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Will this work - Offering Ebook As Download & Selling The Same In Video Format As A WSO ?

by Spencer Jones
16 replies
I am offering an ebook where I show how I made $11K in 7 days as a FREE download. Somebody suggested that I can sell the same as a WSO while at the same time offering it for free. So I thought selling the content in another format (a video) will be a good idea as it may be helpful to those who hate ebooks.

So I want to know if anybody got experience doing this, before going ahead and creating the video. Offer the ebook format as FREE download while at the same time putting the video format for sales in WSO section. Thanks for your reply...

Dr.Spencer Jones
#download #ebook #format #free #offering #selling #video #work #wso
  • Profile picture of the author Tony Marriott
    You couldn't sell the same ebook as a WSO if you were giving it away . A WSO is as Warrior Special Offer. Which usually means a lower price than the general public.

    Technically I guess you could sell a video of the same thing as a WSO but personally I would not and I'm sure plenty of people may not be happy if they realise afterwards that the ebook could have been downloaded for free. (not everyone thinks video is better than ebook). At the very least not being transparent about it could create mistrust (not where you want to be).

    How about making the video and offer it as an upsell from the free ebook.

    Or

    pull the free ebook (immediately) and create a much better version and videos and mind maps and quick start quide etc. Just create a massive value package. If you have any success stories from the original free ebook then use that as a marketing feature.
    i.e. "After my own success, I gave away this basic method to a few people who promptly made a killing. Spurred on by their success I have now created the definitive, step by step, cash stuffing guide to *************"

    best of luck
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    • Profile picture of the author Spencer Jones
      Originally Posted by Tony Marriott View Post

      but personally I would not and I'm sure plenty of people may not be happy if they realise afterwards that the ebook could have been downloaded for free. (not everyone thinks video is better than ebook). At the very least not being transparent about it could create mistrust (not where you want to be).
      What I am thinking is to openly present the ebook download link for FREE in the WSO sales page itself and offer the video for sale, as the video is yet to be created (using the same content in the PDF).

      Being open and present the PDF for download while offering the video as a WSO, is my idea. I am not thinking of anything against the WSO terms, the video will later be offered for a higher price as an OTO, when someone subscribes my page which I will be putting up later - where I will be offering the PDF for free to those that subscribe.
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  • Profile picture of the author JKflipflop
    Hmm. Interesting topic to say the least. Innovative thinking but I suggest you at least add something to the WSO other than the video format of the E-Book. Reason being that the more value you will add to your list, the more the subscribers will be profitable ones. But the idea of converting your E-Book into video format, on the whole, is not a bad one at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author eibhlin
    You're describing a marketing model that's different from anything I've seen among WSOs. Assuming it's not breaking WSO rules, I think it's best to try it and see what happens.

    I'm not sure that anyone can tell you if it's a good idea, since it's such a unique approach.

    A lot of people prefer videos to PDFs, so you might do very well. (I'm the opposite. I don't have time to watch most videos, and I can skim a PDF in about 1/4 the time or less, to glean what's useful to me.)

    You shared a lot in your free ebook. (Thank you!) I'd suggest taking one section of it, expanding it with specific examples and screenshots. Turn it into a Powerpoint for a video. Then, market that video as your product. If it does well, continue with more sections of the original book.

    My guess is: You'll need to offer a lot more (in terms of perceived value, not necessarily size or scope) to attract a lot of video customers. Otherwise, whether they'll actually read your free ebook or not, they'll shrug and say to themselves, "I don't need to buy that. I can get the information for free... when I have time to read that ebook."

    That's a matter of perceived value rather than actual value. And, unfortunately, I think most people buy based on perceptions.

    If you can afford to run a WSO as a test, I think that's the only way to find out if your idea will work. It's innovative. I applaud that.
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    • Profile picture of the author Spencer Jones
      Originally Posted by eibhlin View Post

      You're describing a marketing model that's different from anything I've seen among WSOs. Assuming it's not breaking WSO rules, I think it's best to try it and see what happens.

      I'm not sure that anyone can tell you if it's a good idea, since it's such a unique approach.

      A lot of people prefer videos to PDFs, so you might do very well. (I'm the opposite. I don't have time to watch most videos, and I can skim a PDF in about 1/4 the time or less, to glean what's useful to me.)

      You shared a lot in your free ebook. (Thank you!) I'd suggest taking one section of it, expanding it with specific examples and screenshots. Turn it into a Powerpoint for a video. Then, market that video as your product. If it does well, continue with more sections of the original book.

      My guess is: You'll need to offer a lot more (in terms of perceived value, not necessarily size or scope) to attract a lot of video customers. Otherwise, whether they'll actually read your free ebook or not, they'll shrug and say to themselves, "I don't need to buy that. I can get the information for free... when I have time to read that ebook."

      That's a matter of perceived value rather than actual value. And, unfortunately, I think most people buy based on perceptions.

      If you can afford to run a WSO as a test, I think that's the only way to find out if your idea will work. It's innovative. I applaud that.
      Thanks Eibhlin. Like you said, I also think it will be good to test and see how this model works. I hope, being different from the crowd will work. But let's test and see.

      Will think if I can add more value inside the video, than the original PDF.
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  • Profile picture of the author James.N
    I don't think many people would want to pay for information in a video that's already available in a free PDF.

    Personally many times I prefer PDF over video
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  • Profile picture of the author Colin Theriot
    Stop giving away things for free. If you want to make money in IM, learn how to charge money for your information. A lot of money. Free is the opposite of money.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
      Originally Posted by Colin Theriot View Post

      Stop giving away things for free. If you want to make money in IM, learn how to charge money for your information. A lot of money. Free is the opposite of money.
      Says he with the word FREE in his signature.

      There is a way to use free, and maybe that is what Colin is referring more to.

      On another topic, It was just recommended that I add a free pdf download to an offer I'm working on - and it makes sense.

      The paid offer includes an ebook, but this pdf is actually something completely different and will be used more to show off more of what would be way too much to put in a sales letter. Basically, additional benefits and ideas on how to use the product.

      You could do something along the same lines.

      Pull the report. Put it in the War room if you want to keep it out there a bit longer - but I'd just pull it. Make a note that you have replaced it with something like a hot sheet. Give away the hot sheet - which tells what needs to be done, and sell your report with some videos showing how to do it.

      That would be my possible game plan.
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      • Profile picture of the author Colin Theriot
        Originally Posted by Jill Carpenter View Post

        Says he with the word FREE in his signature.

        There is a way to use free, and maybe that is what Colin is referring more to.
        Well, what I said was to figure out how to make money by selling your info first. Which I have. When you've done that, then you can do free stuff to get people interested in you, and then sell them that stuff you have to sell.

        But if you have ONE product, and your decision is to give it away or sell it, SELL IT.
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        • Profile picture of the author Spencer Jones
          Originally Posted by Colin Theriot View Post

          But if you have ONE product, and your decision is to give it away or sell it, SELL IT.
          No my question and decision I need to make, is not any one way, but two - to both giveaway and sell...
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          • Profile picture of the author Colin Theriot
            Originally Posted by Spencer Jones View Post

            No my question and decision I need to make, is not any one way, but two - to both giveaway and sell...
            Same answer. You ever go to the store and see them giving away and selling the same product in the same store? Exactly.
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    • Profile picture of the author lotsofsnow
      Originally Posted by Colin Theriot View Post

      Stop giving away things for free. If you want to make money in IM, learn how to charge money for your information. A lot of money. Free is the opposite of money.
      Exactly right!
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  • Profile picture of the author Spencer Jones
    My thought behind the idea is, those that can afford will buy the video because they can sit back, relax and watch the video while saving their precious time.

    But those that don't have the money, can download the pdf, spend some more time, put more strain and read the entire 79 pages. This way, I will be helping more people...

    I believe that's what the WSO section is originally intended for, helping people rather than just making money... If the WSO's never helped, there will be no buyers...
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    • Profile picture of the author Colin Theriot
      Originally Posted by Spencer Jones View Post

      My thought behind the idea is, those that can afford will buy the video because they can sit back, relax and watch the video while saving their precious time.
      Sell it, or give it away. Trying to do both with the same information will only be confusing and irritating to the audience. There is no both, it doesn't make sense. There's only the choice between one or the other, and personally, my choice would be to sell it.

      Originally Posted by Spencer Jones View Post

      I believe that's what the WSO section is originally intended for, helping people rather than just making money... If the WSO's never helped, there will be no buyers...
      If it was intended for helping people instead of making money, everything there would be free. There may or may not be any "helping people" - but there is most certainly a lot of information for sale.

      And be aware that most people never do anything with the products they buy there, so whether they "help" or not doesn't matter. For most buyers, if they read something they never read about IM before, then it "helped" and was worth buying.

      But I digress - the right answer to your question is - no, don't try to simultaneously sell and give away the same product. Instead, you should just sell it.

      Get at least 5 products for sale before you try and give anything away for free. Then on your "freebie" list, make the first 5 autoresponders point to your products. Do you get what I mean? There's no point giving something away if you don't have anything to sell first.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
        For some people, the creation of a video version will actually be more annoying.

        Time is money.

        It is a million times faster to scan through that pdf than it will be for someone to consume the video.

        If you create a product and offer it in both formats ie: pdf and video, it does add value to the end product.

        But if you offer video of exactly what is in a pdf, the 2 products have the exact same perceived value IMO.

        Like Colin is saying, why am I going to bother paying for the exact same information? Whether I eat it with a spoon or a fork, it is going to taste exactly the same.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Allard
    Maybe if the video showed how to do something technical that was hard to understand by reading a PDF. In most cases I wouldn't purchase the video though, I'd feel it was a waste of money since I got the same information for free.
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