Whether you create and sell your products, buy reselling rights or rebrand other people’s products, adding value with bonuses is a well-used tactic in affiliate marketing. Why? Because a good bonus is valid, honest, and indeed does add value to any offer. Perhaps most importantly, it makes the customer think that NOT to purchase would be a very unwise decision.
The challenge is that almost every marketer is using bonuses, so customers are wary of the hype. You need to offer them rewards that add genuine value to your product and offer them at the right place and time and in the right way.
Some examples of good bonuses are:
- Your product is an ebook about how to buy a used car, and your bonus is a report on how to check to see if a vehicle has sustained damage.
- Your product is software designed to simplify obtaining reciprocal links, and your bonus is a report about how to create search engine optimized website title, description and keywords.
A bonus with genuine value:
- can be put to use immediately and is directly related to your product.
- provides motivation that is a match for the motivation to sign up for the newsletter or buy your product, and serves to add to that motivation, not detract from it.
- can allow you to put a price on a product that others give away for free.
The correct placement of a reward is:
- immediately before your prospect makes the last click to complete a sale. This will eliminate any last minute hesitation and will reinforce what you are asking for your product.
Here are examples of appropriate free bonuses:
- Physical Product
If you are selling a physical product, it’s easy to slip in a free sample or gift. Anything with your logo, URL, or contact info reminds your customer to return to your website.
- Special Report
Information in a condensed form that relates to what you’re offering and would benefit the customer makes a great bonus. If your product is information explaining how to do something, your bonus can be a detailed description of some aspect of that. A great bonus to add to the Opt-In Master Course would be a report outlining how to get the most out of your favorite traffic exchanges or safelists; or how to write a good email advertisement.
- Resource List
Compile a list of your personally recommended resources, websites, books, and vendors that will help your list grow and run a successful business. You can set this up as a PDF file or create a password-protected area of your website that your list can access.
- Checklist
Are there any checklists that would be an excellent tie-in to what you offer? Do that help people do what you’re teaching them to do, better or easier? A checklist of a daily traffic exchange surfing schedule, or weekly website promotion activities, would help your list members run their businesses more efficiently. A common question I receive is, do you use ALL the resources in OMC? Your answer to that could be your checklist of what you use.
- Collection of Articles
My favorite way to advertise my site and add valuable content is to write articles and post them to article directories and on my website. Your list of article directories, or a collection of your best 10 articles, would make a valuable bonus ebook.
- Workbook
Put together a separate guide to help your list members do assignments, stay on track, and document their progress. A workbook is something people recognize and appreciate because it infers step-by-step guidance with measurable results. It would be a step up from a checklist.
- A Coaching Session With You
A consultation is a great bonus to offer for several reasons. First, it helps you get to know your list members, and their questions will help you decide on your website’s direction. Second, it’s an excellent opportunity to add backend sales to your free products. For example, if they appreciated your coaching, they may be interested in buying an ebook that expands on this info.
