FREE doesn't work anymore!

No secret...

Step 1: Check your cpa network for some free stuff email submits.
Step 2: Find a few blogs in that niche (gaming in my case). You can use ad networks like adbrite to find niche blogs and then contact the owner personally.
Step 3: Contact the owner and say you want to advertise on his site.
Step 4: Profit!

I am sure I seen that answer in a free report somewhere, will see if i can find it

Wrong.

No matter how much you think you are... you're never your market.

That's marketing 101.

You can be PART of your market... but you're not the market.

Just because it's valuable to you doesn't mean it's valuable to your subscribers... it obviously isn't... or they'd be opting in.

-Dan

Although what you say about FREE being less powerful is somewhat true, let me use an example: "FREE dog poo! Twenty pound bag. Act now while supplies last!"

It's not going to work.

Forget the free part. The part that makes or breaks the deal is what comes after the word free. And maybe I'm not very skilled at it, because I've found it tricky.

My friend, that's a logical error.

I'm reminded of years ago when I ran a very small business in San Francisco, an answering service. We used a new method that didn't involve switchboards, and so I figured we had cost savings, and I sold my service much cheaper than other companies. I got market share.

But again and again, we ran short of money, and reputable consultants told me to raise my prices. But I was just *sure* that if I did, we'd lose all our clients.

Eventually I learned that I could raise our prices and we didn't lose all our clients. My logical error was that I was trying to give *them* what *I* would have liked to have had. But I was much more of a cheapskate than they were. I couldn't read the universe accurately because I was looking at my own views and opinions instead.

If the universe is not responding as you imagine it would from your offer, that could well mean that you are looking at your own views and opinions instead of listening to the universe. It will tell you the truth. And right now it's telling you they actually do *not* want the thing you're offering. Free isn't the issue. It's that the thing is not tempting them.

There is a whole lot of logic here.

That's too bad.

We humans don't buy things because it's logical. We buy things and seek things and get things because of our emotional and wholistic reaction to them -- you know that brunette Betty is going to be trouble but hubba-hubba-hubba oh you kid and you make a pass -- and we tack on some logic later. (Some fairly decent science shows decisions made and actions begun before the guy is even conscious of having made any decision logical or otherwise.)

Ask your universe what they want.

Then give them what they want.

Then they'll want what you're giving.

It may be easier said than done, but if you can do it, it will work.

Good luck.

-- Arthur "Wild Philosophy" Cronos

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Given my avatar, I don't think I'm shocking anyone by telling you that one of the niches I work in is fishing (I won't get more specific than that, too many sharp operators here...)

No one in the specific areas I work in NEEDS related information. Many of them DO crave it, though.

You just have to push the right buttons.

Some generic angler, let's call him "John", might have justified spending a pile of money on a new rod and reel by saying that it would allow him to put food on the table. Coming home with the "catch" wrapped in butcher paper from the local fish market is a downer, and John will hunt down information he believes will help him avoid that particular humiliation in the future.

John also likes to put away some suds with his buddies, and loves showing off pictures of his catches. Suddenly, the new guy in the group starts showing up with pictures of bigger fish in bigger quantities. John will spend a lot to regain his position as the master angler in the group.

There are a lot more angles, but this isn't a tutorial on marketing to fishermen. One thing to note - while the target may be 'how to catch more and bigger fish', the motivation in both scenarios has nothing to do with actually catching more and bigger fish. It has everything to do with status, image, ego.

The bottom line is that, at this point, your visitors don't know you. They don't know the quality of information you provide, or if they can trust you.

You might be part of your market, but there's one big thing that makes you different - you already know what's behind door #1.

You have to step back and join the conversation going on between your visitor's ears. Why is he on your landing page? What is he looking for, and why is he looking here for it? Answer those in a way that both establishes trust and teases that the solution is indeed behind Door #1, and the opt-ins will flow...

My favorite brand!

Gay Heavy Metal Fans? There are people like that!