry about a few ‘umms’ and ‘errs’ either. They can help you sound more natural than a perfectly edited audio would.
Here are some of the different kinds of audio downloads you can give away:
– Audio of you talking about a topic (the same kinds of topics you might use for an e-book)
– An interview with someone else in your industry
– A sample of an existing product such as an e-course or a live event
– A recording of a conference call or live event
Many people actually prefer audio because they can absorb the information while doing other things such as driving or housework. But it’s worth asking around your clients or audience to find out their preferences, too.
Video giveaways
Videos can have the highest perceived value of any freebie, although it does depend on your audience. As long as your video isn’t too long and delivers the info that your audience wants, it can be a great way for them to get to know you.
Unfortunately, videos also take the most effort to create compared to audio and e-books. Recording the video usually involves several takes and most of us have to get over the ‘cringe factor’ of seeing ourselves in a video! But you can get free software to edit your videos and if you already have a home camcorder, producing video needn’t be expensive.
It’s usually worth making the effort to do something your competitors won’t do and video is a good example. There are tons of freebie e-books out there, but far fewer freebie videos, so this is one way you can stand out.
Here are some ideas for videos that you can create:
– A video demonstration of your product
– A slide show showing how to solve a common problem that your clients have
– Teach your viewers how to do something related to your product or service
Discount vouchers
If your product is straightforward and there’s no need for education or demonstration, then a discount code may be the best option? These days we’re all looking for a bargain!
Whichever format you choose, aim for a freebie that is so attractive to your audience that they will be happy to exchange it for their email addresses. Also, think of it as the first step in a relationship that will eventually lead to them buying from you. Good luck!
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I’m on a roll this evening! Following on from my other post on the article about fiverr, this has spurred me on to get the free report I’ve had sitting there for ages actually finished. No point in it sitting there gathering dust when it could be gathering people instead!
Excellent news! And thanks for leaving me your comments, too.