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Read Me First...For Extra Sales!

by IGotMine
15 replies
Hi,

I thought I would try to add a little value to the forum for some. Not so much for some others.

This is a tactic that is so simple even a beginner can quickly implement it.

This is not my invention and it's not a "secret" method as many people know about it. This is for those who don't yet. You may get some "extra" sales with very little additional effort.

I don't remember where I first heard of this but I've been using it for years.

I call it "Read Me First" becuase that's the title I use for it.

It's very simple. If you are delivering digital files as a freebie or paid product, you add a .pdf to the .zip file that is being downloaded.

It doesn't have to be anything special. It can be a paragraph or two on a single page. It's the content that's important.

In your "Read Me First" .pdf you write a blurb about a product or service related to the main download. If you are offering an ebook about outsourcing (for example) you might include a blurb and link to an affiliate product like an outsourcing course or a freelance platform. You could do the same with another product of your own. You could even link to another marketer's squeeze page and sell "funnel clicks."

You should also experiment with different titles for your file. "Read Me First" has worked best for me.

Get creative and you might find a simple source of extra sales.
#extra #firstfor #read #sales
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  • Profile picture of the author radu
    Thanks for sharing...good tip
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  • Profile picture of the author affmarketer101
    How effective it is compared to placing an affliate product link within the ebook?
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    "Read Me First" works because there is often a file by that name offering advice on how to use a product. For example, with software, the RMF file often carries installation tips/instructions, links to support pages, etc.

    Just my personal reaction, if all I saw in the file was a promo for another product, i'd feel deceived.

    Now if you were to add that promo after something genuinely useful to know before getting started, that's a horse of another color...
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    I've done something similar only I call the added file:

    "Last Minute Gift"

    In that file I will add the headline:

    Last Minute Gift to Help You Get Started Quickly

    Then I will add no more than a single page tip or strategy or something of added value that directly relates to the product that was sold. It could also be a cheatsheet, a mindmap, an infographic or something similar. The second page of this gift is a coupon code for 30-50% off another product with a link to the offer page (again relating directly to the product originally sold) along with a bullet list of how the buyer will benefit from the product.

    What makes this method effective is that both the free tip and the product being discounted are specifically designed to provide additional benefit to whatever was sold in the first place. You want to make the gift obviously valuable and tied to the product already purchased.

    The best to all of you,

    Steve
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    Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
    SteveBrowneDirect

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  • Profile picture of the author dana67
    Anything to get people's attention and elicit an action can be beneficial. Thanks for sharing IGotMine
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    Working online for over 10 years
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  • Profile picture of the author Jamel Hassell
    This is a a simple tactic to use too. Thank you very much .
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    Simple and clever. If I got fully clear on it I'd definitely share and use to increase sales and to increase the value offered to my customers.
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    Ryan Biddulph helps you to be a successful blogger with his courses, manuals and blog at Blogging From Paradise
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Meaney
    That's a great tip.

    If you put an underscore (eg, '_Read-Me-First.txt'), the file will be automatically displayed at the top of the list too.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    I've been including Read Me files for at least 12 years on thousands of files and millions of downloads but I use it for a traffic source.

    I want people to share all my downloads because when they share the download files, the branding and links are there waiting to be found. It's like having people distribute business cards for free.

    I track the downloaded file Read Me links with hashtags.

    Example:
    • hxxp://domain.com/file-xyz#file-xyz-read-me
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    • Profile picture of the author crackhouse
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      I've been including Read Me files for at least 12 years on thousands of files and millions of downloads but I use it for a traffic source.

      I want people to share all my downloads because when they share the download files, the branding and links are there waiting to be found. It's like having people distribute business cards for free.

      I track the downloaded file Read Me links with hashtags.

      Example:
      • hxxp://domain.com/file-xyz#file-xyz-read-me
      Clevel tip, will have to implement
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      I sell backlinks on some of the most lucrative editorial websites in the world.
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    • Profile picture of the author AceOfShirts
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      I've been including Read Me files for at least 12 years on thousands of files and millions of downloads but I use it for a traffic source.

      I want people to share all my downloads because when they share the download files, the branding and links are there waiting to be found. It's like having people distribute business cards for free.

      I track the downloaded file Read Me links with hashtags.

      Example:
      • hxxp://domain.com/file-xyz#file-xyz-read-me
      How do you track the downloads with the hashtag? Do you have a tracking program or do you use the ras access logs?
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      • Profile picture of the author yukon
        Banned
        Originally Posted by AceOfShirts View Post

        How do you track the downloads with the hashtag? Do you have a tracking program or do you use the ras access logs?


        I use my server logs for tracking the actual file downloads/counts, it's easy and already done on the webhost.

        I track the offline links/URLs that use hashtags with Google Analytics.

        Here's how to track inbound hashtag link/keyword clicks & get that data shown in GA (Google Analytic).

        Steps:

        1) Add this code snippet (below) to the GA code that's on your webpage <head> HTML source code.

        Code:
        _gaq.push(['_trackPageview', location.pathname + location.search + location.hash]);


        The old default GA code should look something like this (below):

        Code:
        _gaq.push(['_trackPageview');


        2) Now you can add anything you want to the end of any URL on your site that is running the GA tracking code.

        Example, you can track one individual webpage or offline PDF with multiple links:
        • hxxp://domain.com/favorite-ice-cream#vanilla
        • hxxp://domain.com/favorite-ice-cream#chocolate
        • hxxp://domain.com/favorite-ice-cream#strawberry

        3) The way to view the GA data inside GA is to go to the Content Drilldown page:
        Behavior > Content Drilldown > click whatever page/link you're looking for.

        You have to click the page links inside Content Drilldown, that's where all the hashtag data will be (ex: #vanilla, #chocolate, #strawberry, etc...).



        Notes:
        The hashtag link doesn't even have to exist on the internet. If I type the hashtag/keyword link in my browser & hit enter, GA will still track the hashtag/keyword because I searched with a hashtag URL & landed on my webpage that includes the GA tracking code that's looking for hashtags.

        You should be able to track anything you want as long as traffic lands on a webpage that includes the GA code.

        Example:
        • Track link clicks inside pdf files on an offline PC desktop.
        • Track internet shortcut icon clicks from a file that's been downloaded to an offline PC desktop.
        • Track multiple links inside a single email newsletter with all the links pointing to a single sales page (ex: header link, image link, content link, footer link, Buy Now link, etc...).

        There's other ways to track clicks with GA (ex: Events) but they usually force you to wrap the hyperlink with custom GA code. This way it's simply one line of code in the <head> of the landing pages HTML source code & you can track any link that exist, online or offline.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Great tip. I typically add an "autorun.ini" file to make my CD's with info automatically run, but this clever idea with "read me first" file is good. Great idea.
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  • Profile picture of the author webmarke
    I have used this similar strategy myself when promoting cpa offers. But onstead of "Read Me First"...I labeled it undavertised free bonuses input links to cpa (pay-per-lead) offers in the pdf.


    It works very well!
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  • Profile picture of the author marketpride
    can this be used with softwares which are sold? Or with only free downloads? Could help with few sales so thanks for the tip.
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