One of the most common questions I hear week to week is how to deliver a freebie to email subscribers. Once you’ve done this a few times, it can seem like old hat, but when you’re starting out or if you’ve never done it, delivering a freebie to email subscribers can be confusing. I’ll outline a few different options that I hope will make the process simple!
Need help creating a freebie? Check out my post on creating a freebie for email subscribers!
How to Deliver a Freebie to Email Subscribers
Part 1- Where to Host Your PDF Freebie
To deliver a freebie to email subscribers, you first need to host your file. That simply means you need to put your file somewhere that your subscribers can access it. (Most often, people use a PDF file for a freebie. I use Pages on Mac to create mine, but you can use something like Canva or even convert a word document.)
You have two main choices for where to host your freebie:
- On your email service provider
- On your blog
- On a file-hosting site like Google Docs, Amazon AWS, or Dropbox
On Your Email Service Provider
Not all email service providers will host files. Mad Mimi, for example, will not. Mailchimp and Convertkit will. Check to see if your ESP will let you host a file. If so, you can simply upload the media in a similar way to how you upload an image. (I would recommend different email service providers depending on your needs, but my overall favorite is ConvertKit. Read my reasons HERE.)
On Your Blog
You can host files on your blog, uploading them just like you would an image. Then you can use the link for that file to share with your subscribers. The downside to this is that the document is not necessarily protected. If someone is searching your site and happens to use the keywords that are in your freebie, it’s possible that the freebie could show up in search. It IS a freebie, so this may not matter so much, but I prefer to host my files somewhere else.
On a File-Hosting Site
If you use DropBox or Google Docs or Amazon, you can upload your file and then share that link with your subscribers so they can head to that site and download the file. This takes a few extra clicks for people, but is a good way to keep your content protected and share it easily.
Part 2 – How to Deliver a Freebie to Email Subscribers
Now that you have your freebie hosted somewhere, it’s time to get it in people’s inboxes. There are a few main ways to deliver content easily:
- In the welcome email
- Through a page on your blog
- On a page somewhere else
In the Welcome Email
This is my preferred method of delivering content to your subscribers. With Convertkit, you can actually deliver the content in the confirmation email, which saves a step! So when someone signs up for your email on your site, they’ll get one email to confirm that subscription and the button to confirm can deliver your freebie. With Mailchimp, there are a lot more redirects and emails, so make sure that you send it in the Final Welcome Email so that people go through the full confirmation process, rather than grabbing your freebie and then bolting.
Through a Page on Your Blog
A lot of people will offer a number of freebies in a subscriber’s only content library. I like this option too, but often when I visit these content libraries, I get overwhelmed, plan to come back, and then often forget. So if you choose this option, you may want to remind people of the link to the page whenever you email people. Or highlight a particular piece of content in the library each time you send an email.
If you choose this option, in the final welcome email, you’ll simple share a link to the page and a password if it’s password protected. (I would recommend protecting it with a password, which is pretty simple to do!) It’s nice to have people directed back to your blog where they might interact with more of your content.
On a Page Somewhere Else
Similar to a page on your blog, you could post content on a landing page somewhere like LeadPages. You might consider this option if your freebie is a a video or if you don’t want people distracted. If you want a laser focus on the particular piece of content, a distraction-free landing page is a good option. You also might redirect people to an unlisted video on YouTube or Vimeo.
As with a page on your blog, you would simply link to this in the welcome email, or in ConvertKit’s confirmation email. Rather than uploading a file that people download by clicking the button in that email, you can add a link there where people will be redirected.
I hope this helps! If you want more, read about kinds of freebies you can offer or check out my Free Email Course to get a solid foundation for your email strategy. Or read how to create the perfect freebie for your subscribers!
Hi, Kirsten!
I really like the idea of resource/content libraries, because, for me, it is simpler to manage ONE freebie than a different freebie for each category on my site. This is especially true now that GDPR is a reality!
However, you make a very good point about some digital resource libraries causing overwhelm when they contain too many freebies. I’ve definitely felt this before myself. So thanks for the reminder to be careful not to overdo it.
Thanks for the great content.