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The effect of a free ebook giveaway on traffic

by peejaydee
22 replies
I've got a draft ebook that I was considering selling, but I'd like to try and get my traffic levels up on two related sites. What's everyone's opinion on giving away a 30 page advice ebook that's liberally sprinkled with links to both sites.

The book would be copyrighted by one of my sites, but I'd be making it clear that the ebook can be distributed freely. Combined with a 'tell a friend' email script on the page, I'm hoping this might help drive some traffic towards both sites.

Obviously there are a few variables to consider, not least of which is the quality of the ebook, which I will ensure is high.

Just wondering if any of you have experience of doing this? I'm kind of new to internet marketing like this and so don't have any experience to draw directly from.
#ebook #effect #free #giveaway #traffic #viral
  • Profile picture of the author dtommy79
    I'm sure it will drive some traffic. Try to also include a few affiliate links in the book if you can so even if you give it away as a freeby it will generate some passive income.

    Also try to submit it to ebook directories.
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    • Profile picture of the author peejaydee
      Originally Posted by dtommy79 View Post

      I'm sure it will drive some traffic. Try to also include a few affiliate links in the book if you can so even if you give it away as a freeby it will generate some passive income.

      Also try to submit it to ebook directories.
      Thanks, I like the idea of the ebook directories. Do you have any suggestions on good sites? And can you give ebooks away for free on them?
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      • Profile picture of the author dtommy79
        I just did a quick search on free ebook directories: Google
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven W Johnson
    Are you building a opt-in list? Make it do double-duty by "hiding" it behind your mailing list opt-in. Just make sure you have your promotional ducks lined up (snazzy e-covers, copy, etc) so visitors will be willing to exchange their email for your book.
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    • Profile picture of the author peejaydee
      Originally Posted by Steven W Johnson View Post

      Are you building a opt-in list? Make it do double-duty by "hiding" it behind your mailing list opt-in. Just make sure you have your promotional ducks lined up (snazzy e-covers, copy, etc) so visitors will be willing to exchange their email for your book.
      Hi Steven, I have an email list that I'm growing slowly. I was going to use that to let some people know that the ebook is available and remind them that they can tell their friends etc.
      The email script on the page was really just to allow people who dropped by to send an email to someone else recommending the site/ebook giveaway. I don't have a method of harvesting those email addresses if that's what you mean (?).

      I suppose my summary approach would be:

      - finish edit the ebook with snazzy cover etc like you suggest (pdf)
      - construct a download page with info about the book, tell a friend script, reminder about the ability to freely distribute it
      - send an email to my existing list and let them know it's there and it's free
      - load the ebook to some sites where anyone can pick it up for free (payloadz, or similar?)

      Edit: Aaaah - I get what you meant. If I load the ebook to somewhere like payloadz (just an example) I can make downloaders give me their email address in exchange for the book rather than just give it away without direct from my sites.
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  • Profile picture of the author peejaydee
    I take it free ebooks go down a storm here in the WSO section as well??
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  • Profile picture of the author jamjar919
    If you are thinking of going down that route then here are a bunch of directories to submit to:

    Code:
    ebookfreeway.com
e-library.net
scribd.com/
docstoc.com
slideshare.net
sharepdfbooks.com
http://www.ebookdirectory.com/
http://www.e-booksdirectory.com/
http://www.jogena.com/
http://www.e-bookdirectory.com/index.shtml
http://www.see-search.com/ebooks/ebook.htm
http://www.ebookjungle.com/
http://www.free-ebooks.net/
http://ebooks.searchking.com/
http://www.ebookpalace.com/
http://www.mindlikewater.com/
http://e-book-zone.com
http://www.ebookheaven.co.uk/forum (free ads forum)
http://www.ebookheaven.co.uk/directory.html
http://receivedtext.org/
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  • Profile picture of the author magnates
    A good idea . try and contact some list owners in your niche and ask them to do give to their subscribers because you know their subscribers would see the value in 30 page advice. that would get you traffic and you will build a solid relationship as well
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    • Profile picture of the author peejaydee
      Originally Posted by magnates View Post

      A good idea . try and contact some list owners in your niche and ask them to do give to their subscribers because you know their subscribers would see the value in 30 page advice. that would get you traffic and you will build a solid relationship as well
      That's a definite possibility - thanks. I could do it in the form of a guest post for a high traffic blog on the subject with my link to the download/email submission page.
      ...just need to get my writing head on.
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  • Profile picture of the author Xavier Tan
    Other than submit to ebook directories, you can submit to torrents and share it on the various forums of your niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeMorgan
    Make also sure to Submit News syndication sites in your niche .
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  • Profile picture of the author shireen
    Hi:

    Shireen here :-)

    Try it out then you'll know the result & how to proceed from there :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author JamieSEO
    Originally Posted by peejaydee View Post

    I've got a draft ebook that I was considering selling, but I'd like to try and get my traffic levels up on two related sites. What's everyone's opinion on giving away a 30 page advice ebook that's liberally sprinkled with links to both sites.

    The book would be copyrighted by one of my sites, but I'd be making it clear that the ebook can be distributed freely. Combined with a 'tell a friend' email script on the page, I'm hoping this might help drive some traffic towards both sites.

    Obviously there are a few variables to consider, not least of which is the quality of the ebook, which I will ensure is high.

    Just wondering if any of you have experience of doing this? I'm kind of new to internet marketing like this and so don't have any experience to draw directly from.
    I suggest doing a search for Internet Marketers in niches related to the topic of your ebook. Contact them with an offer that they can distribute a free copy of your ebook to their list as an unannounced bonus and that they are welcome to bundle it with their products.

    You give the Internet Marketers free, high quality content that they can pass on to their clients, and in return you get traffic. Win/win
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  • Profile picture of the author peejaydee
    Thanks folks, there some really great suggestions there. I'll get on and finish the ebook off now.
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert M Gouge
    I've been using this method for one of my sites due to traffic generation hurdles.

    I initially planned to sell the ebook as a product. Since I was having a tremendously hard time promoting the product as it was, I made it a free product and I used the product as a tool to promote affiliate products.

    Giving the ebook away for free I was able to get around a LOT of forum (and other) blocks and start getting some instant traffic. Since the work is high quality, it's also getting a far amount of traffic from people sharing the site on facebook. It hasn't quite had the time to go viral in the niche community, but the traffic has been steady and seems to be increasing a little each day along with clicks to the affiliate links located within the book.
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  • Profile picture of the author peejaydee
    Just a quick question for those that have done this before. Where would be best place in Warriorforum to give the ebook away do you think? I've had a look at the WSO section and I get the impression that freebies are frowned upon.
    Could it just be a signature link??
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  • Profile picture of the author Presto Smith
    There are a bunch of great suggestions in this thread already, but I did have one more idea for you. If your question is whether or not to charge for the ebook vs. give it away, you could always do both. Make a introductory version which gets people interested in the ebook contents and then have a link to buy the full version at the end.
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  • Profile picture of the author GracefulSwan
    They will bring some nice traffic

    A- if the ebook is interesting
    B- if you do enough promotion 0of the giveaway
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  • Profile picture of the author peteranderson874
    Try to create a squeeze page / landing page for your free ebook. Offer them the free ebook in exchange of their email address. Once they opt-in direct them to one of your two sites. This is a killer since you're driving traffic while building a list of buyers. You can eventually sell your product to the list that you've created. Try speedsqueezepages.com software if you're not familiar with making an effective squeeze page.
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  • Profile picture of the author barache
    Personally, I like the idea of contacting other sites owners, blog owners, and list owners in the same niche. Offer it to them to give to their lists, as long as your links remain intact. The more you do this, the more traffic you should get.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ralf Skirr
      Is traffic your goal?

      Then I don't think giving away a free ebook is the best way to get traffic to your sites.

      The problem with that concept is:
      1) First you need to promote the free ebook. Just creating it will do nothing for you, you have to work to drive traffic to the ebook itself.

      2) Then you need to hope that it gets picked up by many people.

      3) Then you need to hope that some of those who downloaded it actually look inside.

      4) Then you need to hope that some of those who looked inside actually click a link to your site.

      For traffic you'll get faster results promoting your site directly, instead of promoting the ebook to then get traffic through the ebook.

      Giving away ebooks IS a technique that brings traffic, but I would only do it once I have the more direct site promotions in place.

      One more thing: it's not necessary to give away the full 30 pages product. Make a shorter version and go for the click. Use the short version to get them to click through to the site.

      You can also re-usethe content, for example break it down into articles that you submit to article directories.

      Ralf
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