Information On FREEBIES

[rustyday]

I just recieved an email with good info on Freebies for newer freebie hunters and thought I would pass it along, Hope this is the right forum for this.


UNETHICAL USE OF THE WORD "FREE"

I subscribe to "Ezines For Sale" which you can too, at
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] It's just a place where
publishers can post their newsletters on the market, hoping
another publisher will buy them.

Here's a huge Freebie Newsletter that just went on the
auction block -- they have 650,000 subscribers, which I can
tell you, is a whole lot of people to be on one ezine
mailing list.

Look at how they describe their "Freebie" newsletter...


---------------------------------------------------------
Ezine: (BLACKED OUT FOR LEGAL PURPOSES)
Publisher: (BLACKED OUT FOR LEGAL PURPOSES)
Contact: (BLACKED OUT FOR LEGAL PURPOSES)
URL: (BLACKED OUT FOR LEGAL PURPOSES)
Phone: (BLACKED OUT FOR LEGAL PURPOSES)
Fax: (BLACKED OUT FOR LEGAL PURPOSES)
Topic: Free offers and 'samples'
Circulation: 650,000
Frequency: Daily
Price: Best offer at or above $0.10 per subscriber
Description: Daily newsletter featuring 1-3 'free' offers/ads.
Each free offer is basically an ad for an advertiser, but carefully
disguised as valuable content for the visitor. All subscribers
are double opt-in. Newsletter is profitable; Approx. $15k in
revenue in March.
Comments: We are selling this newsletter as it does not fit our
core business focus. It is profitable, and very easy to manage.
Total time spent on it is estimated at 30-45 mins per day.
Resellers welcome; call for details.
---------------------------------------------------------

Did you catch the outrageous part?...

--> "Each free offer is basically an ad for an advertiser, but
--> carefully disguised as valuable content for the visitor."

What I just showed you is not secret information, but it's
a freebie industry trick that most people would never know
about. And it makes me mad!

Let me give you a pointer on Freebie links you might find
elsewhere on the internet

WHEN "FREE" DOES NOT MEAN "FREE":

If the Freebie's blue clickable URL is overly long and
includes a bunch of numbers and "=" and "?" and "refer" in
it, that means it's probably an advertisement disguised as a
freebie.

If it is from "cj.com" or "websponsors" or "qksrv.net" or
contains the word "click" or "ad" then it is likely just an
advertisement masquerading as a Freebie.

In many cases, the publishers earn anywhere from a nickel to
a quarter every time the reader clicks on one of those links,
so they write what they must to get as many readers as
possible to click. The more people who click, the more
money they make in commission, the "free" aspect be damned.

Of course, it's perfectly OK to run advertisements in
Freebie newsletters, but they should be set apart and
identifiable as ads -- not snuck into the meat to trick the
reader. I run ads in my newsletter (Uncle Url's influence,
say no more) but they are always at the very top and roped
off from the true Free Stuff found in the text.
(By the way, MY advertisers are offering you fantastic
deals on super merchandise at bargain prices, please
visit them! ;-)

I don't have much else to say about this, except remember
to be dubious about everything labelled "Free" until you
see there are no conditions (like shipping and handling,
minimum purchases, tell 20 friends about us, etc.)

[ftmom]

Thanks Rusty. That is some valuable information. I know about cj, and the rest from my website, but to think that all those people are looking for something for free and someone is getting paid for it...

[stking]

Thanks for pointing this out. I HAVE noticed that on many of the Freebie newsletters I get, I click on where it says "Free (whatever)" and it turns out to be something free with a purchase or free contest. That makes me mad to know they got me to click on it and it wasn't really a freebie. I think I'm gonna unsubscribe to all my freebie e-mails.

[sweetcindy]

I don't like the deceitful ones but some newsletters do set the ads apart from the freebies.
By the way, that is some good money for 30-45 mins a day! Hhhhhmmmm......LOL

[Goldielocks19]

"If it is from "cj.com" or "websponsors" or "qksrv.net" or
contains the word "click" or "ad" then it is likely just an
advertisement masquerading as a Freebie."

As being a Freebie site owner I must reply to this remark.
Not all cj.com or qkrsrv.net are not masquerading as a freebie.
Alot of them are free offers that really do come!
Just recently I have received a t-shirt from a cj.com link.
Also cj.com has alot of great sweepstake affiliates & they do have real contests.

Also running a free site takes alot of time.
I typically spend 5+ hours a day updating & improving my site. & those links help pay for the upkeep of sites.
(graphics, url names...etc)
Yes I agree it is wrong to add a paid link if the site does not offer a free product.
Also I think it's important to add to freebie newbies, please click on ads, banners & links here & there.
They do help keeping the sites running well & productive.

"I think I'm gonna unsubscribe to all my freebie e-mails."
St. King
Not all freebie list are deceitful, most are honest.
Please do not hold all responsible because a some are out 4 the almightly dollar.

I'm sorry I had to vent, but I work long and hard on my site everyday. I do not want newbies to think all sites, newsletter or cj.com(qkrsrv.net) links are bad or deceitful.

Jennie

[sweetcindy]

Jennie,
Thank you!! I agree, most of the freebie sites I have visited are honest and the owners are most wonderful people. I am glad you spoke up for them...I appreciate the work you guys do to bring us all the freebies...

Cindy

[vor25]

thanks for info

[stking]

Thanks for your input, Jennie. I must say I am spoiled by my friends here at DOD because 9 times out of 10, when I see a real freebie in one of the newsletters, I've already seen it over here on DOD! I do understand the need to have advertising on the sites and the newsletters, I just hate when the newsletter writer disguises it as a freebie when it really isn't. If it is a contest or promotion, it should say that before I click on it. I was not saying all freebie newsletters are bad, I know that's probably where many DODers get the info to post. I just seem to be signed up with a few not so great ones. Thanks again for the clarification.