How To Navigate The Content Waters…
With so much content available for free:
- How do you justify payment?
- Is it possible to give away too much for free?
- Where do you draw the line?
These are questions that come up a lot with my clients. Navigating the content waters can be a struggle at times. Because let’s face it, there’s a multitude of free content on the internet.
Many business owners struggle because they don’t know where to draw the line.
Ever wonder what to give away for free?
If so, you’re not alone.
Let’s make this simple and eliminate this trouble once and for all.
Let me break it down for you…
The three core differences:
#1 – Free content is about “what” and “why”.
In contrast, paid content is the step-by-step, “how to”. Oftentimes, paid content is the, “do it with you” tactical steps to achieve (the specific thing) you’re seeking. It can also be, the avoidance or solution to the future pains and pitfalls you might not yet be seeing.
When producing free content, one of the questions I’d ask you to consider… “What concepts does my ideal audience need to know, understand, or believe before they’re ready to buy my products? Kind of like the prerequisites.
#2 – Free content, most often, are theoretical tips, opinions, or concepts.
On the other hand, paid content are proven systems, formulas, or blueprints.
Paid services are tactical step-by-step methodologies.
The best ones are easily likened to a GPS or exact roadmap to get you exactly where you’re going.
If you were headed somewhere unfamiliar, somewhere you’ve never been, would you just aimlessly hop in your car and go? Or would you be more likely to plan, map out the trip, estimate the timeframe, and have a clear vision or picture of what it looks like when you get there?
As illustrated above, paid services are where all the thousands of pieces of the puzzle begin to fit together in succession. In the best-paid programs, you’ll learn when to focus on “what” and how to achieve a specific outcome or result.
In business, knowing the proper order of operations is priceless.
#3 – Free content, yes valuable but only a small sliver of the entire picture.
It may even be fundamental, fluffy, motivational, or inspirational.
Valuable it may be, but as you consume, have you asked yourself the following:
- Is this something I need right now?
- What is its long-time worth and value?
If you’re stuck or overloaded, are you overloaded with all the free information?
On the other hand, paid content is not only valuable but it’s specifically detailed and designed to produce a particular result.
And, if you’re the one who is producing the content, you’ll want your free content to be just the foundation and the paid content to be more advanced.
The paid content should paint a more complete picture with specific examples and details to supplement or complete the topic. It will include “cross-sectional” details for the completion of the entire blueprint and structure.
Examples of Free Content vs Paid Content:
On social media, people share just enough to understand particular concepts so that people can go out on their own and piece together how to make it all work.
For sure, that’s valuable. And a very small percentage of people will actually do that. It can be done but it’s not common and highly unlikely.
However, in paid programs, consulting, courses, or coaching, people walk with you and illustrate the step-by-step process of how to put together an entire company system, program, process, sales funnel, tactics, etc. in great detail.
Inviting a client to see behind the scenes of your business is valuable. It’s kind of like allowing them to peek behind the curtain to see if they are pushing the right buttons and pulling the right levers. That’s valuable. And strategically, that’s exactly what you are seeing inside paid courses and coaching programs.
Look for more soon and I’ll invite you to peek behind the scenes and see more about paid content. I’ll share with you the significance of building service, entertainment, and education into your content and I’ll provide more specific examples of using “modalities” for your free and paid offerings.
All in all, it’s really that simple!
Want more examples of how to Kick-Start Your Creativity With A Few Content Ideas, grab them by clicking the link in blue above.
And, if the time is right for you to get paid for what you know, I encourage you to reach out about the Freedom, Wealth & Brilliance Accelerator. Inside, you can quickly learn “how to” monetize your knowledge into a $5k, $10k, or more speaking gig, online course, system, or your own membership site or platform. If that’s you, let’s hop on a call and discuss whether you’re a fit for the program.
Why delay? Reach out to our team today!