If you are a newbie to the internet and have been just kind of exploring the world wide web on your own via search engines, directories and other navigational aids, you will probably have noticed that if you look hard enouph you will find a number of free offers and prizes, free samples, free informational E-Books, free newsletters, free coupons and a variety of other freebies out there, which are also sometimes spelled 'freebees'.
Yes the web is indeed full of these things. In fact ever since a certain former Vice President invented the internet a number of years ago and the first browsers as we know them today were invented soon thereafter, there has probably never been a better time to be a freebies hunter. And let's face it, finding freebies is fun! Who wouldn't like to be able to get freebies sent to them by mail such as free jelly beans, toothpaste, skin care and beauty products samples, coupons and gift certificates sent to them by mail just by filling out a brief online form in the comfort of their own home and at a time of their own choosing? If you own a website or want, you can go online and find free website hosts, free blog hosting companies and free webmaster tools such as freeware, free guestbooks or guestmaps, free content for your site, hit counters and a huge variety of related freebies. Of course, as with virtually every other good thing in life, there is a catch.
We all know by now that you rarely get something for nothing. When you apply for a freebie you obviously have to fill out a form with your mailing information and sometimes a survey as well. Therein lies the catch. Marketers use free offers in the hope that you will remember who gave it to you and purchase something from them in the future. They also have your contact information and now have a little information about you, such as what you interests are.
You will quite possible recieve related offers on similiar products in the future, and they probably will not be free. If you apply for free samples of lip gloss, for instance, expect to get brochures, catalogs or some other type of promotional material relating to make-up. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people like to be updated about such offers and new product deliveries. In many cases, it is a win-win situation. In some cases, however, you may get a lot of unwanted correspondence and, ahem, maybe even a little bit of that four letter word. Yes, maybe even a little bit of spam. maybe a lot if you fill out dozens or hundreds of freebies forms, like I have (it's my job. I have a tip that can help you, however.
Gte a 'throwaway' free email account with Yahoo or Hotmail and use that when you fill out these forms. That way your main email ox will not become inundated. Your postal address? Well you have to use that if you are requesting free samples. But postal mail is getting more expensive and junk mail mostly comes the electronic route these days.
Ryan Joseph is a writer/researcher. For more information about freebies and free samples visit http://www.aaronsfreebies.com