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Considering Promoting a product? Buy it first

by Scott Ames
6 replies
If you want to promote a product you may wish to consider buying it first. That goes against the intuitive procedure of requesting a review copy.

There could be valid reasons to buy rather than asking the author for a freebie.

1. You won't get special treatment and you can see exactly how "your" customers will be treated.
2. You get to experience the sales process and see the joy or hell your customers will go through
3. You learn what upsells and cross sells the author really has for which you may or may not get a commission
4. You learn what happens after the sale and what list/s your customers will be on

To be fair from some authors you just know your customers will have a great experience and you don't need to pay full price.

I like to get free stuff as much as the next guy, but often I've purchased just to see what happens. Sometimes I've been horrified and was glad I didn't start promoting blindly.
#buy #product #promoting
  • Profile picture of the author butters
    Good advice.

    I wounder what thread sparked the idea to make this one .
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan Ferraro
      Originally Posted by butters View Post

      Good advice.

      I wounder what thread sparked the idea to make this one .


      LOL...no kidding. That poor guy got lambasted!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Colin Theriot
    What amazes me are the people who whine about not being able to afford the product, or that they can't get a free review copy, when they have no intention of even writing a good review. If anything, they may be deciding IF they want to write a "review".

    You can't write a review that's useful to a consumer if you don't know the product. If you "review" the product without actually owning it, that's not a review, that's some sort of retarded pro-bono commercial piece.

    Which if all you're going to produce is an ad pretending to be a review, do you even really need to beg or steal the product at all? I don't think you do - and to prove it, I will write a swipe that all those kinds of reviewers can use. Here it goes.

    "This product is so good it makes kittens poop rainbows. [AFFILIATE LINK]"

    I was thinking of including a swipe for if you didn't like the product, but since these people only care about selling the product, they aren't really going to use that one.
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    Fair warning: It's possible I'm arguing with you because I have nothing better to do.
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    • Profile picture of the author Heuristic
      I've recently started buying every product I promote at Clickbank and I wish I had done it sooner. It actually increases sales because:

      1. I know the product is good before I push it.

      2. I can reference sections in the ebook and use it as a teaser on my landing page. For example, "On page 43, discover the best natural treatment for your acne problem." "Does your ex still love you? On page 23, you'll discover a little known secret to reading your ex like never before."

      3. I have started making videos showing the entire sales process as I buy my review product. This isn't my idea (can't remember where I saw it), but people love to see the process.

      All in all, I make way more money by having bought the product myself. And the duds? Well, I chalk it up to a learning experience and write it off against the business.
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  • Profile picture of the author ozduc
    Great points Scott,
    I think your advice should be taken by some of the gurus out there as well. I have purchased products that were recommended by respected marketers only to have to get a refund and then unsubscribe from their list because the product was junk.
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  • Profile picture of the author R Hagel
    Excellent advice.

    Another way this comes in handy is for those marketers who like to say something like, "As soon as Joe Guru launched the Amazing Whiz Bang Software, I whipped out my credit card and was first in line to purchase!"

    That's social proof. But it's also a dang lie if you were actually first in line to ask for a review copy.

    So, buy the products. You can't expect your customers to buy it if you won't even put your own money down on it (which is often tax deductible anyway). This is especially true if you're a member of the niche (e.g., you're a dog owner selling dog products).

    cheers,
    Becky
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