One of the most basic ways to encourage blog subscribers and build your list is to offer a free gift to your subscribers … a subscriber freebie.
Instead of just sticking your new freebie in your sidebar and hoping that people find it, how about you try something new? How about you try treating it like a product launch? Because guess what? It IS a product launch! Even though it is free, you need to treat it like the super valuable product that it is.
This assumes that your subscriber freebie is spectacular and is going to draw people to your site like crazy. This week, I found someone who has done just that. Kelly Basham from Blossom in Faith has created a beautiful coloring journal download for her subscribers. We brainstormed ideas for promoting her new freebie and came up with a marketing plan for her launch.
You might want to try some of these ideas:
Find your launch team
Prayerfully select a few people and ask them to help you promote your new freebie. Don’t just ask all of your best friends and your blogging buddies. Think about people who your freebie will specifically benefit. Send them a copy and ask them to help promote it. Or at least to provide a testimonial of how they used it.
Kelly is going to look for some people who enjoy coloring pages and Bible journaling, send them the journal and ask them to share about it on their social media if they enjoy using it. She’ll provide some graphics and a link they can share. These may be people that Kelly doesn’t know, but she is offering something of value to specific people, and that’s always a nice thing!
Send it to your current subscribers
Your subscribers have entrusted you with their email address and invested in your ministry or business. You should treat them like gold, because they are. Always send any new freebies to them first. You can also include a pre-written promotional tweet using the Click to Tweet website. Offering a small giveaway will encourage them to tweet your promo. (Be sure to include a distinctive hashtag in the promo tweet so you can easily find the people who tweeted and choose your winner!)
Include a graphic of your freebie with your subscribe button
Everyone is so visual now and people want to see what they are getting. So don’t just say “Get my awesome ebook”. Add a graphic to your sidebar (and your pop-up if you have one) that will draw attention and show how cool your freebie is. Kelly did a great job with her graphic, demonstrating one way that the journal can be printed and bound.
Mention your freebie in your bio
Contrary to what a lot of people are saying. guest posting is not dead and is still a good way to expand your audience. But a blah bio at the end of your guest post doesn’t inspire new readers to visit your site. Instead of saying “Connect with Kelly at Blossom in Faith and on Twitter” at the end of her bio, Kelly’s guest posts will say something like “Visit Kelly at Blossom in Faith to download a free Petals of Wisdom Coloring Journal”.
Promote your freebie on social media
Just go ahead a create a couple of tweets and Facebook posts about your amazing freebie and schedule them out over the next few weeks. Kelly is also considering a Facebook ad, target to her audience, to promote the freebie and invite new readers to her website.
You worked hard creating something special for your audience. Now it is time to make it work for you!
RESPOND
What kind of awesome freebie are you offering to your subscribers? Tell us all about it and how to get it! And share any other ideas you have for promoting it!
8 thoughts on “Lesson Learned: Launching Your New Subscriber Freebie”
Leave a Comment
Is your to-do list out of control?
Grab my best to-do list tips and learn to overcome the de-railers in your week
Great post about launching a freebie Christa! Thank you so much for your help, advise and for sharing about my new Color Journal!
I just recently created a free printable resource library so this is very helpful! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your tips. I write a monthly newsletter and would like to offer a freebie. I just do not have the extra time to put one together right now.
Thanks Christa. I still am not sure how to have a freebie and be able to only provide it if they subscribe.
Great ideas and tips! I will definitely implement some of them as I get ready to launch my own 🙂
Christa, these are great ideas! I never thought of marketing your freebie just like you would a product. Brilliant idea about guest posting too! Sharing this with a writer’s group.
Thanks, Betsy! Let me know if y’all need any more details on implementing some of the ideas.