Using Giveaway Events to Build Your List

Here’s a tactic that can really grow your list quickly … if you do it the right way. Here are some tips and things to keep in mind if you choose to use this technique to build your list.

What is a giveaway event?

Some internet marketers hold giveaway events that are nothing more than list-building marathons. The way these work is that when you join to provide a gift for the giveaway, it is a given that you will market the giveaway to your list. This helps everyone participating in the giveaway build their lists because they will now have exposure to members of your list and the lists of all the members of the giveaway.

Other giveaways are used to promote the launch of a new book or product. In this type of giveaway, you provide a gift and when someone buys the book or product they are given the opportunity to download your gift in exchange for giving you their name and email address.

Do Giveaway Events Really Work?

Yes and no. I’ve had great success building my list with some giveaway events and abysmal results with others. What I’ve learned is that you need to be selective in choosing the giveaways you participate in. And, since you will most likely be required to tell your list about the event, you need to be careful of how often you participate in them.

This brings me to a couple things you should really consider before joining a giveaway event …

1) Is the event relevant to your business and the members of your list?
Will the members of your list appreciate learning about this event and receiving the gifts? Will the people attracted to the event be interested in what you have to offer … not only your gift, but your business, as well?

For example, let’s say that your opt-in list is for puppy owners and you have been invited to joint a giveaway event for newbie online marketers. Should you participate? Of course not! Your puppy owners will not like being bothered by your promotion of this event. They may even unsubscribe if you tell them about it! And, the likelihood that puppy owners will be attracted to this event and download your gift are pretty small.

However, if you’ve been invited to participate in the launch of a new puppy training guide, this is an excellent fit!

2) What is your promotion calendar like around the time of the giveaway event?
If you’ve been heavily promoting something around the time of this event, you will not get the best results from participating. Your promotion of the event will likely get lost … or, even worse, dilute your other promotional efforts.

For example, I was invited to participate in a book launch event around the time that I was marketing Turbo-Charge Your Marketing’s second series of calls. I chose not to participate because I didn’t want to take the focus off my event.

Make Your Gift Stand Out

If you’ve decided to join a giveaway event, make sure that you get the best return on your efforts.

• Make sure your gift is relevant to the giveaway.
• Create a special opt-in and download page just for the event.

These two things will separate you from the bulk of others participating in the giveaway and you’ll gain more targeted members to your list who appreciate the professionalism you’ve displayed.

(PS: If you need help creating your gift download page, check out Seasonal Minisite Templates.)

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