| I've always thought that one of the most exciting | | | | It ishighly recommended by Terry Dean in his article |
| aspectsof the internet comes in the form of tiny digital | | | | "Give First |
| packageswe so fondly call ebooks. | | | | & Prove Your Worth." Give away a high-quality |
| Knowledge and experience is transformed into digital | | | | ebook thatprovides a general but sufficient overview |
| formand packaged for distribution, all in a matter of | | | | of a topic, andstill provides plenty of valuable |
| seconds. Andinternet denizens hungry for more | | | | information. Your mainproduct, in turn, reveals the full, |
| information devour themas quickly as they appear. | | | | in-depth, and detailedstep-by-step instructions. |
| My computer is always full to the brim with all | | | | Reader Accessibility |
| kinds,downloaded from so many places, I can't even | | | | Consider your intended recipient. Check whether or not |
| begin totell you where. Day after day, a layer of e-dust | | | | thesubject itself is familiar or of any interest to them. |
| coversthis monstrous pile! | | | | Ifnot, is it explained in such a way that they can |
| Despite the dizzying parade of giveaways that greet | | | | easilycomprehend it? Also, is it closely related to |
| youreyes each day, there is no denying the simple fact | | | | theinformation they ask for? This simple check |
| thatgiving away something for free drives traffic your | | | | ensures thatyou do not alienate (or annoy) any of your |
| way. Inmany cases, we're all happy for any traffic we | | | | readers. |
| can get. | | | | Even if you have not written the ebook yourself, it |
| It is no wonder that virtually in every website -- in our | | | | would bea considerate gesture on your part to go |
| case,internet marketing -- that you visit, you'll be sure to | | | | over it and makesure that they have the best |
| find alarge ebook library offering up the latest and | | | | experience with your giveaway. |
| hottest releases. | | | | It conveys the fact that you are genuinely looking |
| DON'T JUST FOLLOW THE PARADE If you already | | | | aftertheir benefit and not merely pushing an ebook for |
| have amailing-list or website, you're likely eager to do | | | | your ownends. |
| the same. | | | | On the technical side of things, it is worth checking |
| And there's the rub: everybody else is thinking along | | | | theformat in which it is compiled. EXE is accessible |
| thesame lines. "Hey, I'll do that, too!" | | | | only to |
| Wait a minute! Take a pause and think things through... | | | | PC users, not to MAC. PDF, on the other hand, is |
| When it comes to giving away ebooks, there are a | | | | accessibleto both. |
| few butessential problems you should consider: | | | | Layout & Organization |
| - practically everyone is giving them away | | | | Just as in your website design and content, you want |
| - there is a staggering amount of ebooks already out | | | | to giveyour audience the best experience possible with |
| there | | | | yourgiveaway. Consider questions like these: |
| - they vary greatly in quality (a needle in a haystack!) | | | | Is the ebook organized sensibly? |
| On that note, I am going to share with you a few | | | | Can you find your way through its contents? |
| pointersthat have helped me decide whether an ebook | | | | Are you faced with a sea of text? |
| is worthgiving away or not.its Author | | | | Is it divided in neat sections? |
| There's nothing like a big name to stamp instant | | | | Is the font type & size comfortable for reading? |
| credibilityonto any ebook before you've even read it. | | | | Are the colors distracting? neutral? unintrusive? |
| But not everyoneis familiar with the big names in their | | | | You may not mind these things yourself, but it doesn't |
| respective niches. | | | | hurtto make sure that, like your website, what you give |
| Try to get an idea of who the author is, either by | | | | away isequally attractive and professional-looking as |
| visitingtheir homepage through the links in the ebook or | | | | well asinformative. |
| byperforming a simple search online. You may get | | | | In introducing the ebook to them, mention your |
| dazzled andexcited at how established and renowned | | | | impressionsof the material and its presentation so that |
| the author is, orwonder why you can't find a single | | | | they know whatto expect. When your intended |
| trace. All the same,read the ebook! You'll get a much | | | | recipient opens the ebook,he/she does won't frown |
| better feel of the author,not just as a knowledgeable | | | | and wonder what it is that you havegiven away. |
| expert but also as a realperson. | | | | Better safe than sorry... |
| Is the author distant? impersonal? formal? | | | | Freshness |
| Or is he/she relaxed? personable? friendly? | | | | Depending on your niche, freshness can be a major |
| For me the answer to these questions bear a lot of | | | | decidingfactor on your choice. On the one hand, certain |
| weightwhen deciding whether or not to recommend, | | | | subjectsdon't get outdated: old time-proven concepts, |
| promote and --perhaps in the long run -- sign up as an | | | | inspirationalwritings, etc. And on the other, applications |
| affiliate, if sucha program is available. I would want to | | | | of conceptsand ideas online, for example, are affected |
| interact,communicate and do business with someone | | | | by changingtrends and developments in technologies. |
| who is not onlyprofessional but also friendly, open, and | | | | Collections ofresources or links, for example, would |
| approachable. | | | | warrant a thoroughcheck online. |
| Wouldn't you? | | | | Your Own Assessment |
| Does the author have something unique to share? | | | | This is one of the most important points to consider |
| How well does he/she communicate ideas? | | | | becauseyou are responsible for what you give away |
| In this case, many ebooks are repetitions or | | | | to yourvisitors, in one way or another. Never use your |
| slightvariations of the same subject. A good rule of | | | | audiencemerely for your own ends. Don't shove |
| thumb is tochoose the ebook whose author covers | | | | anything just to getthem to sign up, so you can sell to |
| the subject best. | | | | them. |
| Scope & Depth of Content | | | | If you want to be truly successful, you must build a |
| You may think that because you're not yet very | | | | goodreputation for yourself online. You achieve this out |
| familiar withthe subject of the ebook that you cannot | | | | of agenuine intention to be of help to your target |
| possibly assessthe quality of the content. Believe me, | | | | audience. |
| you can! | | | | Give them something that you know will benefit them. |
| Whether it's instinct or intuition, you can tell whether | | | | Besomeone who is ethical, trustworthy, and |
| there'ssomething to the material or not, merely by | | | | dependable. It willgo a long way to benefit both parties. |
| reading betweenthe lines. You will see the difference | | | | They will know thateverytime they visit your website |
| between a mererephrasing of an idea with nothing | | | | for information, they canalways be confident of the |
| new to add, from a trulyunique perspective and | | | | value you provide. Having readthe ebook, ask yourself: |
| improvement of old time-provenmethods or techniques. | | | | How do you personally feel about it? |
| How wide and how deep does it go? | | | | Has it taught you something new? |
| Is it merely a general overview? | | | | Has it revealed something you've overlooked? |
| Does it get down to step-by-step gritty details? | | | | Would you happily recommend it to others? |
| Your decision will depend on what you want to | | | | Would you stand behind it 100%? |
| achieve withthe giveaway. You may want it to | | | | IN CONCLUSION All things considered, always |
| complement an article onyour website, for example, so | | | | rememberthat your target audience comes first. By |
| you would want it more detailed. | | | | offering them onlygiveaways of high value and quality |
| Or perhaps you want to use it only as an introduction | | | | information, you cansuccessfully build a relationship that |
| to yourproduct. | | | | will not only benefitthem, but you and your business for |
| This is a technique commonly employed by many pros. | | | | many years to come. |