Comments on: When Should Bloggers Stop Giving it Away? http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/ Official News Blog of the World's Largest Social Media Conference & Tradeshow Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:11:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Free Books: A Viable Business Model? | WizardofeBooks.com http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/comment-page-1/#comment-19899 Free Books: A Viable Business Model? | WizardofeBooks.com Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:58:21 +0000 http://blog.blogworldexpo.com/?p=1598#comment-19899 [...] been particularly frustrated by the issue of what to give away, and what to sell, at any of the conventions and gatherings I’ve been to in 2009. Most of them have written the equivalent of several books and not gained a penny from their [...] [...] been particularly frustrated by the issue of what to give away, and what to sell, at any of the conventions and gatherings I’ve been to in 2009. Most of them have written the equivalent of several books and not gained a penny from their [...]

]]> By: Lucy http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/comment-page-1/#comment-19898 Lucy Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:51:08 +0000 http://blog.blogworldexpo.com/?p=1598#comment-19898 I would pay depending on the amount and the person. I have found a few blogs that contain so much valuable info. I visit all the time to stay up to date on how to keep my blog going. If I had to pay that blogger a little to help out I would. After all their imformation is helping me. The info would always have to be fresh though. Lucy I would pay depending on the amount and the person. I have found a few blogs that contain so much valuable info. I visit all the time to stay up to date on how to keep my blog going. If I had to pay that blogger a little to help out I would. After all their imformation is helping me. The info would always have to be fresh though.

Lucy

]]> By: Nicole http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/comment-page-1/#comment-19896 Nicole Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:39:35 +0000 http://blog.blogworldexpo.com/?p=1598#comment-19896 What if you, as a blogger could subscribe for free to a service that deliver brief content about only 5 selected topics and will pay you when you posted about something that you are passionate about that leads to a sale of somebody else's goods or services. Let's say you are an environmentalist and a solar panel company just found a way to make solar panel window shades for your car that would power your car and if your reader did choose to buy a window shade, you made a small sum. Would you want to know the latest about your new passions and be able to choose to tell your community about it? Would you choose to be paid or not? What if you, as a blogger could subscribe for free to a service that deliver brief content about only 5 selected topics and will pay you when you posted about something that you are passionate about that leads to a sale of somebody else’s goods or services. Let’s say you are an environmentalist and a solar panel company just found a way to make solar panel window shades for your car that would power your car and if your reader did choose to buy a window shade, you made a small sum. Would you want to know the latest about your new passions and be able to choose to tell your community about it? Would you choose to be paid or not?

]]> By: Diane Corriette http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/comment-page-1/#comment-19886 Diane Corriette Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:50:03 +0000 http://blog.blogworldexpo.com/?p=1598#comment-19886 James I have to agree with you. The thing is it may only be those who follow you and love what you stand for that join in at first but I still believe the more people who visit and enjoy what you write the more people you will attract towards investing in premium content. That is why people love blogging, it gives them an opportunity to "speak" to and reach out to their market and allow that market to get to know the real person behind the business. This then encourages that person to go on and buy CDs, classes, learning material, teleseminars and a host of other things so why not premium content? The new person who lands on your site and who has no clue who you are may not be interested. Even those who follow you for years may not be interested - but in among those long and loyal followers I truly believe will be people happy to buy. It is all about perceived value and meeting a need. I would say that it was impossible to charge for the NEWS with all the news sites on the internet but here it is....... <i>"Britain’s most prolific newspaper publisher began charging yesterday for some of its online content, in a closely watched move that could be copied across the country."</i> http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6938267.ece James I have to agree with you.

The thing is it may only be those who follow you and love what you stand for that join in at first but I still believe the more people who visit and enjoy what you write the more people you will attract towards investing in premium content.

That is why people love blogging, it gives them an opportunity to “speak” to and reach out to their market and allow that market to get to know the real person behind the business. This then encourages that person to go on and buy CDs, classes, learning material, teleseminars and a host of other things so why not premium content?

The new person who lands on your site and who has no clue who you are may not be interested. Even those who follow you for years may not be interested – but in among those long and loyal followers I truly believe will be people happy to buy.

It is all about perceived value and meeting a need.

I would say that it was impossible to charge for the NEWS with all the news sites on the internet but here it is…….

“Britain’s most prolific newspaper publisher began charging yesterday for some of its online content, in a closely watched move that could be copied across the country.”

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6938267.ece

]]> By: James Dalman http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/comment-page-1/#comment-19885 James Dalman Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:40:00 +0000 http://blog.blogworldexpo.com/?p=1598#comment-19885 I could write a book on this topic as I've been down this road many times before. It all starts because people have been preaching you should give it away for "free" ... but this is great advice on paper and easy to do if you're independently wealthy or sold your web company for a mint. The reality is however, we have to make money with our expertise/knowledge/training. What people don't usually know is the background - the training, time, and investment we (writers, designers, etc) have put into their craft in order to earn a living. And when we follow advice to give it all away for nothing, it only helps devalue what we do. I saw this in the screenprinting industry in the 80's. Most of those shops are now gone. For bloggers this is going to be a hell of a battle! It is going to take time to educate readers why they should place a value on your craft and invest in it financially. And they will need help to understand why you are hocking your wares online - can't write well from a cardboard box. Sorry for the book but that's why I am a huge opponent of free. I could write a book on this topic as I’ve been down this road many times before. It all starts because people have been preaching you should give it away for “free” … but this is great advice on paper and easy to do if you’re independently wealthy or sold your web company for a mint. The reality is however, we have to make money with our expertise/knowledge/training.

What people don’t usually know is the background – the training, time, and investment we (writers, designers, etc) have put into their craft in order to earn a living. And when we follow advice to give it all away for nothing, it only helps devalue what we do. I saw this in the screenprinting industry in the 80′s. Most of those shops are now gone.

For bloggers this is going to be a hell of a battle! It is going to take time to educate readers why they should place a value on your craft and invest in it financially. And they will need help to understand why you are hocking your wares online – can’t write well from a cardboard box.

Sorry for the book but that’s why I am a huge opponent of free.

]]> By: Determining the Purpose of a Blog http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/comment-page-1/#comment-19882 Determining the Purpose of a Blog Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:16:16 +0000 http://blog.blogworldexpo.com/?p=1598#comment-19882 [...] all the talk about earning money as a blogger, I think it’s important to determine the purpose of a blog. This isn’t one of those [...] [...] all the talk about earning money as a blogger, I think it’s important to determine the purpose of a blog. This isn’t one of those [...]

]]> By: Would You Pay To Read A Blog? http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/comment-page-1/#comment-19881 Would You Pay To Read A Blog? Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:19:31 +0000 http://blog.blogworldexpo.com/?p=1598#comment-19881 [...] or not bloggers should charge for posts hasn’t been limited to just this post, it has spanned to other blogs as well.  With premium content always being in demand, this is a topic that won’t be going away [...] [...] or not bloggers should charge for posts hasn’t been limited to just this post, it has spanned to other blogs as well.  With premium content always being in demand, this is a topic that won’t be going away [...]

]]> By: Should Bloggers Charge for Posts? | Men With Pens http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/comment-page-1/#comment-19879 Should Bloggers Charge for Posts? | Men With Pens Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:01:00 +0000 http://blog.blogworldexpo.com/?p=1598#comment-19879 [...] understand how to be in a secure and loving relationship with their readers. To hear them tell it, bloggers who don’t give it away have turned positively [...] [...] understand how to be in a secure and loving relationship with their readers. To hear them tell it, bloggers who don’t give it away have turned positively [...]

]]> By: Why People Will Pay for Content : Freelance Writing Jobs | The #1 Online Writing Community for Freelancers http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/comment-page-1/#comment-19877 Why People Will Pay for Content : Freelance Writing Jobs | The #1 Online Writing Community for Freelancers Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:17:18 +0000 http://blog.blogworldexpo.com/?p=1598#comment-19877 [...] people should pay for content public and received a variety of answers.  See my post “When Should Bloggers Stop Giving it Away” on the BlogWorld blog and James’ post “Are Bloggers Creating Their Own Sweat [...] [...] people should pay for content public and received a variety of answers.  See my post “When Should Bloggers Stop Giving it Away” on the BlogWorld blog and James’ post “Are Bloggers Creating Their Own Sweat [...]

]]> By: Carl Coryell-Martin http://www.blogworld.com/2009/12/01/when-should-bloggers-stop-giving-it-away/comment-page-1/#comment-19875 Carl Coryell-Martin Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:09:18 +0000 http://blog.blogworldexpo.com/?p=1598#comment-19875 I think it's very important to understand what you are selling when you think about selling blog posts. In my particular case, what you are selling me is the secretion of certain chemicals in my brain that feel great, and it only happens when I seek out and discover new and interesting ideas. If you start charging for blog posts, it enormously raises the cost of reading your content, even discounting the money invovled. Now I have to figure out where my credit card is, how much is left on my account w/ you, is it likely to be worth it compared to all the other ways that I could spend that money, etc etc etc. Also your not likely to be competing with other suppliers of the unique insight that you provide (and people pay you for in your classes) but for all the other vendors of brain stimulating information on the internet (of which there are many) all priced at a few clicks in twitter, google, netnewswire etc etc etc. I think you need to sell other products that I would be willing to pay for (like classes, consulting services, iphone apps, audio books, tools etc) or find advertisers who are willing to pay for a chance at my attention. I think that you are unlikely to be *the* innovator who figures out how to sell articles on the interwebs unless you figure out something more valuable to sell than brain candy and I'm someone who *paid* for access to salon.com back in the day. love, Carl Coryell-Martin I think it’s very important to understand what you are selling when you think about selling blog posts. In my particular case, what you are selling me is the secretion of certain chemicals in my brain that feel great, and it only happens when I seek out and discover new and interesting ideas.

If you start charging for blog posts, it enormously raises the cost of reading your content, even discounting the money invovled. Now I have to figure out where my credit card is, how much is left on my account w/ you, is it likely to be worth it compared to all the other ways that I could spend that money, etc etc etc. Also your not likely to be competing with other suppliers of the unique insight that you provide (and people pay you for in your classes) but for all the other vendors of brain stimulating information on the internet (of which there are many) all priced at a few clicks in twitter, google, netnewswire etc etc etc.

I think you need to sell other products that I would be willing to pay for (like classes, consulting services, iphone apps, audio books, tools etc) or find advertisers who are willing to pay for a chance at my attention.

I think that you are unlikely to be *the* innovator who figures out how to sell articles on the interwebs unless you figure out something more valuable to sell than brain candy and I’m someone who *paid* for access to salon.com back in the day.

love,

Carl Coryell-Martin

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