Free teleclasses are a great way to build your list, and develop a great relationship with people already on your list.  Why? 

1. You get contact information, including addresses.  There’s always a possibility that email will not work as a cheap marketing tool in the future.  If you have a free teleclass and have your people sign up through your shopping cart, you capture their mailing address as well as their email.  Then, you can send them old-fashioned snail mail — thus diversifying your promotion efforts, and decreasing your reliance on just one form of communication.
2. You can advertise in seminar listings and calendars.  Most of my free teleclasses are listed in online and print class and calendar directories, which are either low cost (under $10) or free — and a great way to pull in new people.
3. Giving away info for free builds goodwill.  By giving away a little bit of your wisdom, your list moves from being just readers to being converts.
4. Others will promote free stuff for you.  Typically, you can get J/V’s and other list owners to promote your free stuff to their lists, without having to give them anything — just as a good value-added service to their list.
5. Free teleclasses are cheap and easy.  No need to rent out space, order food, or send out paper mailings.  Just get a free bridge line and a low cost ($20/mo) autoresponder service and go.
6. They force you to create content.  These people are showing up to hear you talk, so you must put together something to say. 
7. You have a special report at the end.  Just record your call and pay to have it transcribed ($50-$100), spend a few minutes creating headings (or have your VA do that), and you have your Special Report.
8. You get your list used to "buying" from you.  Yes, it’s free, but "buying" a free teleclass is the first step in your leads paying you money.
9. Your list learns more about you.  It’s hard to get to know someone just by reading their writing.  By listening to you speak for an hour, your list gets to know your personality and decide if you are a right match for their needs.
10. You create need in your list for your solutions.  If you have a product or service to promote, you can have a teleclass that helps your list feel the need for the solution that you are offering to them.  Then, at the end of the call, if they have the need, they immediately want to buy your solution.
11. You get feedback from your list.  Teleclasses are a great test.  Whether no one signs up, you get 20% of your list to sign up, no one asks questions, everyone is confused, people thank you for the information, no one buys what you promote … it’s all great feedback for next time.

Related posts:

1. 7+ Reasons to Add Video to Your Website
2. Behind the Launch of Build Your Tribe
3. Will You Live Your Great Work, or Let Your Soul Die?