Making money by giving away free stuff?

Let's say you make some software, a PHP script or you write an ebook and you give it away for free...How would you monetize it? How would you make money from it?

Thanks!

 

I am giving you a basic idea: You can use cpa gateways so that whenever someone wants to download that, he/she must complete a survey or something similar to that. You can also use these free stuffs to build up a list which may become beneficial for you in the longer run.

 

here's a few ideas:

- adsense/affiliate ads on your website.
- sign up to download and sell leads.
- ask for donations.
- have a basic version and full version (paid)

 

Content gateways such as ones from CPA networks like Adscend Media and CPAlead would be the best suggestion since you can protect your file downloads until the user completes a survey which equals revenue for you.

 

You can sell link at the ebook.
For example hosting company affiliate link.

 

If you make some software or a PHP script and give it away for free, you may take money for "Powered By" link removal or take money for customization service or modifications.

 

Like some others mentioned, you can try incentiveized ads, basically you get like ~1 per download

 

You can insert ads on your software or script and you can insert affiliate links on your ebook.

 

build a mailing list and market other stuff to it

 

defiantely go with the mailing list option, you know you have a group of targeted people then which you can sell numerous products too. Start making a sales funnel.

 

Depends on what you are doing. I am currently giving away every adult tool in the arsenal for you to make money.

I will split all revenue with your 50/50, however you need to be on my web hosting. Since you are not licensing content. You are only using mine.

 

Capture people's e-mail and name to make more money on the backend.

 

I am a newbie with only part time 4 months experience and I understand your question.
I got to know many Internet marketers build a list of tens of thousand and try to sell products LATER TO THE SUBSCRIBERS.

Normally it is squeeze page (only one page) with Form to capture your name and email address,offering Free products.
The ONLY PURPOSE of this page is GET NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS.

For instance if you see my signature below,Free eBook is stated.
I am aiming that someone clicks/visits the site and provides NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS in exchange of FREE EBOOK.

That is the way it works.

 

You can give the Ebook for free beside that you can sell the necessary tools to the users.

 

At least do not tell Cpaleads sites b'coz in my country i am not able to visit that site. If you want to earn money adsense is the right at least we can not tell they are fraud one.

 

I've tried this a lot of different ways, and the only thing that seems to work (for my products anyway) is to offer two products: a basic (free) version, and some sort of up-sell to a premium product. The trick is to get your visitors hooked on your product, but limit it enough so that it's easier to sell a premium version of it.

 

Agreed with the above post. Sell a premium version or "plugins" if you are giving away software or a script. When it comes to ebooks and such, usually you capture the email address and use an auto-responder to provide a series of related valuable information. Every so often throw in a related affiliate offer or upsell. If you were giving away a make money online ebook, you could upsell coaching services, video course, recommend hosting, etc. (just an example)

 

Use it to build a brand.

 

You can request donations or integrate ads

 

Lock your content with a network like leadbolt. You earn money every time a user is presented with ads and takes one of them. Give it a try. Of course then collecting emails and afterwards putting adsense on the page means you may get to maximize your earnings even more.