Ethical Internet Marketing? Is Free REALLY Free?
More often than not, FREE is not really FREE. Especially when it (the word “FREE”) is used in marketing messages. In the Internet marketing (IM) world, the usage of “FREE” is even more commonplace.
Everyone and his dog is offering FREE ebook, mp3, or video downloads of the best guide or course on how to make money online, on how to lose weight fast, on how to get the perfect lady/man, etc.
But to get the “FREE” downloads, you have to “give up” your name and email address.
So in this case, is FREE really FREE?
Different Opinions About The Word “FREE”
Some people believe that when something is Free for grabs, it should mean just that - Free unconditionally. They don’t have to enter their name and email addresses just to be able to get the Free stuff.
Others (especially marketers), on the other hand, think that getting something for Free BUT with certain terms and conditions, is perfectly fine.
Do you want to know what I think? Honestly?
As you’ve probably already have guessed, being the marketer that I am, I think the same way as other marketers do - Free can be Free only when certain terms and conditions are met. In my case, since I’m running an Internet business, the Free stuff I give away would have to exchanged with the email address of the person requesting the Free stuff.
It’s All About Leverage
As competition gets tougher in every market everywhere, offering something for Free in exchange for an email address is “almost” required. We’ve all spent so much time, effort, and money to bring visitors to our sites, and if we simply let them download the good Free stuff without getting their email addresses, then we’re NOT leveraging our work.
Every time we want to get new visitors, we have to do all the hard and tedious work all over again. Think article marketing, forum marketing, blog commenting, etc.
Spend 40 hours driving traffic = 100 visitors = 1 sale
To get 10 sales, you have to spend 400 boring hours to drive traffic!
But if you collect visitors’ email addresses, then you can LEVERAGE the work that you do today for the future. You have the power to send visitors to any web page you please since you have their email addresses.
This is exactly the reason why every marketer is trying to bribe you with “FREE” ebooks, audios, or videos in exchange for your email.
(…by the way, if you want to know how to build your list fast, I reveal 2 proven ways in this article – and this time it’s REALLY Free without any terms and conditions. I promise! 
)
But is it ethical to do so? To say that it’s FREE when in fact you have to “pay” for it using your email address?
This is very subjective and there are always two sides to every coin.
Visitors, if given a choice, would almost always prefer getting the Free downloads for Free WITHOUT any buts or ifs.
Marketers (the website owners), always prefer visitors “pay” with their email addresses in order to get the Free downloads.
So Where Do You Draw The Line?
In my opinion (and YES I’m a marketer and I’m PROUD to be one), as long as you DON’T abuse visitors’ email addresses by sending them sales pitch emails every day or sending them emails that are totally unrelated to the Freebie they downloaded in the first place, it’s okay and fine.
What I’m saying is: if your Free download is about how to get the perfect dating partner, then you DO NOT send them emails about making money online, and vice-versa.
Some people (visitors and marketers alike) would argue that you should provide the Free downloads TOTALLY free without any conditions at all, including NOT requesting visitors’ email addresses. They say that if your Freebie is REALLY THAT GREAT, then people would subscribe to your list VOLUNTARILY without you “forcing” them to give up their email addresses just to be able to download your Freebie.
That makes a lot of sense doesn’t it?
If they like your Free report, surely they want to get into your list even without you “begging” for their email addresses.
I’ve tried this method before, but I find that “forcing” visitors’ to leave their email addresses in order to get my Freebie works better for me.
It Is Human Tendency To Forget
I think part of the reason is because all of us are busy. Even when John gets so excited and impressed by our freebie, and he says to himself that he’s going to get into our list to receive further related information, he might not REMEMBER to take the necessary action to subscribe to our list.
John wants to subscribe but he forgets. And with people living busier lives than ever before, people get more forgetful.
By getting John’s email in the first place when he requested for the Free report, even when John forgets a day or two later that he has already downloaded the report, we can send him an email reminding him to consume the report and follow up with him again in the very near future to build good relationships with him.
Good relationships = easier to sell products/services = more $$$
Your Thoughts?
I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts about this. What do you think have to say about ethical Internet marketing? Do you think FREE should really mean TOTALLY FREE without any terms and conditions? Or do you think it’s alright to “force” people to give you their email addresses VOLUNTARILY in order to get your Freebie?
Let me know your thoughts in a comment below…
Popularity: 9% [?]
October 16th, 2009 at 1:24 am
Hi Welly,
I agree with you up to a certain point. Marketers like you give great freebies, and then only send your emails or news letters that have good content.
What I don’t like is when a marketer has one of those giveaway sites where many people can offer their freebies including newbies that give a sometimes very good product maybe they got from a PLR or MRR membership, Then bomb bard me with rubbish emails offering what seems like every clickbank product in the market place, three or more times a day, as was the case of one person and no unsubscribe link, so I could only mark it as spam in my email, I don’t like to do that but what other choice do I have?
I think when these giveaways are started the owner should tell newbies how to treat the people that just signed up for their free offer.
I am happy to give my email address if the content of newsletters is good,
Sandra
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 1:34 am
As a newbie I was grabbing all the FREE stuff I could.
And after a while was overwhelmed with the amount of email I was recieving. I soon learned nothing is FREE.
As of today I still haven’t read all those FREE downloads but I have learned to reconize freebies I can use and freebies that are all hype. I also understand the reason for free offers. FREE can be FREE. But today I only stay subscribed to people who are sincerely concerned with my success as well as their own! Joe.
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 1:37 am
Hi Welly,
Right now I am sick and tired of add swaps. I receive about 500 emails a day and they all start. Download your gift here. This is a obvious ploy to let you think you already signed up for their gift. They then lead off with -My friend obknox just agreed after much arm wrestling to give my subscribers this great product-
We all need to get back to offering good free content and build our list of interested readers and depent on the OPTIN box on our site or blog to get interested readers.
If we don’t get back to doing this all we will end up with is a big list of tire kickers waiting for the next freebie.
Thanks for my rant.
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 1:53 am
Hi Welly,
Any offers with the exchange of an email address that will be fine to me. I use to get a very useful and valuable ebooks in my learning process in the IM. But however, there are some offers after you have downloaded it to find out it is purely rubbish.
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 2:05 am
Hi Welly,
I enjoyed your blog today, free for me is actually an exchange. The free reports have helped me learn the many aspects of Ecommerce since May-09 and there are many facets, some resonate some not. I am now creating my first web site and I have really come to appreciate all the little nuggets contained in all the free reports the many marketeers offer. And I noticed there are many more free e courses being offered to help newbies this I see is a golden opportunity especially for those like myself, who have overextended their initial business investment…!
I enjoy your newsletters very much Welly and your free downloads!
best
vic
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 2:37 am
I agree you are giving something for free then to send more offers,both free and paid you need to have their name and address, but when Welly Mula sends me an email telling me he has something free from John,Sam,George and they have agreed to let you give it to me for free it should not enclude the I have to leave my name and address. Why you ask! Becayse if I am already receiving emails from John,Sam,and George then I am signed up to them again. If I happend to be on another address than the one I get the emails from them then I get emails from them on two addresses. I know this happends because I have 3 addresses that this is happening on.
I also have some that I get the same email 2,3 and 4 times on the same address one after the other only seconds apart. What makes it worse is that John,Sam, or George’s email may be the very next email I open and they are giving me something from Welly but I have to give my name and address. Sometimes I have had whatever it is for several month and if I don’t have it I don’t get because I have to sign up. I know this is the way to build your list. There needs to be a system where if you have signed up already that you can get the report but you won’t be placed on the list again. I don’t remember for sure but I think Ewen Chia told me his autoresponder is set up where you are added to his list once even if you sign up for something someone else is giving for free.
I don’t know the answer. Sometines I have trouble just getting the computer to work right.
Thanks for all you do to help everyone,
James
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 5:39 am
Hello Welly, you do have a point here I think visitors should get that free product or service without having to give up their email address. But only if that means free.
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 5:51 am
Hi, Welly,
I don’t mind so much when someone asks for my email address, because I can choose whether or not I want to participate pretty easily. What I do mund is the sneaky tactics being used recently. The other day I was assured of a free website that I would never have to pay for, and I would get several benefits and services. Of course, on the inside I needed an autoresponder, and wouldn’t you know the product only worked with one particular one, which I of course don’t have. Then I was told I would need this service and that for the program to work, wouldn’t you know, I was going to have to buy each of them because nothing was compatible with what I have. Fortunately, I was able to cancel the membership before my free trial ended.
Likewise, I find a lot of marketers offering free memberships with a lot of hype. But they’re really not free, except for a short time, then you can get hit with a huge monthly charge. I find myself steering away from anything that immediately takes me to PayPal!
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Thanks for the report Welly. It really gives me food for thought. I’ve been in the same boat as many internet marketers giving away my email address for freebies.
Most of the time it is not worth giving my email but some do have good contents and ideas for your online business. I don’t mind trading my email for genuine deals or free reports/downloads. All I’m asking from these freebie providers is that not to abuse our email addresses by giving away our adresses to others.
One thing I have learned now is I only open mails from marketers who I am familiar with and have been in contact for sometime.
Thanks for your recent free gifts.
Patricia
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
The freebies are good because it an individual decision whether to sign or not.At the end of the day some freebies do attract attention.You do need to get something in return for a freebie and that is the email.I think it is only fair for both parties.
[Reply]
October 16th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Nobody is forced to enter his/her email address, anybody can unsubscribe at any time. The (prospect) client makes the choice. Up to this point, the trade is fair enough.
[Reply]
October 18th, 2009 at 3:13 am
Hello, people……..I guess I am ‘Old School’, but I believe in Honesty in marketing, as well as everyday life. I don’t mind giving up my address, but my hair stands up at being ‘forced’. I will NOT go to a site is *FR<EE*!! Please, if it’s going to cost me S/H, small one time fee, or other charge, TELL ME!!!!! I am more likely to visit your site, than being ‘Duped’ by *FR.E.E* Thank you.
[Reply]
October 25th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Obviously, the word Free works…
After the free report, it’s good to send even more gifts to subscribers. Most of them will love it.
Another point is what marketer call free traffic. Is it free if it costs you your time?
Idea for a new article.
Franck
[Reply]
November 7th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
In my opinion, you must get an email address any chance you can, as long as you’re not sneaky about it. That’s simply the way marketing online works best these days. If you’re uncomfortable about doing so the way you see others (including the guys/gals that are the ones making all the money online today), then still get it, but point out that you ARE collecting their email address, but give them a REASON why. You are simply losing (and wasting, if you pay for traffic) too much money if you don’t collect the email address. No arguments about it.
[Reply]
November 10th, 2009 at 7:21 am
Hi Welly
I’m all for giving an email address to get a valuable free report because I always learn something. What I won’t do is give my phone number to get a free report. I mean is that really necessary?
Thanks for all the great info.
[Reply]