Written by: Vickie Sullivan | March 23, 2021
The Content Marketing Dilemma: What Should Be Free?
An age-old question all thought leaders face: What content should you give away and what type is worthy of an exchange?
While handy enough, this article from the Content Marketing Institute reveals the temptation to focus on placement and tactics. It’s easier to come up with calls to action than to address the bigger obstacle:
In a sea of free stuff, what content makes folks exchange something of value for it?
This is a delicate dance. In a crowded content-marketing game, you have to bring your “A” game. If you go too far, though, you condition potential clients into believing the free stuff is good enough. You end up with a community of people who give kudos but don’t buy.
Listen: How to Separate Free and Premium Content
3 Content Buckets
To avoid that “good enough” pitfall, you must first make a decision. And formats (video, infographics, etc.) can’t be part of that choice. Your content must go in one of three buckets:
1. Free. This showcases your value. It has to be unique enough to differentiate your contribution but not so much help that folks stay in this bucket.
2. Premium, almost-free. With this type, people give you something of value. In most cases, they give their contact information in exchange for an ebook, white paper, or tool. Sometimes it’s payment for a book you wrote or access to an online class. But the content has be compelling enough that the recipient is willing to give something up. It can’t be something they can get for free.
3. Must-have. This is what people pay the most for, and it’s why your clients keep coming back for more. They know this help isn’t available anywhere else.
In the spirit of wanting to educate, a lot of people leave everything on the field. (And they hope it’s enough to attract leads.) Instead, step back and ask yourself: Who gets what?
Now Read This:
- Want to Stand Out? Tell Cool Stories
- Strategic Sounding Boards Give Real-World Advice for When the Rubber Meets the Road