May

Free

It’s often considered an ugly word, a word that denotes no value. You give away free samples to convince someone your product is good because it can’t convince people on its own. You offer free advice to convince people that it is worth paying for more of it. You get a free trial so that you know it works before you buy it. Free has a bad connotation – there is no such thing as a free lunch – or a free ride. Free speech is good, but when is the last time a “free speech” event ended well? It is rare that one happens without police involvement and news coverage. Free press is everywhere now, and journalists (and bloggers) are happy it exists, but what about those who are written about? I am sure they wish that press wasn’t always so free.

But what if we changed that meaning? What if free wasn’t said with scorn or concern? What if free was a wonderful thing and more people were willing to use free? What if free advice wasn’t given with the hope that the person would pay for more? Instead, free advice was given because it was helpful and would improve the receivers life/business/attitude? What if free samples were given, not because they were needed to prove the product was good but because it is so good that people deserve to try it for free? What if free press was used to write stories that benefited the world, instead of which celebs are sleeping together or what free trips a blogger got to go on? What if free speech was used without the need for police forces and people learned to respect each others opinions?

Okay, so I know that this is a very “optimistic” and maybe a bit naive view, but I’d like to think that it is possible. I would love to see people relishing in free – offering free versions of software that isn’t trialware. Offering free consulting time that is actually useful. Using free speech and press to empower others rather than berate.

In order to do this, I am going to start. I am going to offer 1 free hour of strategy time with me during the month of May. I hour of time that I will focus 100% on giving you tools that you can actually use to improve your overall strategy. How do you get it? Leave a comment below with what you can offer free to someone else this month and how you plan on doing it. I will pick a random commenter and reward them the hour. Then, they can use the time for themselves or reward it to someone else that they think deserves an hour with me (in person or over the phone).

Ready…go!

Category: Blog Management, Social Media

Topics: blog management strategy

http://inthebellyofthefailwhale.com Rob Gokee
This is a great post, and I agree with your view on many levels. Often “free” is taken advantage of, especially in the world of film scoring, in both directions. I've seen composers turn down “free” work by dismissing the value of it because they don't take the time to look deeper and realize the true value of a project. I've also seen “free” abused by filmmakers who take advantage of the fact that you're willing to give time and energy for no money because you believe in the project.
In honor of your post, I'm giving a copy of my book away, free, to a random person. Not a bookstore, not a journalist, not a friend; someone I bump into on the street, in a waiting room, on an elevator; someone who didn't ask for a copy but might find the value in one.
http://ariwriter.com Ari Herzog
The timing of your offer couldn't be better as I am in the process of determining how and if I should (re)design my sole proprietorship online, which is currently a few links here and there. At a time when I am separately seeking more stable income opportunities, I think it's important to develop a web presence (be it a page or multiple pages) that capture what I've been doing and still do as a speaker, writer, and management consultant. So, I'd enjoy taking advantage of an hour of your time.
In response, I have about a dozen social media books I've been mailed complimentary copies of to review. I need to review them, so I plan to peruse through the books and write a collective blog post about them and also give them away to other people. Maybe you'd like one of the titles. Thanks.
kirstenwright
Seeing as there were only two comments (surprising, but okay), I have decided to give you BOTH a free hour with me! please let me know which day and time would be best for you during the week of 5/17-5/21 and we will coordinate it!
http://twitter.com/ShapeShiftr Jeremy McKinley
Every time that I see “free” in advertising I almost always think “no such thing”. Whether this is a product of my freshman Econ class or something else I always look at the ad (if I look at it at all) with doubt. Seems like a bad idea to me. Advertising is hard enough without starting with doubt. I do “free” informative clinics at work and find that if I stress the free aspect I'll often get plenty of people to sign up but not a lot actually show up. Like you said, no value in free. So yeah, let's put value into free or if that's not possible find a better word to use.
Oh, I'll give a “free” brainstorming session to one person.
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