Give to Sell

One of the basic ideas behind the "give to sell" theory goes as such.

If people appreciate your material, they are more likely to want to purchase any other merchandise you may have.

Another way to use it is to bundle free material with your product to increase the value.

While this may sound like a "bundle", the marketing spin makes it "free additional material", which is quite more exciting.

Don't Make Yourself Look Cheap

The other line of thought basically believes that by giving away material, you are taking away from its value.

I mean if ''Become a Stock Market Millionaire in 21 Days" is a free book, is it really worth anything? This is getting closer to the topic of choosing a right price for your product, which is not the subject of this article.

Some people think that a short sample and a good pitch page should prove to be sufficient.

There have also been some concerns that giving away material goes towards building behavior in you readers which will end up in them expecting free material from you.

What should I do?

I don't think there's a clear cut answer to this question. Both sides of the argument provide some very valuable points.

In my opinion, it really depends on what your eBook is about. What is it selling?

If you are selling knowledge, giving away material can boost your product's value and can help your readers build confidence in your expertise.

And that's a powerful thing.

Selling yourself short can also hurt your credibility. If you don't believe your eBook is worth something, who will?

No matter what you decide, there are a few guidelines to follow.

  • Should you choose to give away free material, make it something small. Make it somewhat incomplete. Make it so the reader has gained valuable knowledge by needs to purchase something else from you.
  • Whether its a free book or a free addition for a "bundle", mention your other products. Provide links allowing your potential customers to go and purchase these other products.

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Eric Maziade
www.secure-ebook.com