Comments on: To Free or Not to Free? http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/ Erica Douglass, "temporarily retired" after selling a successful business at age 26, writes thought-provoking blog entries challenging you to change your life and daring you to become more successful. Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:01:05 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John Sylvester, (People and Strategy) http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2047 John Sylvester, (People and Strategy) Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:15:11 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1462#comment-2047 If you look out at the music industry, beverage, social media and a few others there are real struggles with this area. If your business model is one where you believe that you can translate eyes into dollars then it makes sense. People will pay by paying attention in the future across many of these spaces. Just make sure that your playing in the right field when it comes to free... If you look out at the music industry, beverage, social media and a few others there are real struggles with this area. If your business model is one where you believe that you can translate eyes into dollars then it makes sense. People will pay by paying attention in the future across many of these spaces. Just make sure that your playing in the right field when it comes to free…

]]> By: Pace Smith http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2046 Pace Smith Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:26:44 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1462#comment-2046 This is a great summary of the issues involved, Erica. I'll point people to this post when they ask why we give away many of our products for free and charge for others. You said it just as well as I could have. (: This is a great summary of the issues involved, Erica. I’ll point people to this post when they ask why we give away many of our products for free and charge for others. You said it just as well as I could have. (:

]]> By: Captain-Rob http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2026 Captain-Rob Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:09:42 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1462#comment-2026 Ahoy Erica, Nice article. It reminds me of something called the Bikini Principle. Give away 90% of your services for free, build a reputation, and charge well for the extra 10%. There are as many business models as there are businesses. You have to pick a model that suits you and your business and run with it. Then adjust constantly as you grow.... Rob Ahoy Erica,

Nice article. It reminds me of something called the Bikini Principle. Give away 90% of your services for free, build a reputation, and charge well for the extra 10%.

There are as many business models as there are businesses. You have to pick a model that suits you and your business and run with it. Then adjust constantly as you grow….

Rob

]]> By: Jason R. Ayers http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2045 Jason R. Ayers Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:21:14 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1462#comment-2045 Creating a great free product as a front-end offer can cause your prospective buyer to say, "WOW! If this person's free content is this good, what's the paid content worth?" IF you invest the time to deliver high-quality content. Just make sure your free content leaves them wanting more of what you have to offer. Creating a great free product as a front-end offer can cause your prospective buyer to say, “WOW! If this person’s free content is this good, what’s the paid content worth?” IF you invest the time to deliver high-quality content.

Just make sure your free content leaves them wanting more of what you have to offer.

]]> By: Mrs. Micah http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2044 Mrs. Micah Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:11 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1462#comment-2044 You don't have to have an audience full of buyers to make a full-time income. I know a couple personal finance bloggers (and I'm using "know" less loosely here) who do very well in SEO and make $3k/month with AdSense. It's not their only income, but $36k/year is a living, especially if you're single/DINK and can budget. So I don't think you can infer that every blogger who makes a full-time living from their blog has an audience full of buyers. As someone who gives blogging advice, you have a lot of pull with newer bloggers, so choose your assertions carefully. I agree with some of the main points of your post, including that once reputation is earned, then it can be banked. You don’t have to have an audience full of buyers to make a full-time income. I know a couple personal finance bloggers (and I’m using “know” less loosely here) who do very well in SEO and make $3k/month with AdSense. It’s not their only income, but $36k/year is a living, especially if you’re single/DINK and can budget. So I don’t think you can infer that every blogger who makes a full-time living from their blog has an audience full of buyers. As someone who gives blogging advice, you have a lot of pull with newer bloggers, so choose your assertions carefully.

I agree with some of the main points of your post, including that once reputation is earned, then it can be banked.

]]> By: Ray http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2043 Ray Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:08:40 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1462#comment-2043 "Erica: I know 100% for certain that J.D.’s audience is FULL of buyers. They buy products left and right. How do I know? Simple: Because J.D. makes a full-time income from his blog." "JD: It’s true that I’ve been able to make a living from Get Rich Slowly, but that’s not really because my audience buys thing. Some folks do buy things, but much of my income has come from people who sign up for services (like bank accounts, etc.). These don’t cost them anything." You had to know he would read this. “Erica: I know 100% for certain that J.D.’s audience is FULL of buyers. They buy products left and right. How do I know? Simple: Because J.D. makes a full-time income from his blog.”

“JD: It’s true that I’ve been able to make a living from Get Rich Slowly, but that’s not really because my audience buys thing. Some folks do buy things, but much of my income has come from people who sign up for services (like bank accounts, etc.). These don’t cost them anything.”

You had to know he would read this.

]]> By: Natalie at fabeetle http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2027 Natalie at fabeetle Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:52:22 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1462#comment-2027 Great article. "...sell a product based on what your audience wants. If you already have an audience, survey them (I talk about this in my Blog Success Manifesto." I'm a fan of ratings and reviews. Your response to Neil's delima is a good solution. It is a good tip on how to take the second step in social commerce. Natalie Why do you save & invest? fabeetle iPhone giveaway http://www.fabeetle.com/giveaway Great article.

“…sell a product based on what your audience wants. If you already have an audience, survey them (I talk about this in my Blog Success Manifesto.”

I’m a fan of ratings and reviews. Your response to Neil’s delima is a good solution. It is a good tip on how to take the second step in social commerce.

Natalie
Why do you save & invest?
fabeetle iPhone giveaway
http://www.fabeetle.com/giveaway

]]> By: Charles J Gervasi http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2042 Charles J Gervasi Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:10:16 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1462#comment-2042 This makes me think of how this would apply to hardware products. Maybe I could give away all files needed to make a product but also offer an assembled one with a warranted. If volumes are low, and therefore mfg cost high, I could also offer the product as a user-assembled kit until the volumes increase. This makes me think of how this would apply to hardware products. Maybe I could give away all files needed to make a product but also offer an assembled one with a warranted. If volumes are low, and therefore mfg cost high, I could also offer the product as a user-assembled kit until the volumes increase.

]]> By: Start Internet Business http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2041 Start Internet Business Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:10:42 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1462#comment-2041 <a href="http://yourowninternetbiz.blogspot.com/2009/08/setting-prices.html" rel="nofollow">Setting prices</a> is sometimes one of the major stumbling block of most online entrepreneurs. Difficulty in setting prices is experienced not only by startup businesses but also established businesses. Offering something for free to your target audience is a good way of building a good reputation online. I haven't looked at it that way before. Thanks for the great tips! Setting prices is sometimes one of the major stumbling block of most online entrepreneurs. Difficulty in setting prices is experienced not only by startup businesses but also established businesses.

Offering something for free to your target audience is a good way of building a good reputation online. I haven’t looked at it that way before. Thanks for the great tips!

]]> By: Nikc http://www.erica.biz/2009/to-free-or-not-to-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2040 Nikc Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:44:49 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1462#comment-2040 JD, I read your blog and didn't know you had an ebook about Roth IRAs. I'd be really curious to check it out. JD, I read your blog and didn’t know you had an ebook about Roth IRAs. I’d be really curious to check it out.

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