Offering sample issues--vs. trial subscriptions--on the internet.

Fred Goss has raised the question previously about whether or not to use sample issues in direct mail campaigns. The question also exists on the internet.

Many newsletter publishers say the only way to sell subs on the internet is to offer a free trial subscription, not a free issue. But I had an investment newsletter publisher who refused to give a trial subscription, saying that gave away too much content. So I agreed to see if a single sample issue could work.

Previously, this newsletter allowed a PDF sample issue to be downloaded, without requiring a sign-up. We changed that to a free special report and a free issue in return for a sign-up. (The big marketing emphasis was on the report, with the issue thrown in as an extra.) The report was 8 tips, which we culled from a for-sale report with 62 tips.

The addition of the free report kept us from losing leads because we got as many to sign up for both as had previously downloaded the single issue. And the number of internet-based subs we received has jumped from 3-4 per month to 6-8.

Then we designed a formula for a monthly ezine to non-buyers. Each contained a single recommended stock, followed by copy that stated that an even better stock was mentioned in the current issue of the newsletter. (And, fortunately for them, they could get a copy of that newsletter by ordering through "the link below"!)

Each issue of the ezine (4 so far) has brought in at least 3 new subs and as many as 8. Added to the increase in unidentified internet subs, this method of selling with a single sample issue (with free report) has tripled the order volume.