We all do it I guess: give something away for free to stimulate interest in our online promotions, an e-book here; a report there, whatever elsewhere.

But can you really build an asset out of giving stuff away?

I believe you can and Ill tell you why.

I have dozens of small web businesses in diverse fields and one site in particular drives traffic in droves to most of the others.

Thats its job. Its a portal; a catalyst and its good at what it does.

You know what though?

I have been consistently and unwittingly underestimating the power of its innate potential to build an asset, a priceless asset.

Until recently this valuable catalyst had no opt-in facility, no newsletter.

Crazy - and it took my ten year-old granddaughter to point out the error of my ways.

Here is the 4-point action plan I implemented to persuade her I wasnt a terminally doddering old duffer.

1. I set up a dedicated subscription web page offering targeted visitors a bumper bundle of goodies to opt-in and sign up for a free newsletter I have yet to launch.

2. I emailed my existing lists directing members to the bumper bundle page.

3. I installed the script for an opt-in responder form on the home page of the portal.

4. I inserted a link in most of my other websites.

That was several weeks ago and already its showing signs of paying off.

I am averaging around 30 sign-ups per day and my new list currently stands at 1300+

The subscription site is an ugly duckling - but so what the technique is working.

If you would like a sneak peek at how Im building an asset out of giving stuff away for free, you might like to visit the site featured in the resource box below.