Are You Giving Away The Milk For Free?

A subscriber to my marketing tips newsletter wrote me to ask what I think is a common question, especially in some work at home markets. Her question was basically asking whether she should give freebies away without requiring an opt in. She says:

"I have heard conflicting ideas on what's proper. I offer free stuff, ebooks mostly, to my customers. It's all listed on a page called (keywords here)- Well I just wrote a new ebook that I am going to feature, however, I am not sure how to market it.

I have heard some people say you need to have people sign up for your newsletter in order to get free stuff - then others say that that's not fair to make someone do something to get something - so that's why I stopped making people sign up for to get the free stuff. So do I make the person have to sign up for our newsletter in order to get the new ebook?"

I got her permission to post this here because, as I said, I think this is an important issue in certain markets. Here was my response:

I do both. I have freebies that I only offer to subscribers, and other things I give away freely on my sites without requiring an opt in. It depends on my purpose.

If I create a free report that is monetized with affiliate links and that I want to spread virally, I might not require an opt in. But I want to make an important point here:

There is absolutely nothing wrong with requiring an opt in before you give away valuable content!

Think about it – this is smart marketing and businesses do it all the time. The local grocery store gives out samples on Saturday. But you have to show up in the store (where they know you’re going to buy stuff) to get the freebies.

My local Starbucks has free leftover packets of ground coffee. But it’s right at the register where you’re paying for the latte in your hand!

Have you ever gotten a free trial issue of a magazine? What do the publishers have? That’s right – your name, mailing address, maybe even your email and credit card number.

What about you? Have you heard that it's wrong to ask for an opt in to give someone a freebie? Pardon the expression, but are you giving away the milk for free?

We're in business to make money. There's no shame in that! You're not in this for fun (although you should be enjoying yourself). You want to put food on the table for your babies.

Why shouldn't you require something in return for your valuable information?

Don't listen to anyone who tells you that it’s wrong to require an opt in from your website visitor. My guess is that they fear money or success, and aren't a very reliable source of business advice.

Part of this thinking comes from a scarcity mentality that says: “If I make them opt in, they won’t do it and I’ll lose out on their business.”

Honey, here’s the honest truth. If they won’t give you their email address and first name, they wouldn’t have become your customer anyway.

When it comes to list building, quality is much more important than quantity. One hundred subscribers who trust you and look forward to your content arriving in their email inbox are more valuable than a thousand faceless “hits” to your website.

So be a smart cookie. Stop giving away the milk for free. Your subscribers won’t mind making a commitment by signing up for your newsletter in order to get the freebie. If it’s quality information that your target market wants, they’ll kindly exchange their contact info for it.