Should Your Content Be Free?

Most of us have fallen for it at some point in time. We registered to get a piece of content, to find it was a little more than a product brochure with a compelling title and abstract.

As consumers, we quickly identify this as an annoying at best, at worst we rail against the company behind the practice, using terms like misleading, deceitful or dishonest.

As marketers, we work diligently to build brands and nurture positive perceptions. Respecting the audience by providing a fair value exchange for high value contact information is a necessary piece of the equation.

Pick up a piece of content. Is it valuable to you, as a marketer, to see broad distribution of that content? Does it provide proof of your value proposition, showcase the benefits of your product, or position your product well against competitors? If so, distribution of the content is likely more valuable to you than it is to the audience. Consider offering it for free. With no registration. Distribute the content broadly and without barriers. The mere distribution, without registration, is adding value to your business. Examples of this kind of content include product and company information, product demos or editorial-style content.

Pick up another piece of content. It provides information for the audience, about the industry, about trends, but it does not strongly position your brand. It is high value information to the audience, but its distribution does not build your business directly. Gate it. Promote it. Leverage it for what it is, a high value piece of content to the target audience, with little lost from lower consumption. Examples include research and forecasts, particularly from independent third parties.

Too close to your content? Talk to your agency or publications in your industry, and ask for their opinions. Listen to the feedback with an open mind, and be ready to develop the new content necessary to drive your lead generation programs that builds on the relationship you have with the audience.