A free resource that brings subscribers: ten examples

Almost every business owner I speak to has a free resource. Almost every one of those resources brings in too few subscribers. Often it is a thirty-page PDF called ‘the complete guide’ that nobody reads.

A free resource works when it solves one small problem someone has today. A smaller promise makes it easier to say yes. Here are ten examples for different professions, what is better kept for a paid product, how to make the resource useful and how to let people sign up for it on your link page.

Why a giveaway is worth it

You only see a follower when the algorithm wants you to. An email address remains. That’s the whole idea: you exchange something of value for an address and in doing so you build the only audience you control.

For an entrepreneur who sells something, this is the starting capital. One hundred people who used your free worksheet and opened your emails is a better starting point for a €97 course than five thousand followers who saw you pass by once.

What a good giveaway has in common

Three things I see in the giveaways that do work.

The title promises one clear result. ‘The seven questions I ask in a first conversation’ tells you what you’ll get. ‘A guide to coaching’ does not.

Someone can work through it in ten minutes. That small win gives them a reason to trust your advice.

It should lead naturally to your offer. If the checklist helps with the first step, your course can guide someone through the rest.

Ten examples for different professions

1. The coach: the questionnaire

Seven questions that make someone think about their situation, with a brief explanation of what it means for each answer. Takes ten minutes and provides insight that the person did not think of.

2. The trainer: the cheat sheet

One page with the key concepts, steps or formulations from your method. People print this and hang it up. Your name is literally hanging on someone’s wall.

3. The photographer: a preparation guide

What someone wears, brings and expects at a shoot, with five example photos. This is exactly what attracts people who think about books.

4. The accountant or advisor: the calculation tool

A spreadsheet that calculates an hourly rate, a margin or a monthly charge. People keep something like that for years and pass it on.

5. The store or maker: the discount code upon sign-up

Ten percent on the first order in exchange for an email address. Simple and it works better in the online store than a PDF.

6. The course creator: the first lesson free

Give away the first lesson of your paid course. People can experience how you teach before deciding to buy. In Findori Links, you can give someone access after they confirm their email address.

7. The therapist or care provider: the self-test

Ten questions with an outcome in categories and a first step for each outcome. Keep it descriptive and don’t give a diagnosis.

8. The dietician or sports coach: the weekly schedule

Worked out for seven days, with a shopping list included. The shopping list is the part that makes people happy, because that is the work they do not want to do themselves.

9. The designer or copywriter: the template

A file in which someone only has to enter their own words: an offer page, an email, a presentation. High value and little work if you already use it yourself.

10. The real estate agent or local service provider: the neighborhood overview

Figures, prices or rules for one city or district, updated twice a year. This almost only attracts people from your own area and that is exactly what you want.

What you better not give away

• The complete thirty-page guide. Too much to read, so no one has that little success.
• A free thirty-minute consultation as a first step. That requires trust that is not yet there. Put it in your follow-up emails.
• A discount code on something that you don’t yet sell. First an offer, then a discount.
• Your newsletter itself. Nobody wants a newsletter, people want what’s in it. Promise the content.
• Something that doesn’t match your offer. A thousand subscribers for a topic where you don’t sell anything is an address list without direction.

How to set it up so it works

The free resource is only half the work. The route to it matters too. That can be the difference between eight and thirty sign-ups a month for some business owners.

Place the form on you link page on the page itself, near the top. Ask only for an email address. Each extra page and form field gives people another reason to leave. Findori Links sends a confirmation email with the file after they complete the form, without you having to send it by hand.

Mention the resource in your reels and stories every week. This week’s audience may never have seen last month’s post. Here’s how to set up the form and follow-up: leads and newsletters and on newsletter sign-ups via social media.

Frequently asked questions

How many sign-ups are normal?

That varies too much by topic and audience for one benchmark. What I do see is that a concrete promise and a form on the page itself can bring more sign-ups. Measure your starting point, then improve it.

Can I email people after they download my giveaway?

For commercial emails you need permission and you request this with the form, with a clear text about what you are going to send. Make sure you can unsubscribe in every email. Have your plan checked if you are going to do something big.

Does my giveaway have to be a PDF?

No. A spreadsheet, a video, a recording or a series of emails works just as well. Choose the form that solves the problem most quickly.

Can I have multiple giveaways?

Yes. That works well as soon as you cover different topics. On the Free plan you have one form; on the paid plans as much as you need. See prices.

How do I know if my giveaway is the right one?

See if the people who register then also buy your offer. Many sign-ups and zero sales means that your giveaway attracts a different audience than your product. You can see that your results by post.