Your Objectives For a Free-Giveaway

In order to get the most out of a free-giveaway, you need to be clear on who your target audience is and what the objective is for this marketing tactic. By answering these questions, you'll ensure that you are focused and on-track with exactly what you want and need to accomplish in implementing a particular marketing tactic.

Who is your audience/target?

What group of people is your free-giveaway aimed at? Is it your main target group or a subset of them? Most free products are aimed at getting more people in your target or niche group; however, depending on the objectives you have for your free-giveaway, you may create the special product for a smaller portion (niche) of your main target group.

For example, a financial planner may decide she wants to have a free product to pass out at seminars she's holding aimed at the smaller portion of her primary target group who are interested in setting up foundations or other legacy investments. The giveaway she produces will only be available at her seminars and not on her website.

You need to be very clear about who your free-giveaway is aimed at in order to ensure that the content, distribution and promotion of it are reaching the people you've intended it for.

What is your objective?

In order to create and distribute your no-cost product, you need to be very clear on your objective(s) are.

The #1 reason people have a free product is to build their email list of people who they are marketing to on a regular basis. This is done by giving the free product to people in exchange for their contact information - usually their first name and email address.

It's best if you automate this process with an opt-in box (the box where people put in their information and then they are given access to the free-giveaway automatically) on every page of your website.

However, if you don't have a website yet or an opt-in box, you can still collect people's data - you just have to do it manually (a sheet at a seminar, get their business cards, etc.).

There are many important reasons to have a free-giveaway as part of your marketing strategy. Most of them fall under the heading of "general marketing and growing your business":

* get people onto your list (their name and email address)

* build your credibility

* attract traffic to your web site

* gain new clients

* get more publicity

* establish yourself as a recognized expert in your field

* let people sample your writing style, philosophy and the quality of your work before they purchase your products/services

Other objectives you may have for your no-cost giveaway are more specific:

* use as an audio business card

* have something to give out at speaking and networking opportunities

* send to potential Joint Venture and Strategic Alliance prospects as an example of your work, philosophy, etc.

Chances are you will have several different objectives for creating your special product - just check off the ones that apply to you. Then pick the one that is most relevant and important at this time, as your main objective.

Spend the time to answer these two questions and you'll reap the most rewards from your free-give-away.