Comments on: The Cost of Free – and Why so Much is Free Online http://artlicensingblog.com/2010/02/09/the-cost-of-free-and-why-so-much-is-free-online/ Learn from experts in the art licensing industry Wed, 16 May 2012 17:40:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Jamie Beckland http://artlicensingblog.com/2010/02/09/the-cost-of-free-and-why-so-much-is-free-online/comment-page-1/#comment-650 Jamie Beckland Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:42:08 +0000 http://artlicensingblog.com/?p=2212#comment-650 Hi Tara, I think you do a great job of explaining *why* it is so important to do these free activities. It's something that I do also (webinars, white papers, etc), and I think the whole concept of FREE is really scary for a lot of large companies (hence, my blog post - thanks for the link!). I would go even further than Chris Anderson, though, and say that giving away ideas is a good thing. Ideas are easy to come up with, so why not give them away? What you can charge for is *implementation*. Anyone can have an idea, but not anyone can execute on that idea. That's where you can add value - knowing how to actually *do* something with an idea. Hi Tara,
I think you do a great job of explaining *why* it is so important to do these free activities. It’s something that I do also (webinars, white papers, etc), and I think the whole concept of FREE is really scary for a lot of large companies (hence, my blog post – thanks for the link!).

I would go even further than Chris Anderson, though, and say that giving away ideas is a good thing. Ideas are easy to come up with, so why not give them away?

What you can charge for is *implementation*. Anyone can have an idea, but not anyone can execute on that idea. That’s where you can add value – knowing how to actually *do* something with an idea.

]]> By: artisttarareed http://artlicensingblog.com/2010/02/09/the-cost-of-free-and-why-so-much-is-free-online/comment-page-1/#comment-639 artisttarareed Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:38:16 +0000 http://artlicensingblog.com/?p=2212#comment-639 Thanks for adding to the discussion! Great insights into the why and how of the internet freebies! Which I love but I also do my best to support those whose free products enhance my life or knowledge if I can by becoming a paying client. And of course as noted in the linked article that mentions <a href="http://www.freeconferencecall.com" rel="nofollow">FreeConferenceCall.com</a> - getting lots of people on my free calls monthly supports them because they earn from 3rd parties while giving me free solutions - THAT ROCKS! Thanks for adding to the discussion! Great insights into the why and how of the internet freebies! Which I love but I also do my best to support those whose free products enhance my life or knowledge if I can by becoming a paying client.

And of course as noted in the linked article that mentions FreeConferenceCall.com – getting lots of people on my free calls monthly supports them because they earn from 3rd parties while giving me free solutions – THAT ROCKS!

]]> By: artisttarareed http://artlicensingblog.com/2010/02/09/the-cost-of-free-and-why-so-much-is-free-online/comment-page-1/#comment-638 artisttarareed Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:35:38 +0000 http://artlicensingblog.com/?p=2212#comment-638 Barbara -- perhaps my readers might like a link to your amazing free info... then they will be even that much more ready to buy when we unveil our upcoming for-fee event! Barbara — perhaps my readers might like a link to your amazing free info… then they will be even that much more ready to buy when we unveil our upcoming for-fee event!

]]> By: The Pencilneck http://artlicensingblog.com/2010/02/09/the-cost-of-free-and-why-so-much-is-free-online/comment-page-1/#comment-637 The Pencilneck Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:12:54 +0000 http://artlicensingblog.com/?p=2212#comment-637 Hey Tara! Excellent post. I have a line of thought about 'free': basically, I believe free became the norm online because of the atrocious way people conducted business in the past. Previous generations have tons of examples of being taken or bambozzled so when the web generation came into it's own, they decided to take the line that online commerce was somehow evil (except of course when it came to stock options, but I risk digression) and that the world has the right to everything for free. Except that's not quite the whole story either...truth be told, one hell of a lot of people are just plain BAD at commercial pursuits, and if everything is free, they can assuage themselves that they're now doing the 'right thing' by giving it away, and it relives them (they think) from having to think about, build and execute a successful business. And there is no real free, as you point out. There's also a whole bunch of people who are more than willing to mop up everything they can for nothing, and are very smug about it. So yes, free is a perfectly valid method of lead generation and of establishing credibility and adding value, and while I know YOU understand this, the sad fact is that the majority of people have no real idea how to monetize their online businesses. There has to be a transaction somewhere. Free is a good part of the mix, but having profitable transactions is what makes the world go around - based on a sound exchange of value. Good for buyers. Good for sellers. Hey Tara! Excellent post. I have a line of thought about ‘free’: basically, I believe free became the norm online because of the atrocious way people conducted business in the past. Previous generations have tons of examples of being taken or bambozzled so when the web generation came into it’s own, they decided to take the line that online commerce was somehow evil (except of course when it came to stock options, but I risk digression) and that the world has the right to everything for free.

Except that’s not quite the whole story either…truth be told, one hell of a lot of people are just plain BAD at commercial pursuits, and if everything is free, they can assuage themselves that they’re now doing the ‘right thing’ by giving it away, and it relives them (they think) from having to think about, build and execute a successful business.

And there is no real free, as you point out. There’s also a whole bunch of people who are more than willing to mop up everything they can for nothing, and are very smug about it.

So yes, free is a perfectly valid method of lead generation and of establishing credibility and adding value, and while I know YOU understand this, the sad fact is that the majority of people have no real idea how to monetize their online businesses.

There has to be a transaction somewhere.

Free is a good part of the mix, but having profitable transactions is what makes the world go around – based on a sound exchange of value. Good for buyers. Good for sellers.

]]> By: Barbara Rozgonyi http://artlicensingblog.com/2010/02/09/the-cost-of-free-and-why-so-much-is-free-online/comment-page-1/#comment-636 Barbara Rozgonyi Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:38:31 +0000 http://artlicensingblog.com/?p=2212#comment-636 Hi Tara! Thanks for directing me here after we exchanged tweets about my second thoughts re: posting a keynote speech - audio and slides - for free on my blog. Because my social media session at a conference was overcrowded, I offered to present a webinar for those who couldn't get in. Then, I decided to post it with free access on my blog. Giving away free information does build trust and also demonstrates what you can do. As one successful consultant told me, "I tell everyone exactly how my system works. Then, they hire me because although they could manage the projects, they know I can do it better and faster." The presentation I posted is a high level overview that traverses the world of social media in about 60 minutes while setting the framework for next steps. Letting people know how to take the next steps is where conversion comes in. Thanks for prompting this discussion, Tara. Hi Tara! Thanks for directing me here after we exchanged tweets about my second thoughts re: posting a keynote speech – audio and slides – for free on my blog. Because my social media session at a conference was overcrowded, I offered to present a webinar for those who couldn’t get in. Then, I decided to post it with free access on my blog.

Giving away free information does build trust and also demonstrates what you can do. As one successful consultant told me, “I tell everyone exactly how my system works. Then, they hire me because although they could manage the projects, they know I can do it better and faster.”

The presentation I posted is a high level overview that traverses the world of social media in about 60 minutes while setting the framework for next steps. Letting people know how to take the next steps is where conversion comes in. Thanks for prompting this discussion, Tara.

]]> By: artisttarareed http://artlicensingblog.com/2010/02/09/the-cost-of-free-and-why-so-much-is-free-online/comment-page-1/#comment-635 artisttarareed Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:18:08 +0000 http://artlicensingblog.com/?p=2212#comment-635 Absolutely Nancy! Hopefully you never have a problem with a for-purchase product I make or recommend not delivering! :) Thank you for commenting! Absolutely Nancy! Hopefully you never have a problem with a for-purchase product I make or recommend not delivering! :) Thank you for commenting!

]]> By: Nancy http://artlicensingblog.com/2010/02/09/the-cost-of-free-and-why-so-much-is-free-online/comment-page-1/#comment-634 Nancy Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:57:21 +0000 http://artlicensingblog.com/?p=2212#comment-634 Free content is today's advertising. It is the method by which those with something to sell attempt to get the attention of buyers. Just as advertising costs money, so does free content. It is one of the costs of doing business in today's world. Most free content ends up being just an overview. To get the nuts and bolts, you have to buy the product. While all of us are guilty of wanting to get as much as we can for nothing, we are still willing to pay for things we want badly enough. The problem comes when the "product" doesn't deliver the detail the buyer expects. Free content is today’s advertising. It is the method by which those with something to sell attempt to get the attention of buyers. Just as advertising costs money, so does free content. It is one of the costs of doing business in today’s world.

Most free content ends up being just an overview. To get the nuts and bolts, you have to buy the product.

While all of us are guilty of wanting to get as much as we can for nothing, we are still willing to pay for things we want badly enough.

The problem comes when the “product” doesn’t deliver the detail the buyer expects.

]]> By: Daniel http://artlicensingblog.com/2010/02/09/the-cost-of-free-and-why-so-much-is-free-online/comment-page-1/#comment-633 Daniel Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:07:13 +0000 http://artlicensingblog.com/?p=2212#comment-633 Tara, Thanks for writing this - it needs to be said. There is a lot of great free info on the internet but at the end of the day the old adage, "You get what you pay for" still very much applies. The thing that many artists don't get is that they often pay a huge price for things in "opportunity cost". Meaning that all those things they do themselves for free using information from the internet take up time which should be spent creating art or calling galleries or collectors. One of the big differences between businesses and hobbyists (and I'm not bagging hobbyists - just making a distinction) is that businesses use their own resources on what they do best and outsource (and pay for) everything else. This always turns in the most profitable results. And if you want to be a commercially successful artist (and not just someone who calls them self a professional) you need to think like a business. Daniel. Tara,
Thanks for writing this – it needs to be said. There is a lot of great free info on the internet but at the end of the day the old adage, “You get what you pay for” still very much applies. The thing that many artists don’t get is that they often pay a huge price for things in “opportunity cost”. Meaning that all those things they do themselves for free using information from the internet take up time which should be spent creating art or calling galleries or collectors.

One of the big differences between businesses and hobbyists (and I’m not bagging hobbyists – just making a distinction) is that businesses use their own resources on what they do best and outsource (and pay for) everything else. This always turns in the most profitable results. And if you want to be a commercially successful artist (and not just someone who calls them self a professional) you need to think like a business.

Daniel.

]]> By: Will http://artlicensingblog.com/2010/02/09/the-cost-of-free-and-why-so-much-is-free-online/comment-page-1/#comment-632 Will Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:01:48 +0000 http://artlicensingblog.com/?p=2212#comment-632 Free content is a marketing strategy used to attract potential customers. They view the content on youtube, ezine articles, blog posts, etc and come to our site. But the challenge is getting those people you trained to expect free content to pay for things. It's like when 'they' told us not to lower our rates to match the competition, but now a lot of things are free. I guess the hope is that some percentage will pay for things while the rest don't probably adhering to the 80/20 rule :) Free content is a marketing strategy used to attract potential customers. They view the content on youtube, ezine articles, blog posts, etc and come to our site. But the challenge is getting those people you trained to expect free content to pay for things. It’s like when ‘they’ told us not to lower our rates to match the competition, but now a lot of things are free. I guess the hope is that some percentage will pay for things while the rest don’t probably adhering to the 80/20 rule :)

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