5 Ways to Bypass Neglecting the Value of “Free”

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With flack-vest and SAPI (Small Arms Protective Insert) affixed to my fragile body, I realize that I may just take some incoming fire for this post. Why, you may ask? Online, many thrive on selling you some sort of product or solution to address your needs, wants, and desires. The notion of getting something for free seemingly spits in the face of commonly accepted logic that one must make a monetary purchase if they want to gain something of value. I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t flat out admit that I have created and I have sold products, in great quantities, based on what I perceived to be a very tangible need in a pre-defined, and extensively researched, marketplace.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with selling a product of value, all to often I see others succumbing to the notion that anything of value MUST be purchased. For those who are attempting to earn their first penny online, the continual drive of group think and, to some extent peer pressure, makes one think that the only way to be successful online is to scour endless sales pages and marketing forums for just the perfect product that tickles their emotional triggers (and massages their wallet or checkbook). With a series of long-tailed monetary numbers, that typically consist of a few commas and a few odd and even numbers proceeded by a dollar sign, bogus claims are oftentimes difficult to separate from “real” claims. Either way, after reading capitvating sales copy, you are convinced that you need a product and you are compelled to separate with your money.

Put your wallet back in your pocket.

Yesterday, I spent quite a bit of time exchanging emails with a young gentleman, from the Philipines, who was attempting to wade through the clutter of the online world. For the sake of this post, we’ll call him “Dave”. With an intense passion to succeed, strong emotions were palpable, through digital text, even half a world away. While he had wanted to make something of himself, and provide for his family, the little direction that he did have was bombarded by a plethora of products and services that were begging for his limited time and attention.

“Dave” isn’t alone.

Based on my own experiences, there are products that are “necessary” to have, while there are products that are “convenient” to have. For “Dave”, with very little monetary resources to begin with, I would be very reluctant to recommend that he purchase a product under the blind hope that it would mesh his passion with the emotional triggers of great sales copy, to manifest great results seemingly overnight. Instead, I provided him with a list of things that he could do, for free, in order to gain a better logical picture of where he, his skills, and his abilities actually fit into the idea of making money in the online world.

1) Download Free eBooks — The internet is full of great marketers. Whether it be to build their own email list, sell recurring commission products on the back-end or a combination of both, bloggers throughout cyberspace generally give something extremely valuable away for free. This has become necessary and expected. In return for an email subscription, it is in their best interest to establish automated processes and systems that facilitates a longterm relationship with those who become exposed to their brands and online personas. To any new comer in the online world, I would highly recommend making yourself a thorough list of blogs in which a product is given away for free in return for an email subscription. Upon delivery, print these books out, read them, learn from them, and try to figure out where exactly you can leverage your skills and abilities in an online world that presents with many viable business models for your to engage yourself in.

2) Interact on Forums — Online forums have the uncanny ability to link up similarly minded individuals in pursuit of the common goal of forwarding and bettering the community itself. Generally, your degree of “take” should be directly proportional to how much you “give”, however this isn’t always the case. For someone who is new to the online world, don’t underestimate the value of reading, searching and interacting. Oftentimes, you may not even have to contribute in order to witness responses elicited that will some some sort of question that you may have.

3) Google it — The online world has quickly become a one-stop source for the things were are passionate about and searching for. Where confusion and misunderstanding may linger, simply Googl’ing your question may help to uncover some free resources. Don’t underestimate the value of Google in unveiling golden treasures that can greatly benefit you without ever having to separate with a dime of your own money

4) Query Web 2.0 Sites — Unless the content is derived solely to establish oneself or company as an authority in a marketplace, or generate brand awareness, content isn’t generally presented with “no-strings attached”. While you may not necessarily have to purchase something, most content is monetized through the integration and presentation of everything from Google Adsense Ads to various affiliate networks. When you go directly to a website like HubPages.com or InfoBarrel.com, you can directly use their embedded query interfaces to search for content that you believe will be beneficial to you. On these websites, free content is readily available because the value of that content holds a valuable role in their respective business models and how they integrate with other avenues that are monetized. Keep a list of these websites in your back pocket, and use them in conjunction with Google.

5) Just Ask! — While the online world can inherently present its own breed of fakes and scammers, there are those with more established and respectable brands that are, oftentimes, more than willing to help. Just as “Dave” emailed me and received a detailed response akin to the material suitable for a few new blog posts, there are many bloggers, and online forum posters, who are more than willing to help. Where money may be limited, don’t underestimate the value of “free” in succeeding in the online world.

As one caveat to this post, be sure not to take advantage of other’s good nature and hospitality. While people will be more than willing to help, you should try your hardest to continually give back. Ways in which you can this include commenting on blog posts, or utilizing a variety of online tools and services, like Facebook and Twitter, to promote their brand. In the online world, it’s just simple common courtesy to try to give back whenever something is given to you.

This entry was written by Howie and posted on January 9, 2011 at 12:47 pm and filed under Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.

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