I have read pretty much every free resource available on how to build an email list, and one of the most frequently put forward methods of ‘growing a massive email list‘ is joining and promoting product giveaways.
What Are Product Giveaways?
I understand that a lot of you may not actually be aware of what these product giveaways actually are. So let me try and explain.
The idea behind a Product Giveaway is for a heap of internet marketers to come together, each providing a free gift to convince people to join their list -and then everyone markets the giveaway like there is no tomorrow and everyone get’s new subscribers.
A lot of the internet marketing ‘guru’s‘ promote this method to build your email list, but the reason they do this is because they are the ones that end up with the massive email lists – because EVERYONE who signs up as a contributor or a member (one who can download the free gifts) has to first give their email address to the creators of the giveaway!
I have looking into this method and even promoted one, but I just see too many flaws that could potentially ruin your list. So before you even consider joining a list building giveaway, give me a chance to tell you 3 reasons why you shouldn’t!
3 Reasons NOT To Join List Building Giveaways
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People Use A Spare Email Account
I don’t know about you, but if I were to join a giveaway (as a person wanting the free gifts), I would not be using my main email address! Because if I signed up for 10 free gifts, I would then be on 10 additional email lists (of marketers that I do not know or trust) – so I would just use one of my ‘free stuff email accounts’ (That I never check).
However, if I were to visit someones blog, and after a couple of visits I decide that I really like their information and could learn something from them – I would definitely sign up for their email list using my real email address.
Are you chasing quantity or quality? I know which I would prefer!
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You’ll Be Fighting For Their Attention
If you look at the numbers associated with these giveaways you will see that there are a lot of people connected with them. As many as 10,000+ contributors and members means that even if you get people to sign up to your list you are most likely one of the many free gifts that these people have signed up with over the last couple of days.
So even if they have given you their main email address, you are then fighting with as many other internet marketers as they signed up with – and you have no level of trust with them.
Talk about an uphill battle!
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They Are There For Freebies
Now I know that you can make the same argument for people signing up for free gifts on your blog (because I do offer free squeeze pages to people who join my email list), but if you are promoting your list from your blog you have the opportunity to build a rapport with them as a reader before they become a subscriber.
The problem I see with list building giveaways is that people are specifically there to get free stuff. They are signing up for your list because you are providing free stuff, and they will expect even more free product from you list.
How do you plan on marketing to that?
I think that instead of focusing on quick methods, we should be working on building trust. People buy from those that they trust – which is why some internet marketers with quite small lists actually out perform marketers with 10,000 subscribers.
So are you chasing the quick profits? Or do you want long term rewards?
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post Tom, I completely agree with you on this. I have signed up for some lists that didn’t even disclose that it was a mass giveaway of sorts and then start getting emails from people I have never even herd of much less been to their site.
The focus should be to build a solid relationship with your readers and community. Some of the best at this have described it in three key words KNOW, LIKE and TRUST. These are they three elements you should seek to gain with your readers. Only them will you be able to turn those readers into customers. What important is that then they are customers who want your product.
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Tom Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Thanks Mike! I have done the same.
You have it right there… it is the people that trust you that will be the ones that are valuable. I have been on a heap of lists, but I only ever buy based on recommendations of those I trust and look up to.
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Like you mentioned I too signup for all those free giveaways with my junk email address because they send a lot of junk emails from so many unkown person. Well, it seems I cannot avoid anything which I get free but I do play on the safe side and use my junk email address so that I can get the free product as well as stay away from the spam
Shiva @ seo magazine´s last blog ..Google Contemplating Calling Pagerank Something Else?
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Tom Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 2:05 am
That’s it, and it goes to show that as list builders, these are not the type of subscribers that we are looking for.
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A few questions.
Firstly who would signup to that? How did people back in 600 B.C know about the internet, email lists and emails? Sounds like a lame attempt to get readers. Although people may think “Wow, and awesome document from the past” when you actually think about it, it just doesn’t make sense.
Secondly, shouldn’t the title be called “3 reasons why YOU should not have a list building givaway?”
Thirdly, what other services apart from Aweber and mailchimp that are good? The seem good, but I prefer to create my own mail tracking auto responder software – when I get the time and more skills.
Fourthly, if you are giving away a product that you actually consider charging people for it, why don’t you get readers not only to fill out their name and email, but actually get other information out of them. For example, give them a 2 minute survey that they must fill out in order to download your giveaway. Although your conversion rate will be lower, if people desperately want it, they will do the survey, and you get more information out of them.
Things to think about.
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Tom Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 2:14 am
Jack, I think you are mixing up the post, and an advertisement recommendation. I will add a line to break them up.
And obviously the creator of The Aweber Code is doing a take off of the Davinci Code or something like that. It is just marketing (which 99% is over hyped). You are right the marketing message they are sending doesn’t make sense, but I watched Tim make over $100,000 in the first couple of days of his last launch, and that is the type of person I want to know more about what he does.
In regards to the title of my post, no I don’t think so. The post was not about us RUNNING a list giveaway, it was reasons that we shouldn’t JOIN a list giveaway.
I use Aweber and love it, but for some it can be quite expensive. I came across another website today that is just $15 for up to 10,000 subscribers. It is called: http://www.imnicamail.com
And your fourth point is a good idea, If you are creating a product. If you are just building a list, then you do not really have a need to know anymore information.
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Jack Cola from CreateASuccessfulBlog Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 2:57 am
I just find The Aweber Code just unrealistic. And since it provides false information on the marketing campaign (which I think may work a little following of The Da Vinci Code), it also makes me believe the product in question isn’t really good. I think http://tycooncashflow.com/ is one of the best marketing campaign I have seen (in my opinion)
If you just read the three points that you make, to me, it sounds like reasons why you should not have a mailing list giveaway.
The reasons why I don’t join a mailing list, or john with a secondary email address is due to:
*Spam
*Trust – as they may sell your email address to others
*Not worth it
Jack Cola@CreateASuccessfulBlog´s last blog ..Make The “No One Is Reading My Blog” Feelings Vanish
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That’s why if you do choose to give anything out for subscribing, the best ebook you can give out is one written by yourself. Build trust with your readers, and they’ll be more than happy to read your ebook. My 2 cents.
Jack@Online Marketing Blog´s last blog ..Do You Use These Top 3 Ways to Monetize Your Blog?
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Tom Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
I agree. It is silly to be giving someone else’s product to build your list. You are going to be communicating with your list on a regular base so having an ebook written by you is a great way to start building trust with your list from the start.
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Completely agree. Previously I used to sign-up for these a lot but after getting so many mails everyday I am bored and my mail box is so full. I am still deleting emails.
Agent Deepak@Blogging, Marketing & Success´s last blog ..Interview with James Richmond – The InfoPreneur
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Tom Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
I am still unsubscribing from some of the free products that I joined on an list giveaway. There is no trust build up so when you start getting emails from them, there is no reason to stick around and stay subscribed.
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I think making money out of lists can be possible only if you have a good reputation. Peoplr are likely to buy more if they trust the person. I too have used giveaways but have not seen a good response from the ones that had joined just because of the giveaway
Gautam Hans´s last blog ..Great SEO tips for Everybody
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Tom Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Totally agree. It always comes back to trust.
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lols, this is exactly what I had experienced last christmas with Alvin phang’s giveaways… I hated him since..
I signed up to as many as I can till I found out that my mailing list was flooded with offers and affiliate promotions.
I had a hard time unsubscribing to them all…
elie @ Make money online with elie palima´s last blog ..How to Get ebay Feedback FAST (the evil way to do it)
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Tom Reply:
March 6th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
It does leave a bad taste in your mouth, doesn’t it. It may make some money but in the long run it will just ruin your reputation.
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I am the same like you, I don’t use my main emailaddress when signing up through free giveaways. I also am not someone who gets the free products just because they are free. I only pick the ones I really am interested in, but to be honest, most of the times I don’t find what I want.
Leslie
Leslie´s last blog ..Building A List With Imnica Mail
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Tom Reply:
March 7th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
I have really cut back on the amount of free products that I sign up for. To be honest I am usually disappointed by the lack of quality.
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I agree with you here. The temptation is to build your list at all costs, but in reality it’s only the motivated people, who actually want to be on your list, who have any value at all, or are likely to buy any products from you.
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Tom Reply:
March 7th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
I love it Mike! It is all about quality of subscribers, not quantity.
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I agree that building the relationship is the key. I never really thought about it, but it makes sense to not use your main email address in these contest giveaways. Maybe that’s why I’m getting more spam than normal? Hmmm, something to consider.
I don’t suppose that these sites have a privacy policy where they state that they won’t sell your email address ever. We should be on the lookout for sites or opt-ins that don’t have this explicitly stated.
Karen
Karen´s last blog ..Friday’s Links
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Tom Reply:
March 7th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
I do not specifically state that I will not sell your email address, but the only reason for that is what if a year or two down the track I have a change of circumstances and need to sell my blog? It would be of no value without the list attached to it. So while I do not ever foresee the need to sell my subscribers email addresses (and I never would except for the above reason), I don’t want to shut off that opportunity just in case. If that makes sense?
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I think the net outcome will be positive even if they sign-up for the free gift. I do it all the time for the e-books and pod-casts, but I end up staying as a subscriber as long as they dont piss me off with a bunch of affiliate links.
Arun Basil Lal´s last blog ..Blogging to the Next Level
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Tom Reply:
March 7th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
While I will admit that I have done the same, I think there are much better ways to build your list that will produce a much higher quality of subscriber.
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Completely agree. Previously I used to sign-up for these a lot but after getting so many mails everyday I am bored and my mail box is so full. I am still deleting emails.
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Tom Reply:
March 7th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
I actually unsubscribed from a couple just yesterday. I couldn’t work out where I knew the name of the marketer from so I unsubscribed.
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Tom,
Sometimes I wonder what is the environmental cost of these Junk Email Accounts. All these emails are kept nice and cooled in Google data centers that consume a lot of power.
Building a list is one thing and effectively utilizing is another.
I too giveaway away freebies in my list building. Without an incentive it is very hard to get a person’s email.
But I get your point as well.
Aaron´s last blog ..How Businesses can Make Money on Twitter
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Tom Reply:
March 7th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
That is a really good point Aaron. Just because emails are not written on paper doesn’t mean that they do not have an effect on the environment.
I am not saying to stop giving away something to attract people to your list. I am talking about special events where hundreds of marketers get together and promote each others lists.
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The people that join this giveaways are people that want to learn as much as online marketing as they can and be succesfull (if you made it in this niche)
The good thing is to create your own giveaway and benefit from a win win situation then leverage the power of your Joint Venture Partners.
Actually many marketers are starting this way then they get out of the giveaway arena.
Thanks for the post.
Jorge Diaz´s last blog ..10 Tactics To Make Your Blog Stand Out
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