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Ebook Giveaway- A new trend??

by swatz89
20 replies
Hi. I recently found that many IM are giving away free ebooks and software, maybe to build their list. So I was thinking that they are giving "garbage" stuff to the people. I think that after google updates, these ebooks dont have any value, so they are giving these books and softwares to the people, especially to newbies. So what do you think about it? Cheers.
#ebook #giveaway #trend
  • Profile picture of the author Kael41
    It's a great way to build a list, especially if there is worthwhile information that you are giving out for free. And that's the key..lure them in with action, and then give it to them. It'll spread fast enough that what you have is good and then you'll profit in your list activities
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  • Profile picture of the author TBInternetMarketing
    Originally Posted by swatz89 View Post

    Hi. I recently found that many IM are giving away free ebooks and software, maybe to build their list. So I was thinking that they are giving "garbage" stuff to the people. I think that after google updates, these ebooks dont have any value, so they are giving these books and softwares to the people, especially to newbies. So what do you think about it? Cheers.
    I give away a lot of free e-books, but I try to provide quality and value to the readers. I lay it out and add content as if I am charging for it.
    Well...I try to at least anyway
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  • Profile picture of the author M Thompson
    Originally Posted by swatz89 View Post

    Hi. I recently found that many IM are giving away free ebooks and software, maybe to build their list. So I was thinking that they are giving "garbage" stuff to the people. I think that after google updates, these ebooks dont have any value, so they are giving these books and softwares to the people, especially to newbies. So what do you think about it? Cheers.
    I think you totally wrong...

    Think about it from a marketers point of view.. If you give people garbage then you don't don't build a relationship and they don't become buyers.

    If you give them high quality material they see the quality of what you give away , hang around and then become customers once the know, like , trust you.
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    • Profile picture of the author swatz89
      Originally Posted by M Thompson View Post

      I think you totally wrong...

      Think about it from a marketers point of view.. If you give people garbage then you don't don't build a relationship and they don't become buyers.

      If you give them high quality material they see the quality of what you give away , hang around and then become customers once the know, like , trust you.
      ok thanks for your opinion. but i am getting email of "garbage" ebook stuff. so thats what my opinion. so i also agree with you. cheers.
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      • Profile picture of the author Randy Engler
        And it's not a new trend at all... giving away ebooks has been going on since the beginning of IM. I agree it should be something that has good content and adds value for the customer though.
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    • Profile picture of the author tpw
      Originally Posted by M Thompson View Post

      I think you totally wrong...

      Think about it from a marketers point of view.. If you give people garbage then you don't don't build a relationship and they don't become buyers.

      If you give them high quality material they see the quality of what you give away , hang around and then become customers once the know, like , trust you.

      Mark is right of course, but not all marketers are smart marketers.

      Some see the technique in use and decide they need to do it too. Then they run out to find something for cheap that they can give away to build their lists.

      Smart people use great content. Dumb people use bad content.

      And dumb marketers outnumber smart marketers by a margin of at least 4-to-1. :p
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      Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
      Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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  • Profile picture of the author shermancox
    Well it ain't a new trend...giving away ebooks and even software has been around for a while. It is a way to build your list and even do upsells.

    It's the whole moving the free line concept thingy...

    But if you give away crap...ain't nobody gonna buy your stuff...The idea is to give away some good stuff, although limited in some way (the "what" and not the "how"...or everything you need to know about a small thing you need to know..etc)....

    Folks see your free stuff and think "Wow, just think how good his paid stuff will be"...at least that's the theory...

    I jumped on that bandwagon and just had a free ebook...no other products or anything...Don't do waht I did...have your free stuff as a part of your marketing plan...
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  • Profile picture of the author Lexilou
    Make sure its of good quality. you know the difference between good quality and garbage. When I get something that's not good quality I just delete it and I never get on that persons list.
    Lexilou
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  • Profile picture of the author amritrr
    I have never bought or downloaded any ebooks ever. My general feeling is that what ever you are looking is already available online for free. You just have to search for it. I may be wrong though.
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    • Profile picture of the author tpw
      Originally Posted by amritrr View Post

      I have never bought or downloaded any ebooks ever. My general feeling is that what ever you are looking is already available online for free. You just have to search for it. I may be wrong though.

      Consider this.

      I can learn everything I want to know about cancer by reading free web pages.

      OR

      I can go to school to learn the same.

      Which is more valuable? If I am going to be a doctor, school is clearly the better option, because the school will certify my knowledge, which will impact my earning capability.


      I can learn everything I want to know about cancer by reading free web pages.

      OR

      I can buy a book that will teach me what I need to know about cancer.

      By going the free route, it may take me 3 or 30 times as long to learn the information. But if I have cancer now, I might die while trying to figure out what I need to know by going the free route.



      Yes, everything you want to know can be found online for free -- IF you have the time available to do it the hard way...

      In business, time is money.... And buying an education is usually a lot more productive than trying to cut corners to reach the same end.
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      Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
      Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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  • Profile picture of the author AlenGeorgeson
    If you don't provide value but promote bullcrap, you won't be in this business for long. If you want to make it in this business you need to provide massiv value on a daily basis!

    Good luck
    Alen
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  • Profile picture of the author Elluminati
    I have yet to come across a crappy, free eBook received from subscribing to someone's website, blog or whatever. Any marketer in their right mind should/would know better than to distribute poor content in an effort to build their lists. If and when I do get one that is straight garbage, I will promote it as trash with no shame...
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  • Profile picture of the author TopKat22
    Actually, as was stated, is it not a new trend. And what I've found is the quality of what is being given away is going way up for most.

    I use that as a indicator of what is to come. If I get quality for free, I think, "WOW, if this is what they give away, the stuff I buy must be really great!"
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  • Profile picture of the author Ron Desi
    I don't think this is new actually. I remember downloading free eBooks years ago and I assume it was used to build a list because after I downloaded the eBook I got emails and newsletters...mostly to purchase affiliate stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author Avish
    I think Giving away ebooks for list building is not a garbage. Even a little information can help you off the chain. You just gotta have to think as a Marketer and Not as a customer. Those Who Feel Sucking of reading advertising emails after giving their email ids to the site for getting ebooks should stop doing IM. I think each and every mail teaches us a new technique to make a sell and build a good image in the mind of customer. If we are ready to learn even a single IM line can teach us lots of things.
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  • Profile picture of the author YasirYar
    Not everything that you get for free is worthless. In most cases these are like a gift to a friend who after seeing what you are offering for free will think about what value you will provide for money. Nobody ever returns to a site after getting something worthless. So most people do actually offer something of value to attract people.
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  • Profile picture of the author RobertoMejia
    I agree. I've seen several free eBooks and products that are worth it. Many people make tons of money with their email lists, so it is worth giving out good quality content to add to a list.
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  • Profile picture of the author joona
    Just like someone said above, if you give away good content for free, many will think that "if this stuff is free, i wonder how awesome the paid content will be".

    And I don't really know if that is anything new. Just think about blogging. People blog and give away good and valuable information all the time. And that is free.

    It is just a different format, that's all.
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  • Profile picture of the author TopKat22
    In the end, to me it is about what I'm representing and the value I give. I have always found in any business I've started and ran, you really have to be concentrated on value and service for the customer and then money always has followed.

    Those people I've known who just concentrate on making money have had a harder time of it and many never succeeded at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ord Allenbea
    Some actually have great value with marketing tactics that many would charge for. Not all are full of fluff!


    Originally Posted by swatz89 View Post

    Hi. I recently found that many IM are giving away free ebooks and software, maybe to build their list. So I was thinking that they are giving "garbage" stuff to the people. I think that after google updates, these ebooks dont have any value, so they are giving these books and softwares to the people, especially to newbies. So what do you think about it? Cheers.
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