Free stuff, an eye catching title for sure. But before you say, hey this is click bait, let me explain.
Today’s post is about the concept of giving material away for free. No charge for your work. To an extent.
Free Stuff
The model today is give stuff away for free. Charge for premium material but the lower end, basics stuff? Free.
Whether you believe in it or not, the question you must seriously ponder is simple. Should I charge for content or other material or just give it away.
Before you say no, think of what your goal is.
The Goal
I was speaking with a client recently who I will keep anonymous in case they are reading. The subject came up of whether or not to require contact info before having access to some free videos.
The videos are nice, high quality, information and yes free. But only if you submit your contact info. So in other words, free but with a catch.
So I asked a question. After watching the videos, what is the goal. What call to action do you want the user to perform.
I Want Customers
Getting customers is the goal. Yet a barrier is in place. A free class is no longer free. The chance to give of yourself at no charge is obscured. The chance to build that emotional back account is lost.
If I give something, regardless of how big or small, the recipient feels some level of indebtedness to me. Though that was not my intention, I have started to build the emotional bank account. I now have a balance. Albeit small. But it’s better than zero.
54%
Consumers are 54% along in the purchasing process before they ever reach out to a sales person.
In other words, they have already done more than half if not all of their research. And chances are, whoever provides the resources for such research is the one they will contact first.
That person in which they feel some level of indebtedness has the first chance to convert the sale.
Two Years
I previously wrote a macro-economics blog. Many moons ago. And I wrote for free for two years. Yes two years with easily fifty plus posts a month (equivalent of 600,000 words). I received nothing for my efforts from a monetary standpoint.
But the day I did decide to monetize my site I was able to ring the register overnight. Why? Because after two years of giving of myself I had enough in the emotional bank account to make a withdrawal.
Readers trusted me. I had become part of their daily online surfing routine. I was no longer a stranger asking for a sale. Even though we never met, I was now a friend.
And why? Because the relationship started by giving away free stuff.