Why Free Is Not Enough
By: Martha, Blue Pen Media Llc
Tags: Digital Marketing, Blogging, Content Marketing, Content Creation, Blogging Tips

Freebies are a key lead generation strategy, but to get and keep a business lead you need more than just a freebie.

One of the first marketing tools bloggers use are freebies that they offer to followers and future clients. It’s so basic that even new entrepreneurs understand this. The challenge we face as entrepreneurs is to offer a freebie our audience loves without giving away our main product, skill, or service. Offer too much, and they may not need anything else. Offer too little, and it may not be enough to bring them back for more. Using a freebie in the right way was a lesson that taught me why free is never enough.

I have several websites; I’ve chosen to niche down to specific interests that while related are better off separated for SEO and marketing reasons. My original site is about free editors for creating and editing images or graphics for business. On Blue Pen Media, I write about content curation for blogs, blog tech tips, and offer my curation services.

When I was first online, I searched for free stock images I wanted on my websites and social media posts. Plus, I found sites that help me brainstorm my own creative designs. All of the sites I discovered and liked, I compiled into a personal list because there were so many amazingly good ones I couldn’t remember them any other way.

But I noticed a common theme while researching. Some sites offered only freebies using paid advertising or affiliate links as their means of income. Others offered freebies as a way to entice the viewer to paid items. Either way, the concept of free in exchange for something more is the tip of the iceberg. We’re online for the purpose of making a living but selling to strangers presents challenges. We have to introduce ourselves, market our skills, showcase our knowledge to those who know nothing about us.

People trust businesses they know about or have been referred to by a friend. Online business has different challenges than physical business. Being successful online requires an instant level of trust while providing solutions. Because there’s no physical face to face, earning that trust quickly is pretty important. The searching party must trust the person, product, or service they’ve discovered, sometimes without a lot to go by.

Unlike going to a physical store, once that party has left an online site they rarely come back. I know where my favorite department store is in my town. If I decide to shop today, tomorrow, or next month, I know how to get there. If I find an online site I’m interested in and don’t bookmark or sign up I rarely remember if at all what it was called or how to locate it a day, a week, or a month later. That’s the unfortunate part of being online.

That’s why we all use freebies. Offering a freebie is like the first time you meet someone at a party or a friend’s house. You have a brief conversation. You introduce yourself, make small talk, and uncover common interests. Your conversation could lead to a long-term relationship; on the other hand, you could part ways never to see each other again.

That a freebie is your best first impression or introduction; it’s a glimpse of what you “bring to the table”. Still running a successful online business takes more than freebies. Running an online business takes connecting with your followers and clients. They don’t stick around unless they believe you solve a problem, provide a solution, or offer knowledge. Your freebie is that first conversation, that first impression at your friend’s party. It’s your way of introducing yourself without a lot of commitment on their part.

If they decide what you do, know, or say is of value, they’ll come back. If they can find the same elsewhere they may not stick around. Unless what your offer after your freebie is really really useful, entertaining, or unique they might ignore your follow up emails. That’s one important reason that free is not enough; it just gets your foot in the door. It’s always what you do and how you do it afterward that matters.

I’ve learned a lot of lessons about being online. Running a business has many moving parts. Services, skills, or products are at the bullseye of and good business plan; advertising, marketing, and day to day tasks are the concentric rings of support around that core offering. The freebie is just one of those outer concentric rings of support; it’s not enough without the rest.



I can attract attention with a freebie but without real value at the center of my business, I won’t succeed the way I want to. Finding out what the audience is interested in, what they need, what they are searching for is an essential part of success. Advertising and marketing skills and knowledge is another facet of that.

I’ve heard the saying “jack of all trades, master of none”. No one wants to master of none. There isn’t a person I’ve met that doesn’t want to be good at what they do. We want to be the master of that thing they’re interested in. It’s in our competitive natures to try to be the best we can be. Still, as small businesses and entrepreneurs, there’s a bit of “the jack of all trades” requirement when it comes to running an online business. Being a blogger or solo-entrepreneur necessitates wearing a lot of different hats. Marketing, SEO, social media, and content curation are just the tip of the iceberg.

But at the heart of our business, we want to be the best. It’s important to build that trust so our audience believes we have something intrinsic to offer they can’t get elsewhere. That first freebie will start conversations and open doors but it will never be enough unless we build trust and provide value.