That question is the center of a raging debate in the internet marketing community right now. Common [...]]]>

Get paid to eat lunch

The internet is a big place with a lot of free information. So why should anybody give you any of their hard earned money for some crappy ebook that you slapped together in 20 minutes?

That question is the center of a raging debate in the internet marketing community right now. Common sense suggests that people won’t pay for what they can get for free.

After all, would you pay for a special search tool when you can use Google for free? Probably not, and Google is the best there is.

However, one thing to keep in mind when designing a strategy for your online business is that the MAJORITY of promotional techniques can be done by YOU, the entrepreneur, for zero cost.

It doesn’t cost you anything to write an article or upload a video.

No free lunch

Well, I take that back. It will cost you time, but if you’re like me and have much more time than money, that’s obviously not a problem.

So if all this information is out there for free, then how did $82 billion worth of stuff get sold on the internet in 2009?

Now, before you answer this question, keep in mind that MOST people don’t have the wealth of knowledge about the mechanics of the web as you have.

As an internet marketer, by trade you’re more knowledgeable about the inner workings of the web than your average consumer, who may not know how to properly use a search engine.

Try brunch

Anyway, in order to have a balanced strategy, you should release info products both for free and for sale. Give away the free ones in exchange for subscribing to updates about your site.

This simple trick nets you qualified prospects which you can market to at a later date. Also remember to stuff your info product with links to any affiliate products which you promote AS WELL AS a link to your own website on each page.

If you’re offering good info, where do you think your readers are going to go when they finish reading? Right back to you. And you never know, maybe this time they’ll buy something.

Can You Make More Money By Giving Your Info Product Away Than By Selling It? originally appeared on VIP Internet Marketing on November 7, 2009.