The word FREE...What meaning does it have to you NOW?

Hi,

When I see the word free now, I think:

"But I have to opt-in... guaranteed!"

I basically try to ignore it now!

Jamie

My Email Address >> Then a Confirmation Page >> Then a One Time Offfer >> then an Exit Pop-up >> Then another Exit Pop-up >> Then another email asking me why I didn't buy >> Then another one tell me I should >> I click on the link >> I'm hit with a exclusive deal for the next 20 subscirbers >> Then I get an Exit One time Offer >> Then I get an exit pop up >>

Now I wonder why my compuer has a bullet hole through it.

Hi

People still love free stuff, it may have been over killed a bit but people are still falling over themselves to opt-in to genuinely great free offers, ones with real value basically.

So far, so good my friends...

"free" to me means, that i have to pay someone something at some point if i want to have the additional NIFTY something that's needed in order to get the most out of the initial free offer.. but then again, "FREE" still grabs my attention.

The word "Free" is tricky. A "giveaway", a means to entice! A word that makes people feel like they got something for nothing. I don't know why that is so appealing. This Works for me....creating real value with skills and knowledge and work with those who only see it. That is what it is about.
In the End, I like Free things too. Why not can't hurt?.......maybe that is why it is so easy to take free things......when you pay you also seem to think twice.....LOL

FREE is one of the most powerful words in advertising and would
always be. Opinions about marketing from marketers don't count.

It doesn't work on you because you don't just see the word but
another marketer trying to get you yo buy something.

Always be careful about 'ad worn' marketers who "don't like"
a strategy because they are tires of it. Keep in mind that you
will always get tired of your advertising message quicker than
your market would.

FREE needs to be sold as well. You can't just say 'free' and expect
magic. You have to sell the value of what you are giving away for
free. So A Free Report (A $97 Value!).

Never go by what marketers say about what marketing strategies
work on THEM--except they are your target market.

-Ray Edwards

FREE is meaningless unless you provide value.

People DO want something for nothing, but once they realize you are advertising nothing as something (even for FREE), they won't come back for more.

Cody Moya has ruined the meaning of free, and we need a new word for his blackhat.
How about darkerthanblackreallyreallyblackalmostillegalhat?

Free grabs my eye, in fact if i see something free it makes me look at it and make sure there is not a catch. So free in my opinion, is a good thing. Makes people think.

The answer is "free means Free".

The better question is: "What is the value of free these days?"

While free means free, it has lost some value. Many people have gotten accustomed to giving an e-mail in exchange for a free offer. If they did not want to get your mail, they could use a temp email address.

The problem is that so many times a "free" offer means that they know you will bombard them or they feel they will only "get what they paid for".

The perception is that "free" offers hold little to no true value and are only a setup for the "real thing". People are becoming desensitized to the word free.

In this market, to ME, free simply means garbage.

Split testing with my last launch, I gained 11% more subscribers on average by advertising a "trial offer" rather than "free trial offer".

Many people just assume "free" means a terribly short, crappy product loaded with affiliate links and upsells.

However, split testing is the only way to find out.

Depends who's saying it.

If I don't know you on a personal level, then these are the only "Free Words" that MIGHT make me think twice.

Free Premium Wordpress Themes, Free music, and Free porn

I think you have to use it in your arsenal and here is why....

Eben Pagan ALWAYS over delivers on free content. I forget what his saying is but you gotta over deliver on the free stuff so people can see you are the bomb.

When and only when you do that will you have someone who's guard is down and willing to buy from you no matter what the cost.

One of my favorites is Mike Dillard. I will buy whatever he has to sell b/c he ALWAYS over delivers.

So in case you missed the point OVER DELIVER ON THE FREE STUFF and you will make sales on the back end. Trust me it works.

I thank you all for your input... : )

The Internet Evolution of "Free"

Free in the 1980's - Oh cool, another AOL Micro-floppy disk I can format and reuse.

Free in the 1990's - Another AOL CD I can use as a coaster

Free in the years 2000 - 2004(2005) Another test membership site subscription

When I hear free these days? I think about either a membership subscription or how many emails I am going to have to read to make it pay for me. Either way, I am very wary and cautious when I hear it. Still, it remains a very powerful and effective tool in IM as well.

While I think that through some good usage, it can be a great way to entice people to try something that they otherwise would not, it would be nice if they used a full disclosure as well. In many instances, I have seen something that is "free" but by accepting it (and you will if you do not read the size four font script at the very bottom of the page) you are actually agreeing to accept and pay for six months, whether you like the program or not.

A good tool indeed but for me, it makes me wary as well.

Also a great method for generating a "rough" customer list to begin your email marketing campaigns though maintaining a separate list for buyers is a good idea as well ... in addition to the ability to move your members from the "free" list to the "known buyers" list once they do begin spending some money with you.

Just my two cents

i also like free stuff.

"FREE" as it pretains to eproducts, to me, means "let me introduce myself". What happens after that is what makes or breaks the offer - and the marketer offering it.