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The Affiliate Freemium Strategy

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The Affiliate Freemium Strategy

Use this affiliate strategy to build a profitable list.

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Introduction

To become a Super Affiliate, you focus on building a list.

And building a list is really all about traffic generation.

When you set up a list on your landing page, it’s just a matter of getting more people to visit that page (IE “traffic”) and opt-in (IE “subscribe to the list”).

“List building” is just generating traffic to a page where visitors can join your list.

For this report, I want to share what to do once people are on the list.

I want to teach you about marketing and monetization.

  • The Email Sequence That Produces Orders. I’ll begin by explaining the method you can use for sending follow- up email messages that move subscribers forward in the buying process.
  • 5 Quick Keys To Setting Up Effective Follow-Up Messages. Then, I’ll give you some insights into what really works when it comes to getting subscribers to read and respond to your autoresponder messages.
  • 10 Freemiums That Are A Perfect Blend Of Information And Promotion. I’ll close out by introducing you to a set of freemiums that have a high perceived value without delivering so much that the recipient has no reason to buy your product.

So, let’s go ahead and dive in…

The Email Sequence That Produces Orders

The strategy that I’ll be working through in this report isn’t complicated and may seem a bit “boring” on the surface level…

Send out a sequence of emails giving away freemiums that move subscribers forward in the buying process.

There are several important parts to this section, let’s break it down…

1. Send out a sequence of emails.

A sequence is a series of connected things that follow one after another.

In this case, those “things” are emails.

Each of the emails in the sequence is connected to a common goal of getting the subscriber to buy a singular product or service.

They follow one after another to maximize their effectiveness as they work together to warm up the subscriber to your offer by preselling.

There are two different options for organizing a sequence that I want to mention…

OPTION 1: A New List. The first option is to set up a completely new list with the sequence in place as an automated follow-up series.

  • Day 1 – Freemium #1 is delivered immediately upon signup.
  • Day 3 – Freemium #2 is delivered
  • Day 5 – Freemium #3 is delivered
  • Day 7 – Consumption email (IE Did you receive/review emails?)
  • Day 9 – Urgency email (IE Reason to buy now)
  • Day 11 – Freemium #4 is delivered + “Last Chance” offer

Then, repeat the process with different freemiums for a different offer with an occasional new freemium for an earlier offer.

By the time the subscriber makes the way through this 11-day sequence, he will have decided to buy or not buy the affiliate program you’re promoting.

So, it’s time to switch to another offer and revisit the earlier offer later.

OPTION B: An Existing List. The second option is to send out the sequence as broadcast emails to an existing list. You can use the same set of emails, but at a slightly escalated pace.

In option A, the longer duration of the sequence allows new subscribers (who potentially just “met” you) a greater period of time to warm up to you so they “know, like, and trust” you a bit more before you pitch an offer. With the existing list, you are interacting with subscribers who (presumably) already “know, like, and trust” you, so there isn’t the need for a lengthier period of time. Existing subscribers are more likely to just want to get everything right away.

  • Day 1 – Freemium #1 is delivered immediately upon signup.
    • Day 2 – Freemium #2 is delivered
    • Day 3 – Freemium #3 is delivered
  • Day 4 – Consumption email (IE Did you receive/review emails?)
  • Day 6 – Urgency email (IE Reason to buy now)
  • Day 7 – Freemium #4 is delivered + “Last Chance” offer

Then, as before, repeat the process with different freemiums for a different offer with an occasional new freemium for an earlier offer.

So, that’s the sequence for the emails. What is the substance of the emails? Let’s take a look…

2. Giving away freemiums.

The word “freemium” is a contraction of the words “free” and “premium”.

It’s a premium freebie.

A high-perceived-value giveaway. It’s often known as a “lead magnet” when it is given away to entice new subscribers to join a list.

I’ll give you plenty of ideas and examples in our third section, so I’m not going to spend much time here.

The important thing to note is that the early part of the sequence is giving away high-quality free stuff.

And it is all set up to get sales…

3. That move subscribers forward in the buying process.

Two things in the sequence work in harmony as a presell effort to convince the subscriber to buy whatever it is that you are selling…

  • FREEMIUMS. As we’ll look at in a moment, the items you freely give away to your subscribers will be a perfect blend of high-quality information and effective promotion.
  • THE EMAILS. While the first few emails are primarily used to give away the freemiums, they are followed up with the “consumption,” “urgency,” and “last chance” messages. These messages are just as important as the freemiums themselves. They bring everything in the sequence towards a climax.

Both the freemiums AND the emails are promotional.

I’ll explain more about that in the next section, but I want you to understand that both of these should be pieces that influence the buying decision.

While the freemium will contain helpful information, it will also be designed so that it actually becomes a promotion agent for the affiliate program as well.

Let me quickly give you an overview of what should be included in each of them…

The Three Promotional Emails

  1. CONSUMPTION.  Use this email to ensure the reader has consumed (IE Received and Read) your earlier emails and the freemiums.

Simply ask this question in some form: “I just wanted to check in to make sure you downloaded [Freemium Name]. If you haven’t, be sure to get your copy right now at…

Point them toward something specific and appealing that would encourage consumption.

For example: “The strategy on page 3 took me 15 minutes to set up and resulted in an extra $7,888 in sales last week alone.

The purpose of this email is to get the subscriber to take a look at the freemium.

2. URGENCY.  This message is all about creating urgency for your PAID OFFER by giving the subscriber a reason to buy now.

This will primarily be through the use and presentation of a deadline or limit related to the paid offer.

Include an exclusive incentive or price reduction that will be removed or expire after a specific time period or a number of units.

3. LAST CHANCE.  The final message in the sequence is to convince anyone who is a “maybe” to become a “yes”.

Remind the subscriber that whatever you stressed in the “urgency” email is coming to a close TONIGHT.

If she wants to take advance of the special pricing/incentive/availability, she has to order today before a specified time.

An optional additional message can be added to ask, “Why haven’t you ordered?”

This will give you some objections that you can then begin to handle in the creation of your freemiums, in the follow-up sequence, and in your order process.

Now, when it comes to the emails themselves, you may be asking, “How much promotion of my paid offer should I do?”

Here is how you break down promotional pushes in the sequence…

  • In the first message, don’t mention the paid offer at all.
  • In the second message, mention the paid offer as a P.S.
    • In the third and fourth messages, mention the freemium primarily and the paid offer secondarily in the main body of the email.
    • In the fifth message, mention the paid offer exclusively.
    • In the sixth message, mention the paid offer primarily and the freemium secondarily in the main body of the email.

And, of course, there will be other opportunities to mention the paid offer in the freemium itself.

That brings us to…

5 Quick Keys To Setting Up Effective Follow-Up Messages

Let’s take a look at some additional insights into setting up this sequence for maximum effectiveness…

SIDEBAR: I teach internet marketing.

My purpose in these training materials is to help you get sales. You’re in business.

That’s why you’re here, to learn how to make more money.

What I don’t want you to lose sight of is this: it’s a real person on the other end.

While the focus of our training is what’s in it for YOU (as the business owner) don’t ever forget to really, really deliver on what’s in it for THEM (as the customers).

Provide high-quality freemiums.

Be above reproach in your marketing tactics.

Treat others respectfully and generously.

It’s the decent and right thing to do … and, in the end, it’ll grow your business as well.

Seriously, when you focus on what’s in it for THEM, you’ll end up with greater results for what’s in it for YOU.

1. Connect Each Freemium to A Single, Specific Benefit.

The idea is simple: each of your content pieces needs to connect to the affiliate program you are selling.

By using this method, you would write articles about topics related directly to a lesson, chapter, section, bonus, key thought, or other “part” that is explained in greater detail in your paid offer.

So, instead of creating a freemium that is related to your “overall topic” create a freemium that is related to a laser-targeted portion of your product (which is related to your topic).

Here are a couple of examples…

DO THIS: 3 Ways To Get People To Read And Respond To Your Emails

NOT THIS: How To Become A-List Marketing Pro

DO THIS: Your Week 7 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

NOT THIS: The Ultimate Guide To Winning At Fantasy Football

Connect each freemium to…

  • A single benefit of the affiliate offer, or
  • A single problem that you solve in the affiliate offer, or
  • A single reason to buy your affiliate offer.

So, if you have four freemiums in your sequence, how many different benefits, problems, reasons will you be highlighting? Four!

Your freemiums build a case for buying your affiliate offer.

That is the point, right?

Each freemium ties into a different benefit, a different problem, a different reason to buy … they work together to present a logical case for why the recipient of the freemium series should invest in your offer.

2. Present Your Freemium In An Appealing Fashion.

Presentation is just as important as information.

Appearance counts!

This would include both the graphical presentation of the content itself AND the graphical presentation to promote the content.

  • If you are delivering the freemium as a document, then include an attractive cover, a custom header and footer (like those on this page) and sprinkle tables, charts, images throughout.
  • If you are delivering the freemium as a webinar or video, learn the art of creating and using professional slides during your presentation.
  • If you are delivering the freemium as a one or two-page piece of content, convert it into an infographic that you deliver as a .pdf.

However, you choose to deliver the freemium, make it look sharp.

Don’t forget the TITLE of your freemium is part of the “presentation”.  Avoid the boring title at all costs. !

You want something that is appealing to the recipient.

Don’t go with…

The Beginner Guide To Building A List

Instead, go with…

How To Get Your First 1,000 Subscribers

Both of these are geared toward beginners (one uses the word “beginner” and the other uses the word “first”) and both focus on the topic of list-building.

But, which of these expresses the strongest benefit?

Which is most appealing?

Don’t go with…

The Website Traffic Cheat Sheet

Instead, go with…

Cheat Sheet: 20 Ways To Get Traffic In 20 Minutes

If both of those were offered to you and you could only choose one, which would it be?

Clearly, the second is a more appealing option, right?

A better presentation of your freemium leads to a higher perceived value of it in the mind of the recipient.

3.  Focus on Quality over Quantity.

Since this is a series of freemiums, you want to keep the volume of content in each one to a minimum.

That doesn’t mean you sacrifice on quality… it means just the opposite.

More quality! Less quantity.

You want to give the recipient new stuff to consume without too much information that makes buying your product unnecessary.

Plus, if you give away too much, the likelihood the recipient will actually read/listen/watch it all goes down significantly. They simply can’t keep up.

Less. Is. More.

A freemium that requires five minutes to review and benefit from is more appealing than something that will require an hour to review and benefit from.

EXAMPLE: Given the choice between watching a 5-minute video that teaches how to set up an effective Facebook advertisement and one that teaches the same thing in an hour-long video, I will ALWAYS choose the shorter one.

Wouldn’t you?

This is a primary factor in the choices of the freemiums I have listed in the final section of today’s module.

Each is used in my own sequences for this very reason.

They are a great blend of information and promotion.

AND they are also a great blend of high-quality and low- quantity.

One final thing: your emails need to be brief as well.

Your purpose for the email campaign is to get the reader to click on a link to go to your website to access the freemium.

The purpose of the emails that are giving away the freemiums is to… wait for it… give away the freemium! Shorter is better.

4. Decide Upon A Custom-Tailored Format.

What should you share in your freemium?

That depends upon what you offer in the main product or service you are promoting via the freemium.

The type of information you share and its format needs to be custom-tailored to what you are selling so that it makes what you are selling more appealing and beneficial … even necessary.

10 Freemiums That Are A Perfect Blend Of Information And Promotion

So, what are the “top 10” freemiums to use in a series like I’ve been describing so far? Put these into your mix…

1.  Planner/Schedule.

People don’t just want to know the “step-by-step” of how to do something – they also want to know when to take these steps. And that’s exactly what a planner or calendar will provide for your prospects.

For example:

  • A Yearly Planner for Info Product Sellers
  • The Bodybuilder’s 30-Day Plan for Preparing for Your First Competition
  • The Weekly Planner for Homeschooling Moms
  • How to Get Your Home Sold In Just 21 Days

2. Cheat Sheet.

These sorts of freemiums give your prospects an overview of how to do something, but they don’t tell them how (exactly) to complete each step.

That’s why this freemium is a good choice for when you’re selling in-depth how-to information on the backend.

For example:

  • The Savvy Saver’s Cheat Sheet for Creating a Household Budget
  • The Aspiring Novelist’s Cheat Sheet for Writing a Bestselling Thriller
  • The Entrepreneur’s Business Brainstorming Cheat Sheet
  • The Dieter’s Cheat Sheet for Dining Out

3.  Checklist.

A good checklist makes an excellent freemium, simply because it’s something that your prospects will refer to again and again.

Every time they use your checklist, they’ll see your call to action for your paid product.

For example:

  • A 27 Point Bodybuilding Workout for Kettlebell Enthusiasts
  • 50 Point Inspection Checklist for Buying a Used ATV
  • 101 Point Checklist for Starting a New Online Business
  • 25 Point Checklist for Writing a Novel

SIDEBAR: Encourage your prospects to print off the checklist.

Depending on what type of checklist it is, they could hang it on the wall or keep it in their pocket.

For example, they might keep a workout checklist in their pocket at the gym, whereas they may hang a business-related checklist near their computer.

4.  Swipe File.

A swipe file is a collection of content pieces that people can use for inspiration to create similar content.

The intent isn’t to copy these pieces, but to use them as springboards to creating your own content.

For example:

  • The Copywriter’s Swipe File, which includes good headlines, sales letters, pay per click ads and other sales copy.
  • The Career Builder’s Swipe File, which includes cover letters and resumes.
  • The Aspiring Novelist’s Swipe File, which includes plot lines as well as queries for sending to publishers.
  • The Professional Speaker’s Swipe File, which includes jokes, openers and other content for speeches.

While the swipe file is used for inspiration, this next freemium is designed to be used and copied…

5. Templates.

These are typically “fill in the blank” tools you can offer your prospects so they can create a content piece or form quickly and easily.

These are designed for your prospects to copy, so be sure you create these templates yourself and give your prospects permission to use them.

TIP: If you offer legal forms, be sure to get them created by a licensed attorney.

For example:

  • The Copywriter’s Template Kit, which includes fill-in-the-blank headlines, openers, guarantees and other elements of a sales letter.
  • The Landlord’s Rental Contract Template, which is a fill-in-the-blank legal contract.
  • The Car Dealer’s Template Pak, which includes templates for purchase orders, the bill of sale and other forms typically used in the course of a dealer’s business.
  • The Fitness Boot Camp Template Kit, which includes advertising templates and client contracts for a personal trainer who is setting up a boot camp business.

6.  Worksheets.

Worksheets contain a series of questions or tasks for the reader to work through in order to plan, evaluate, and move forward in progressing towards an objective.

For example:

  • The Content Marketing Strategy Worksheet
  • Your Wedding Activities And Budget Worksheet
  • P90X Workout Worksheet For The Perfect Routine
  • The Eating Well Goal-Setting Worksheet For Weight Loss
  • The 30-Day Dog Obedience Worksheet

7.  Resource Guide.

Another thing that your prospects will really enjoy getting is a list of the tools and resources you use on a daily basis in your niche.

Your list can include the name of the resource, the pros and cons of the tool, who would benefit most from using the tool, and a link (or affiliate link) to the tool.

For example:

  • 12 Parenting Books That Should Be On Every Parent’s Bookshelf
  • The Six Figure Seller’s Most Trusted Tools and Resources
  • The Beginning Mountain Climber’s Gear List
  • 17 Tools You Need to Start Your Yard Care Business

8.  Case Study.

A case study is where you provide the exact progress and results you or someone else achieved using a particular product or service.

The reason why this works so well to sell a product is that it naturally provides proof a product works, so it overcomes the prospect’s main objections.

Just be sure to present a lot of hard proof such as pictures, videos, screenshots, measurements or similar evidence.

For example:

  • You can present an eight-week case study showing how well a body transformation program works.
  • A one-month case study showing how much money a marketer made selling Amazon affiliate products.
  • A three-day case study showing how a golfer lowered his golf score by using a certain set of clubs.
  • A one-day case study showing how an amateur photographer took better photos after taking an online photography class.

9.  Q&A / Interview.

This freemium has a lot of flexibility, as you can offer a text, audio, or video interview.

Ideally, you should be the person being interviewed (you can ask a colleague or friend to do be the interviewer), and then you can sell your product on the backend.

If you’re promoting affiliate products, then ask the vendor if you can interview him or her to create a freemium.

For example:

  • An interview with a fishing expert, which reveals three tips for catching trophy trout.
  • An interview with a panel of weight-loss experts, including a nutritionist, a personal trainer, and a doctor.
  • An interview with a professional copywriter to share insider tips and tricks for writing great copy.
  • An interview with a veterinarian to learn to identify common signs of cat illness or pain.

An alternative would be to take the “top 10 most frequently asked questions” on a topic related to your product and answer them yourself.

Deliver the answers in either a .mp3 or .pdf.

10. Articles/Blog Posts/Reports.

This is a popular freemium, simply because it’s easy for most people to create an article or report or ebook, convert it to the .pdf format, and offer it for free in exchange for an email address.

TIP: You can take a chapter or two out of an existing paid product to use as your freemium. Then sell the full product on the backend.

For example:

  • How to Choose Running Shoes That Won’t Break the Bank or Your Body
  • Five Secrets for Lowering Your Golf Score
  • What Dieticians Do When They Want to Lose 10 Pounds
  • How to Quickly and Easily Set Up a Secure WordPress Blog

Great ideas!

Which will you use?

Remember, you only need FOUR per sequence.

Use this freemium strategy and you will build a profitable list.

Do you want to get started building your own profitable list and generate income as fast as possible?

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