Your free content isn’t actually free at all. It costs your audience something much more valuable than a little money.
Their Time
It isn’t easy to commit 45 minutes for a webinar that may or may not be any good.
Their Attention
Right now their phone is ringing, their VM light is lit, their emails are going unanswered, they have yet another meeting in 12 minutes, they haven’t had lunch…
Their Trust
That you won’t spam them, that you know what you’re talking about, and that following your advice won’t lead to disaster.
Their Focus
“Do I really need to worry about _________ right now?”
Their World View
What if you’re right and they’re wrong?
It’s not about the $12
In fact, sometimes content that’s not free (a great book that delivers 99% of the information in 8% of the time) is a much better deal. Free or not, figuring out how to further reduce the real costs of consuming your content is the first step to engaging.
Respect their time
I’m talking to you, long-winded B2B white paper. 14 pages to deliver 3 pages of real content? Stop it.
Give them a reason to read it
More data, facts and statistics aren’t what’s needed. Instead, help people understand what it all means to them.
Be a person, not a logo
People (hopefully) trust other people, but they have a healthy aversion to trusting brands they don’t know.
Don’t try to create urgency
Target the urgency that already exists. You don’t have to dress up content that solves a real problem.
It’s about them, not you
I’m reading your blog because I don’t know what you know yet. I’m temporarily elevating you to the status of teacher. Don’t make me regret it by making it nothing more than a pitch for your stuff.
marcusschaller.com 