Amplify Your Blog’s Giveaway and Build a Community Based on True Value

When I started Top Shelf Blogging I wanted to make sure I gave you something that would help you on your own blogging journey

That’s the point of a free giveaway right?

I get a new email subscriber and you get something of value in return. It’s a win-win.

By following this logic, I also establish the foundation for a new relationship with you going forward.

Where I Screwed Up My Blog Giveaway

I’ve done giveaways before and many times, unfortunately, they’ve been the quickest thing I could put together.

I wanted to just get something up on my website to make sure I had something to offer.

The content ended up wrong in so many ways. It missed the pain point of my community and simply wasn’t high enough quality.

I used the wrong approach.

I chased the hope of building a massive audience and mailing list quickly versus forming a true community based on value.

Forget What You Think

When considering what to give your online community as part of your blog’s opt-in process, it is important to switch your perspective.

Act as if you are a brand new visitor to your site.

What would you want if you landed there? What could that person give to you that would make your life a whole lot easier?

Boost the Sh*t Out of Whatever You Create

Take whatever you identify as the optimal free offer for your blog and build it. But don’t stop there.

You need to take whatever your first product is and elevate it. Amplify the offer to make it truly a must-have for your visitors.

That’s precisely what I did when I launched Top Shelf Blogging.

I sat down and figured out that most bloggers want tools and resources.

I could have easily created a one or two page PDF with a top ten list of tools for bloggers. You know, the standard list that all bloggers see all over the place.

But I wanted to go further.

I wanted to provide my blog visitors with a beautiful, neatly organized, reference point for a shit ton of tools. Tools they could use over and over again.

My giveaway would serve as their go-to resource when they needed it.

I damn near jumped out of my chair in excitement.

I looked in my Evernote folder labeled “Tools” and saw a long list of resources I had captured over my years of blogging.

Which ones should I choose?

Which ones do I believe are the most important?

Therein lies the problem. What is important to you may mean nothing to those in your community.

If you decide to figure out what is best for your audience, then you are wasting your time and will most likely miss the mark anyway.

I figured, instead of holding back and potentially providing the wrong goodies, why not go further?

Instead of filtering and selecting tools I thought were important, I remembered I was amplifying my offer, and said, “Screw it. Let’s give them all away!”

And I did just that.

It Might Be a Pain in the Ass, But It’s Worth It in the End (no pun intended)

I then set out on a journey of collecting, editing, organizing, writing, and designing a badass guide that contains all of the tools I had ever come across.

It was a lot of work. And there were times I wanted to cry and just make it stop.

But, I chose to suck it up and push through the sometimes monotonous task of adding, formatting, and linking each tool.

Trust me, it was a drain.

That’s what separates your giveaway from others though. The fact that you are willing to put in the extra work to help others out.

That goes a long way in portraying not only the value you have to offer but also the type of person you are.

If you half-ass it, people will see right through you. But if you put in the work and craftsmanship, your attention to detail and passion for the product will definitely resonate with your reader.

Your Takeaway

When you sit down to determine what your free giveaway might be for your own blog, remember to amplify it.

Take it to the next level. Really seek to wow your followers.

In my case, I created a resource guide for bloggers that has over 200 tools and resources neatly organized in 50 categories over 37 pages! (yes, I’m proud)

The guide is artistic and professionally done because I believe in the quality of design.

I also went beyond by adding hyperlinks to every single resource, allowing the reader to learn more or to get the tool themselves right from the guide.

Yes, this made the project extra long, but it was worth it.

Whatever you end up offering on your blog, make it some of your best shit. Don’t be afraid to give away the good stuff.

As the old saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression.

Give them something that knocks them on their ass and you are much more likely to have them become a valued member of your blog’s community.