Its the Freebie, Stupid

Im about to give you a powerful marketing tool. Just bear with me for a minute first, if you would be so kind. It may seem like Im rambling here for a minute, but there is a point to this.

In 1991, when President Clinton was first running for office, his campaign manager tacked up a little sign that read "Its the economy, stupid!" This was meant to keep Mr. Clinton focused while he gave his speeches. Focused on what? Well, on what most interests the voters.
As a Web site owner, you need to be a politician, as well. That is, you need to be equally as concerned about your public image. The only difference is, your constituents want something a little different from you: a freebie.

So, on my desk, I have a little sign that reads "Its the freebie, stupid!" This helps keep me stay focused on the needs of the Web surfer.

Its quite easy for us to forget this and focus on our own needs. This is a mistake. You see, we can satisfy our own needs by satisfying the needs of the web surfer. Allow me to explain how.

The average Web surfer couldnt care less about products and services. They want freebies. If you want traffic, you need to offer something at your site that will entice people to visit.

(Some people are going to argue with this statement... Just suspend your judgement for a few moments to hear the whole story. Im going to give you a powerful tool here that you can use on your site. If it doesnt work, *then* you can curse my name all you like!)

"Sure, Mark, well offer the freebie and get them to our site, but then what do we do once they are there? We dont want a raw visit. We want a sale!"

Excellent point. Raw visits by themselves are meaningless if your main goal is to make a sale or generate leads.

You need to have a plan for converting that freeloader into a buyer. Its very simple if you approach this problem with the correct frame of mind.

Remember my killer formula for freebie marketing and youll never go wrong:

Target, Tie-In, and Collect.

1. Target

Make sure your freebie is something that will be interesting to your target market.

If you are selling furniture, offering a free estimate on a car obviously wont draw the right crowd.

2. Tie-In

Tie your freebie in to the sales of a product or service. Allow the freebie to lead in to the sale.

3. Collect

Collect the e-mail address of the person who gets the freebie. This will allow you to follow up with them later.

I challenge you to apply these principles to your marketing and *not* see a huge increase in results.

About the Author

Mark Joyner, CEO of Aesop Marketing Corporation and creator of 1001 Killer Internet Marketing Tactics - a *must have* tool for anyone serious about doing business on the Internet. Do yourself a favor and check this one out today. http://www.killertactics.com - A *Must* Have


ceo@aesop.com
http://www.killertactics.com