Does Free Content - Sell?

Written by Sam Vaknin


The answer is: no one knows. Many self-styled "gurus" and "pundits" - authors of voluminous tomes they sell torepparttar gullible - pretend to know.

But their "expertise" is an admixture of guesswork, superstitions, anecdotal "evidence" and hearsay. The sad truth is that no methodical, long term, and systematic research has been attempted inrepparttar 121494 nascent field of e-publishing and, more broadly, digital content onrepparttar 121495 Web. So, no one knows to say for sure whether free content sells, when, or how.

There are two schools - apparently equally informed byrepparttar 121496 dearth of hard data. One isrepparttar 121497 "viral school". Its vocal proponents claim thatrepparttar 121498 dissemination of free content fuels sales by creating "buzz" (word of mouth marketing driven by influential communicators). The "intellectual property" school roughly says that free content cannibalizes paid content mainly because it conditions potential consumers to expect free information. Free content also often serves as a substitute (imperfect but sufficient) to paid content.

Experience - though patchy - confusingly seems to points both ways.

Views and prejudices tend to converge around this consensus: whether free content sells or not depends on a few variables. They are:

(1) The nature ofrepparttar 121499 information. People are generally willing to pay for specific or customized information, tailored to their idiosyncratic needs, provided in a timely manner, and by authorities inrepparttar 121500 field. The more general and "featureless"repparttar 121501 information,repparttar 121502 more reluctant people are to dip into their pockets (probably because there are many free substitutes).

(2) The nature ofrepparttar 121503 audience. The more targetedrepparttar 121504 information,repparttar 121505 more it caters torepparttar 121506 needs of a unique, or specific group,repparttar 121507 more often it has to be updated ("maintained"),repparttar 121508 less indiscriminately applicable it is, and especially if it deals with money, health, sex, or relationships -repparttar 121509 more valuable it is andrepparttar 121510 more people are willing to pay for it. The less computer savvy users - unable to find free alternatives - are more willing to pay.

(3) Time dependent parameters. The morerepparttar 121511 content is linked to "hot" topics, "burning" issues, trends, fads, buzzwords, and "developments" -repparttar 121512 more likely it is to sell regardless ofrepparttar 121513 availability of free alternatives.

(4) The "U" curve. People pay for content ifrepparttar 121514 free information available to them is either (a) insufficient or (b) overwhelming. People will buy a book ifrepparttar 121515 author's Web site provides only a few tantalizing excerpts. But they are equally likely to buyrepparttar 121516 book if its entire full text content is available online and overwhelms them. Packaged and indexed information carries a premium overrepparttar 121517 same information in bulk. Consumer willingness to pay for content seems to decline ifrepparttar 121518 amount of content provided falls between these two extremes. They feel sated andrepparttar 121519 need to acquire further information vanishes. Additionally, free content must really be free. People resent having to pay for free content, even ifrepparttar 121520 currency is their personal data.

Who Are Your "Most Likely" Customers

Written by Noel Peebles


You'll notice I've usedrepparttar words "most likely" inrepparttar 121493 above question. Why didn't I just ask who are your customers?

That would have been too easy!

Effective research is all about askingrepparttar 121494 right questions. If I'd just asked who's your customer, you might have been tempted to answer "Well, I suppose everyone who pays me is a customer." Yes you're right, but I already knewrepparttar 121495 answer to that.

When you think about it, a "good business consultant" is not one who has allrepparttar 121496 right answers. I believe it'srepparttar 121497 opposite. A "good business consultant" isrepparttar 121498 one who knows allrepparttar 121499 right questions to ask.

>From experience I've found that if you askrepparttar 121500 right questions,repparttar 121501 answers will eventually become obvious. I've also discovered that many owners of small businesses knowrepparttar 121502 right answers; it's just that they've never asked themselvesrepparttar 121503 right questions.

That's why I rewordedrepparttar 121504 question to ask - who are your "most likely" customers? To answer that accurately you will have to really think about it. When you do, you'll soon conclude that your "most likely" customers are different from "Joe Public" (the general population).

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