Thanks for being a customer here's a free ____. Join now and receive a free ____. Give us your email address and get a free ____. Fill in the blanks.

Free is a nice appetizer but it's not what carries the day. What carries the day is the value we bring to those we are serving. Whether we serve them through our products or services, if the value we bring doesn't far exceed the "free" gift we've lost the relationship before it even begins. No value = no loyalty.

Now, what if something that is free also has extreme value? We've then put ourselves in a better position to win and have a lasting relationship from the beginning. For a great example of free and extreme value check out sites like Michael Hyatt, Chris Brogan, John Jantsch and Scott Ginsberg. These are guys who have offered extreme value for free and are building huge tribes of raving fans. AND, a lot of their fans are doing business with them in some way. The appetizer was so amazing that their fans can't get enough and are happy and willing to pay for more.

So, what can you give away on your way to creating loyalty?