Readers of this blog know that I’m a big fan of Robert Middleton who helps service providers market themselves. Robert’s a big proponent of giving away free stuff. In fact, that’s one of the five buttons that make up his site’s primary navigation.
Even before I discovered Robert’s work, I had been giving away free stuff myself. My original print newsletter–a two-sided sheet on blue paper that I "published" on my Dad’s home office copier–went out back in 1997. Later on it was an email newsletter, and finally this blog.
I sometimes have trouble convincing clients to give away free
information. They’re concerned that they’re giving away the
store. Why would people pay for their material when so much of it is
there for free?
However, in today’s world, your competition may have their
offices down the street, across the country, or in India, China or
Afghanistan.
The only way to compete in a global economy is to
be (perceived as) an expert. The best way to establish your credibility
is to publish, publish, publish.
Many people won’t be ready to
buy when they first get to your Web site. They may only be in the
tire-kicking phase. Don’t try and sell to these people, as it will just
put them off.
Instead, offer them some free material that they
can read on their own time. Get them to sign up for your email
newsletter so that they don’t forget about you in four months when they
are ready to buy.
You can’t put out too much free material.
I
got thinking about this this morning as I was catching up on some
reading after my vacation. The always knowledgeable Jill Whalen of High Rankings was answering a similar question in her email newsletter. Allow me to paraphrase…
Q. Before you built your forum, did you ever worry about it being so information-rich that you’d lose out on sales?
A. I absolutely NEVER have worried about giving away too much info for free. In fact, it’s my business model.
BTW, Jill is highly respected in SEO circles, and is now in a position to turn away work, based on what she writes. You can read the whole Q&A here.
When
two leaders in different industries share the same business model, it’s
worth looking at carefully. There’s a lot of free information out
there; if you’re not willing to give out a free sample your prospects
will find someone who will. Free stuff establishes trust.
And on that note, have you read our two newest free articles?
- The 11 Commandments of Web Copy for the Non-Copywriter (Basically, Write a Web Site That Sells)
- 10 Questions to Ask Before Setting Up a Web Site
Rich Brooks
Always Free, Never Cheap
