Bundles and giveaways are a great way to build your list. And, as you know, having a list is the absolute best thing you can do for your business.
The main difference between bundles and giveaways is this: A bundle is typically a paid product, and people contribute higher value products to them. For example, in my bundles we have a $27 minimum value on any products that you contribute.
A giveaway is typically free for the customer. They sign up to the organizer’s list when they register for the giveaway and then opt-in to receive any individual gifts they want from the giveaway contributors. Here you will most likely see smaller $10-$20 products being offered, but some people also offer high-value items as well.
If you are wanting to contribute to a giveaway or a bundle, here are a few ways to find them…
Ask People You Know
If you’re already part of groups on Facebook or LinkedIn for bloggers or business owners in your niche, simply ask. There might be group members who know of upcoming bundles and will point you in the right direction.
Don’t be discouraged if someone posts about a bundle that’s already over. Keep a list of these bundles as many creators offer them regularly. That means they might be looking for a fresh round of contributors in just a few weeks or months.
One of my favorites is the Build Your Successful Online Business Giveaway, and it runs almost every month. As a matter of fact, it’s open for contributors for May’s event right now and you can sign up here to become a contributor.
Do Your Research
Before you get involved with a bundle, take some time to do a bit of research first. You want to make sure that the creator and the contributors are worthy of your audience. If it seems like there’s something fishy or if the contributors don’t honor their deals, then don’t sign up.
Just like in real life, you will be painted with the same brush as those you associate with. If you hang out with scammy marketers, your audience will think you’re the same way. They won’t trust you and you’ll need to spend extra time repairing your reputation.
The best thing to do is ask questions. Before I got involved with the giveaway I mentioned above, I asked other contributors and co-hosts about their experiences. Hearing good results from people I know, like, and trust made it an easy decision for me to take part.
Connect with Event Organizers
Once you’ve found a few bundles that look legitimate, connect with the organizers behind-the-scenes. Follow them on Twitter or Instagram. Subscribe to their mailing list and comment on their blog posts. Get a feel for who they are and the community they’re trying to create.
Engaging with them and their audience gives an event organizer a chance to get to know you too. Many event organizers are pretty careful about who they let contribute. That’s because they don’t want to be associated with a business owner who lacks integrity and puts together sub-standard products.
But when you show up in their community and you bring value, you automatically set yourself apart from the crowd. Now you’re no longer a faceless contributor but a business owner who cares about serving your mutual audience.
Bundles and giveaways are a wonderful way to grow your mailing list. But don’t just join up with the first one you see. Take your time to do your research and only participate in bundles that will benefit your community.