R.I.A. - brilliant marketing or too much for free?

Awesome question Ron. Congratulations on your success btw, very inspiring!
I personally don't have the answer(where's Frank Kern when you need him?!) Short Answer: BRILLIANT. I am such a fan of this strategy I wanted to add something to the conversation even though I'm no expert. I think that since we are in the business of delivering results, typically making money, then giving some results in advance only makes sense. I think that the amount and extent of free would vary. One thing I'm always monitoring is what are other top marketers giving away for free, and what is their strategy. Or at least what does it seem to be. If they give away a 60 min webinar and two 30 min tactical how-to videos before a product launch in the pre-launch phase then I know I am going to have to do something somewhat comparable if I want to compete. Then again I want everything I provide them in terms of free valuable content to lead them logically into a seamless buying decision. So that's the purpose of the content, provide them enough Results In Advance to make them believe that the proposed strategy will work, but there should still be a substantial amount that they need to learn before they can implement it, which is where your product/service/seminar/whatever would fill in the gap. So how ever much content I need to deliver in order to get them excited yet still lacking the FULL knowledge base, and therefore requiring my help, is how much I deliver. I guess it's something you just have to constantly tweak. Thanks a lot for this one!

"The more you give, the more get or receive."

If you're an authority, then demonstrate it.

If not, you won't make money, no matter how much supposed high-quality information you try to pass as having value.

Quite frankly...

In this day and age, you NEED to give prospects something of value; something to take away from your copy/marketing if you want to hold their attention.

I've made a solid 6 figures a year following that model.

Mark Pescetti

R.I.A. is useful in situations where you want to quickly
establish your credibility.

However, it does have some downsides.

For example, by providing R.I.A., you are also reducing
the subscribers' frustration level. By easing their problems
they may be less motivated to move forward for further
change.

Giving away R.I.A. material may be fine for some big gurus
who have a ton of other content that they can sell, but
many less experienced infomarketers have less material
and need to keep it back to sell it instead of giving it
away.

Personally, I prefer to give away information that increases
the subscribers' awareness of their current problems and
build their desire to buy my solutions.

You can always test two different paths (one R.I.A. and the
other a more traditional approach) and let your metrics tell
you the best route for you and your list.

Dedicated to mutual success,

Shaun

I believe RIA is a great marketing tool... IF used properly.

There is a fine line that needs to be drawn.

As you correctly stated, give too little and the end result still looks too far away and unachievable. Give away too much and the desired outcome starts to seem achievable without anymore of your help.

Here is a good video by Frank Kern that explains this technique quite well:
http://masscontrolsite.com/blog/?p=62

I also think its a balance depending on the specific situation. Though for example, with TrafficTravis, I have simply used it for some keyword research and the free version provides me with the tools I needed. However, I am sure there are others that required the full functionality.

RIA is brilliant *if* those results can be delivered immediately or within a very near future. You know: First do this, then do that, finally do this, and bingo! Now, would you like to know how to do even more advanced stuff? Click the Add To Cart button.

If you can prove someone ON THE SPOT that you know what you're talking about, there are high chances that you'll have him hooked to your offer.