The end of Free Content as we know it?

How can you charge for content?

There is a very interesting post at Put Things Off about how to make money on your blog or website when you’re actually giving away lots of free information. Don’t your readers expect to be given the answers they are looking for without paying a penny? So, what information do you give away, what do you charge for as a service, and what do you sell as a infoproduct? (An infoproduct is a product that is essentially information, in the form of a hard copy book/CD, or downloadable file.)

This is something I’ve given a lot of thought. Sean D’Souza taught me that you give away ideas, but sell systems. For example, you can give away information on what to do (and why), but sell the information on how (and where and when) to do it. Or, you give away the ‘beginner level’ content and charge for more advanced content.

Let’s say that you are a Baby Naming Consultant, for the sake of an example. (I’ve never heard of a Baby Name Consultant before, but a quick Google search shows that I didn’t just invent the profession, it actually does exist. Who’d have thunk it?)

So, what information do you give away, what do you sell, and what do you charge for as a service?

You be tempted to start a blog with posts on how to name a baby (or a website with free articles on that topic) and sell advertising or display Google Adsense in the sidebar. And you’d have an About Me page advertising your baby name consulting service. But is that the only way to go? And would it be the best way?

Here’s what I personally would do, off the top of my head:

Give Away: A free downloadable short report on ‘How to decide on a single baby name from your final shortlist’

Sell (low cost): A $7 report on ‘How to avoid choosing the wrong name for your baby’

Sell (next step, higher cost): A $49 book of great but uncommon baby names

Paid service (very high cost): A personal service to walk an expectant parent through the process of naming a baby

So why give away a free report that deals with the final step of the naming process? Well, my gut feeling is that most expectant parents expect to have to choose a single name from a shortlist eventually, even if they’re not at that stage yet. So they will download the report.

But what if they choose a name that they end up not being happy with? The free report only outlines a decision-making process (compare the first name on the list with the second name on the list, choose the one they like best, then compare that one with the next on the list, rinse and repeat). It doesn’t tell them how to distinguish a ‘perfect’ name from a ‘wrong’ name (e.g. avoid ex-partners’ names).

So at the end of the free report, there’s a small section advertising the $7 report on how to choose a name their child won’t end up disowning them over. And what expectant parent wouldn’t spend a mere $7 to ensure that doesn’t happen?

By the way, $7 or $9 is what I’d charge for this product, because it’s just low enough to not be too much of a financial risk (“Oh well, worst case is that I waste $7″) but high enough that if you sell 100, that’s $700 in your pocket. Sell $1,000 and it’s $7,000.

So, the $7 report explains how to choose a name that everyone will love forevermore, but it doesn’t actually suggest any actual names that fit that criteria. So that’s where the $49 book of great but uncommon baby names comes in.

Now the expectant parent is armed with a decision-making process, a ‘what not to do’ guide, and a long list of great names. If the parent still can’t find the perfect name, it’s time to hire the consultant. The consultant surely knows what she is doing because she has already taught the parent so much useful information, right? So there is enough trust and credibility built to make the jump to a high-end service.

Now there is a clear path for your prospective clients to follow:

1. Free report

2. Cheap report

3. Expensive (but valuable) book (hard copy and/or eBook, or maybe audio/CD)

4. Personal Service

It doesn’t have to end there, either. You could have a whole range of $7 reports that solve other problems related to choosing baby names, all leading to the book and the service as next steps. You could have more books/CD’s too – maybe a $25, $49, $79, and $150 product line. And a range of services, too, of course.

So, put some thought into how you plan to make an income from your knowledge in a structured way, rather than just posting free information and hoping for advertising revenue and high-paying clients.

This is the route I plan to take with this site. What do you think? Questions? Arguments?

The End of Free Content | Put Things Off.