I wrote an ebook (Link Cloaking 101) recently for an Internet Marketing related giveaway. While regular readers are probably tired of hearing about it already, I’ve learned a lot from the process of seeing what other Internet Marketers to in giveaways, and wanted to share.
Here’s how to maximize your results from participating in a JV giveaway.
Do Not Provide A Direct Download Link
The giveaway sites will ask you for a direct download link, so that upgraded members can download your gift without filling out your opt-in form. This is bad, because you don’t get that person as a subscriber. But it’s good for them, because they don’t have to fool with opting in.
Most giveaway sites are fine if you provide a link instead to a web page that contains a direct download link to your gift. On that web page, provide the direct download link at the top, but just under that tell them what they’ll be missing by not opting in to your list.
Michael Badger did this extremely well in a recent giveaway. I can’t post the link here as an example, because then you’d be able to download his gift directly. But basically, he provided the download link first, and just after told people about the one-time offer that list subscribers could get. And yeah, the OTO was nice enough to convince me to sign up to his list and pay for the OTO.
So, do not provide a direct download link, but instead provide a link to a web page that contains the download link. You can do your best on that web page to convince people to sign up for your list even though they don’t have to do so.
Use An OTO
You have two places you can provide an OTO. One is the direct download page mentioned above…below your attempt to convince someone to sign up for your list, you can also make an OTO that you think they’ll enjoy.
The second is after someone becomes a subscriber, you can do a one-time offer after they confirm their email address. The OTO has to be on target with what you’re giving away, or you won’t get many takers.
I recommend using Rapid Action Profits to manage the list subscription and OTO process. No need to mess with payment options or secure downloads, RAP takes care of all of it, and integrates with whatever autoresponder you’re already using.
Do Not Automatically Give Resale Rights
Give a gift that is just for personal use, and provide a link for people to opt-in to get resale rights. What you’ve done is taken a list that is interested in the original topic of your gift, and transformed it into a (smaller) list that is interested in selling the product themselves.
That second list is more likely to be open to tools and training that will make selling things online easier.
How’d I Do?
I pretty much missed the boat on every lesson with Link Cloaking 101. I’m too lazy to go back and fix the problems with that ebook, but the next one I write I’ll do from the ground up with all these lessons in mind.
What techniques have you found helpful with giveaways?
Great tip. However, I do not like the idea of making OTO. I feel that the paid members/contributors deserve not to be treated that way because they have paid for it.
But what I feel is much fair is to offer them other gifts than the one you are giving away. So if you are offering gift X, they are able to download instantly on that page. Below that page, you offer another gift, gift Y and in order for them to get gift Y, they will have to subscribe.
What do you think?
Hi Halim, I think that would work fine, too. You already know the people who get to the direct download page are willing to spend money (because they upgraded at the giveaway site), so that list for the second gift would be full of people willing to spend if it’s in their best interests.
I’m not crazy about an OTO after subscription, but it can be done tastefully, especially if what you’re providing truly is a value.