Toughest Question in IM

Or, of course, neither?

I don't "give away a ton of stuff" first. I give away one very small item first. But doing so enables me to sell a ton of stuff after that. So I have the "ton of stuff" in a different position from the way you've worded it, above.

Well ... not necessarily, but I take your point, to some extent. Blogging's a model that's going to appeal to marketers who like using their writing as part of the traffic-generation plan and credibility-building plan, isn't it? Blogging isn't, in itself, a monetized activity, anyway ... albeit that it's a monetizable one.

I happen to like it myself, because I happen to be an article marketer anyway, and once I have the articles (to get them widely published on other people's sites, and so on, in order to attract my already-targeted traffic), I may as well publish them on my own site, too? So that makes it a "blog". Kind of. But obviously this doesn't apply to everyone.

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First I'd say it depends on your market and traffic sources really. Because how often does anyone really want to buy right away when some offer is randomly thrown in their direction? If you're doing a good job at identifying the hot buttons in your market, showing you have the answers to them and able to get in front of the people looking for those answers then I'm sure both models can have success.

You have to have some sort of sales funnel. Alexa Smith is right - use a cheap, but enticing give-away to encourage visitors to join your email list. Building a list is one of the fundamental cornerstones of Internet marketing. Once you have this list, everything else becomes easier.

The point is not to give away a ton of stuff the point is to give away valuable stuff which helps your reader right away. I giving away a bootcamp series over 9 days to show my readers/subscribers what I do in my business and how they can duplicate it. Maybe it's everyones way but that's what working for me.

Also your content itself could be something (or better should be) which is valuable. You don't have to give away something when your content is just epic.

Best thing is to try it out and test for yourself what's working for you.

I don't see this as a problem if you are blogging about something that interests you already.
Yes, you can give "stuff" away but I've learned that you need to give value to others. You can do that through well thought out blog posts about things that interest you, and that will be of value to others. Once you are perceived as a person who gives value, then you can start selling things as well. Most people don't want to be sold to immediately. They want to receive value from you first before they start buying your stuff. Just giving away a bunch of "stuff" doesn't make it valuable. People will see right through that if you are not sincere in what you are actually giving away.

If you give something away, it MUST be desirable.The internet and especially in the IM space is filled with people giving away pointless, untargeted, irrelevant things.

Don't give "tons of stuff" give a little taste and thats it. But the taste should be good. (targeted, relevant, helpful but not obviously completely satisfying)

If you satisfy the prospect with your freebies, theres no need left to buy? right? I've experienced this before from the customer end, and found i didnt need to buy, i got what i needed for free!...this point is marked and chosen as completely important in my ipad memo book. IF you "sate" the customer with your freebies, the need to buy diminishes...

And by all means...sell, sell SELL thats why you're here.

You could give away a million pencils but that wouldn't help your business any. Focus not on quantity but on quality. Give people what they crave, but just little bites at a time. Give them a taste and they'll come back for more. It doesn't have to be a lot, but it does have to be what they want.

These aren't models, not by any stretch of the imagination - they are generic methods that you're mentioned. And each generic method has thousands of permutations.

Blogging also isn't a model either (and you don't have to "keep posting forever" if you know how to promote your blog.

There are way too many factors in the preselling (if appropos) and selling funnel to really give a real answer to what you just proposed.

RoD

Kage,

I think you're asking the wrong question.

The reason why marketers give away "a ton of free stuff first" is typically to give the prospect an opportunity to see the quality of the offerings from the business, to get to know the business owner, and to form a bond in order to "engage" the prospect so trust is built. It's about creating a "selling environment" which then allows the business owner to offer paid products as a trusted friend and an expert or authority in the market.

So a better question might be: What strategy will best allow my prospects to be comfortable and willing to make purchases from my business? When you've answered the question, you will automatically know what steps you have to take prior to asking for money.

Remember, prospects buy from those they know, like and trust. That's the position you want to occupy when you send out your offer.

Good luck to you,

Steve

If your visitors see how high quality your free stuff is they're going to ecstatic to think about how good your paid stuff will be.

I give away a lot of value up front on my blog. I create great content and give away information most others are not sharing for free.

In turn these people sign up to my list. On my list there's more value but also promotions too.

They don't have a problem buying.

I am into programming and do come across a new internet marketer every other week for whom I design sales funnels. As each and every client comes with a half cooked picture of how they want to approach their visitors. It all boils down to creating that first bond with the visitors of your website.

I am assuming that traffic is well targeted. Now from my experience with working on so many different nature of products one of the following might just be a good fit:

1. Free chapter - to get them to optin to your list. Works if you sell an eBook.

2. Discounted price : Sell something which off the mind visitor will see as being given at a throw away price for which he/she does not even have to make up their mind, they just go with the flow to make a purchase [just like with many WSOs here sold for under $10]. Works well if you have quite a number of products on offer.

3. Free trial : Give some days/weeks, usually a month of free trial. Works well in case of softwares.

4. Membership site : Give away a free video from members area to get them on the list. Even first month free stuff works if you project it that way to register them upfront as members. Most likely first payment after the month goes through, now it depends on how valuable information you have in members area and how often you replenish it [including drip feeding content / videos]

Once that first bond is created, your prospects / customers will show more interest in what you offer subsequently. There comes sales funnel in picture.

I am sure most here will agree that you more likely will not make much profits on the first first financial engagement with the customer, but then after that first trust, you are more likely to convert on higher priced products.

Depending upon your products, you can have 2, 3, 4 subsequent offers in the UpSell funnel. There is again a trick within Upsell Funnel, your last product is again priced low just to get something more from the customer, assuming nothing was purchased in first couple of offers. I have seen less than a $10 product on sales page and then customer ends up buying $100 products in the sales funnel.

To summarize it all comes down to that first bond of trust that is required to be built.

I just tried to elaborate what ever Steve said above, so give away quality stuff, or something that your visitor is going to appreciate. All points mentioned as in #1 - #4 are good for appreciation and most likely going to get them started on their trust relation with you as a prospect / customer.

Although I might have missed some key points , here is one another. Just come straight to point, preferably with a video and DO NOT make stories

Good Luck
Saini

If you give something it has to have a purpose, and that purpose is selling.

If you're giving away stuff without the purpose of selling, then you don't look at internet marketing as a business, but more as a hobby.