We've talked about selling reports as a way to make money online, but you can also write Special Reports and give them away free to create a viral marketing campaign.
Viral Marketing is the method of creating something that people will want to share and pass around. This type of buzz, or word-of-mouth advertising can be incredibly valuable... not to mention relatively inexpensive to launch, if not free.
This quick tutorial outlines a method to start a viral marketing campaign, build a highly targeted and responsive mailing list, and improve the conversion rate of your landing page...
According to Wikipedia (source):
The term "viral advertising" refers to the idea that people will pass on and share interesting and entertaining content; this is often sponsored by a brand, which is looking to build awareness of a product or service. These viral commercials often take the form of funny video clips, or interactive Flash games, an advergame, images, and even text.
Viral marketing is popular because of the ease of executing the marketing campaign, relative low-cost (compared to direct mail), good targeting, and the high and rapid response rate. The main strength of viral marketing is its ability to obtain a large number of interested people at a low cost.
Also See: The Six Simple Principles of Viral Marketing by Dr Ralph Wilson
Start A Viral Marketing Campaign With Free Reports
Your goal with this report is to impress your reader, and gain their trust and respect as an expert in your niche. The more you give away, the more people you will attract in your target market. This is a great way to build a highly targeted and responsive mailing list, which is an incredible asset to any online marketer.
1. Write your report
It doesnt take long to write up a Special Report for your niche. Start out by listing 7-10 tips or solutions for something of great interest to your ideal reader. If you have a hard time coming up with ideas, simply visit discussion forums in your niche to get an idea what interests them most or what they are asking about.
Your report can be as short as 5-10 pages, as long as it makes valuable points and presents a solution for the reader.
2. Set Up a Landing Page
This step is important, as it allows you to connect with your market and also compel them to subscribe to your mailing list. The main purpose of the page is to give away your free report and make a personal connection with that visitor. You may use a photo of yourself and a brief description of the report they are about to download. Keep in mind that you still need to use "copy" to "sell people on free things". Their time is valuable, and so is their hard drive space, so make it a no brainer for your visitors!
On that same page, offer them another freebie. This can be a follow-up report, a free trial, or something that your readers would want as much as they want your Special Report. Invite them to sign up for this second offer, joining your mailing list.
Be sure to let them know what they can expect from you in the future (ie more great tips & resources to [insert solution]). You can also include a link back to this page at the end of your report, offering the second download if they did not have an opportunity to download it when they got your original report.
3. Send Traffic to Your Landing Page
- Write a 600-800 word Article that relates to the topic of your Special Report. You may want to write several articles, but start with at least one. Submit this article to niche article directories, and to webmasters and ezine publishers that reach your target market. Include a link to your landing page in the Byline or Resource Box and include mention of the special report that readers can download free for even more information.
- Try to land a spot on a niche internet talk radio show, or an interview with a popular expert in your niche. Create a personalized version of your landing page for these readers and/or listeners, such as: mysite.com/xyzshow or mysite.com/xyzreaders. They will be compelled to click to see what you have put together for them specifically.
Find even more ways to drive traffic to your landing page with these 10 Free Ways to Drive Traffic to a New Webiste.
Another method that you can use, particularly if you write an in-depth Special Report of 20 pages or more, is the "bonus method". Instead of giving your report away freely, you can approach product developers in your niche about giving your Special Report to their buyers as a Bonus. As long as your report is not available freely on the web, this will increase the value of their product and most will gladly include your Report.
The key with this method is that you are getting in front of buyers in your target market. The people who receive your Special Report as a bonus have already ordered something online in your niche. These are highly valuable readers, and you may want to put more emphasis on getting them to a landing page for another freebie or tip sheet... encouraging them to sign up for your mailing list.
Either way, Special Reports are a great way to gain exposure in your target market and build a responsive mailing list... You will want to keep this list "warm" by continuing to send them valuable tips and resources. Once you have established a trusting relationship with your readers, you can introduce them to your own products, or products that you recommend as an affiliate.
Best,
Technorati Tags: viral marketing, free reports, writing reports, marketing tips
About Lynn Terry
Lynn, I host a weekly internet talk radio show and podcast (non IM related) for Moms.
I usually have someone transcribe my interviews because they're full of great information, but all I was doing was creating html pages out of them. They make some Adsense income and affiliate sales, but I recently decided to pretty them up and clean up the transcription a bit (you know, what makes perfect sense in audio doesn't always flow nicely on paper). I'm offering them as bonuses for opt ins, products, and giving them to other webmasters who reach a similar audience for distribution.
It's 100% pure content.
Can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. 😉
Great idea! I've heard this called "repurposing content" and its an excellent strategy. Thanks for sharing!
Lynn, I host a weekly internet talk radio show and podcast (non IM related) for Moms.
I usually have someone transcribe my interviews because they're full of great information, but all I was doing was creating html pages out of them. They make some Adsense income and affiliate sales, but I recently decided to pretty them up and clean up the transcription a bit (you know, what makes perfect sense in audio doesn't always flow nicely on paper). I'm offering them as bonuses for opt ins, products, and giving them to other webmasters who reach a similar audience for distribution.
It's 100% pure content.
Can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. 😉