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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RECOMMENDED:
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