This is quite a lot to know and to decide and it really might overwhelm some prospective online marketers. As I regularly take part in different giveaway events with good to excellent results, I decided to write the following short and easy to understand information. I do not attempt to be perfect or giving all in depth finesse, but the main points to help you avoid mistakes and financial losses.
The usual way you get to know about an upcoming giveaway event is by mail from another marketer or by visiting their Blog and website. If you want to find out what kind of promotion is running or planned, you can do a Google search for [jv giveaway events] and you will find the relevant websites.
Such events are most offered by senior and well established internet marketers or they help other JV partners to run such a giveaway promotion. The running time is usually limited to 10 or 15 days with a prelaunch phase of about another 10 days. There is a free sign-up as a member or as a contributor.
Members can only download the free gifts, buy a special OTO (One Time Offer) presented after the login process and eventually profit from additional bonuses offered by other contributors.
A contributor is allowed to upload one or more of his own or affiliate products. A catchy headline and a well worded, short description of the products benefits as well as the link to the squeeze page for signing up and the download link are required.
The goal of the whole system is to get as much sign-ups to your own list as possible. The price for this is your free gift in turn. To upload your product you need points which you can buy or earn by heavily promoting the site. Per referral you get a certain amount of points to your account. You will need about 15 points for each product you want to upload as a contributor.
This is the hard working and low budget way.
A giveaway event is also a business and after you register, you are presented with a One Time Offer to become a Platinum Member which can cost somewhere between $ 97 and $ 200. If you decline this offer, you are confronted with a down sell offer to still become a Gold or Silver partner for a reduced price.
If you pay, you immediately get up to 200 points, depending on your member level, and you can use them to immediately upload one or more of your free gifts. You can assign all points to one product or distribute them to several products. As a paid member you can also upload your profile, banners and recommended paid products you want to earn commissions from.
So let’s sum up:
1) If you already have an autoresponder and a free product you can give away through your squeeze page, it is well worth participating in a giveaway event. If it’s your first, jut sign up as a free member to get familiar with the structure and the system inside the members area. Start to promote on your blog, website, the social sites, traffic exchanges and, if you have, write a broadcast to invite your list.
2) Once you understand the process, choose one of the next premium giveaways you are invited to and sign up as a paid contributor. Start low and experience. Normally a good event will return your money within the running time already. If not, you still have possibly grown your list by at least 20, 50 or even 100 new targeted subscribers. You can gently create a positive relationship and market your other products to them, which will certainly result in some more sales.
3) To get the best download results, upload a useful and unique product which you honestly can endorse. If you use PLR or Video material, take the time to change it to your own, make new graphics and a pulling squeeze page with an attracting sign-up box. I recommend having 3-5 such products ready before you join the next giveaway event.
4) For me, giveaways are the fastest and most effective list building tool and I regularly increase my own list by up to 500 new subscribers. Do the math: Even if 100 drop out (usually it is less than 5 %), you still have 400 staying on your list. If only 10 of them buy one of your own or affiliate products for let’s say a net profit of $ 24.75, that generates $ 247 net into your pocket, and this only for a little promotional effort and some funds paid into the event. It’s a real win-win situation.