Free non-profit product usage - helps promotion?

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by kozuch82, Jul 6, 2006.

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  1. #1
    Hi,

    I am thinking about giving my (electronic) products away for pure non-profit usage. I would like to do so because of 2 reasons:

    1. Because I want support non-profits
    2. To even more promote my brand and the paid business (= higher overall revenue)

    Does someone have experience with such a marketing? Any general hints?

    I know this is tricky because I actually would only "sell licences" for the business users, but I hope on people to be fair to me if I show this kindness to them. I know there will be still people abusing it, maybe from the less developed countries, but I would not mind this since they're also a kind of non-profit users to me...
     
    kozuch82, Jul 6, 2006 IP
  2. bunnybling

    bunnybling Peon

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    #2
    We've had very good succes donating services to worthy causes.

    A company with a social conscience always wins in my book.

    http://blingjam.net/psbling.htm
     
    bunnybling, Jul 6, 2006 IP
  3. kozuch82

    kozuch82 Peon

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    #3
    Hm,

    I almost abandoned the idea of a successful business living out of donations... But I definitely know this opinion is wrong. There's been tons of successful projects working like that.

    What I believe more in now is rather a MIX of different marketing techniques.
     
    kozuch82, Jul 6, 2006 IP
  4. srdjan

    srdjan Peon

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    #4
    I certainly agree that having a free usage could help. And, it could be used in several ways, but I would suggest the following:

    1. Develop a product that is completely free to use. That way, you can promote other products of yours that aren't. Couple of my friends have been doing this method, and it turned out to be very successful.

    2. Develop a product that is free for personal use. You had this method in mind, and I belive that many other guys have had it too (at least judging from ammount of software available online, with this free licence for pesonal use)!
     
    srdjan, Jul 6, 2006 IP
  5. kozuch82

    kozuch82 Peon

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    #5
    Hey,

    my problem is actually that I want to sell e-books and they are a little different from software - they are so much easier to use (only reading) that I am affraid of fast and huge unauthorized replication... :(

    I guess I will stay with the "traditional" sales model - the correct price can do a lot too. Thx for advices anyway.
     
    kozuch82, Jul 7, 2006 IP
  6. steve_gts

    steve_gts Active Member

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    #6
    There may be a way of making them available online so they can't be copied, something like .pdf format but something more difficult to copy.
     
    steve_gts, Jul 7, 2006 IP
  7. kozuch82

    kozuch82 Peon

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    #7
    Adobe's SecureServer (dont know the proper name) - that might work for securing PDFs.
     
    kozuch82, Jul 7, 2006 IP