Whatever else you can say about Chris Anderson, his new book Free: The Future of a Radical Price will be another huge step in eradicating the current plague of Internet hawkers and flim-flam men.
Chris has recently gotten himself embroiled in a rather embarrassing little plagiarism scandal (good grief Chris, copy something a little headier than Wikipedia, if you can’t resist the urge). Unfortunately, that scandal has obscured one of the prime benefits of his book.
Released officially today, Free will rocket to the top of the bestseller lists. Which means a lot more people will realize how much free stuff there really is on the Internet (you know, like, for free). And, walking his talk, he’s liberally spreading free versions across the globe. Here’s the one we like from the incredible Audible.com.
It’s Your Information, Stupid
Amidst all the free stuff that’s available on the Internet, and perhaps most importantly, is a huge treasure trove of good, solid, free information and ideas. All this free stuff will be the end of the yahoos who promise you "Internet Copyrighting Secrets," "Instant Road to Internet Millions" and scads of other hype-driven entrapment offers like them.
Take, for instance, the guy who’s been hawking his "Copywriting Secrets" every day for the past umpteen months on various LinkedIn Group "discussions." Every link returns the reader to his "long page pitch." He provides no free content, he’s simply puffing his own stuff.
You’ll find "Long Page Larry" and a zillion bozos like him all over the Internet – just do a few searches for phrases like "Internet Copyrighting Secrets" and "Online Millionaire." You’ll usually find them pictured in front of a luxury car that costs more than the gross national product of Finland. You know the type.
The problem with their strategies is that what they’re selling is already available for free. Which is why you have to read Chris Anderson’s new book.
The Real Free Copywriting Secrets
Here’s an example. Why pay for copywriting secrets when there are sites like Brian Clark’s amazing blog, CopyBlogger? Clark gives away more solid and useful information about Internet copyrighting than you’ll ever have time to read.
Which is one of Mr. Anderson’s points – and one we’ll all be adopting in the coming years. Brian Clark gives away tons of free tips and strategies because it establishes his authority in his field. He can then sell his highest level of expertise at a very decent price, thank you very much (we all have to eat).
The Lady and the Outlaws
Alison Lunde (also known as @snipeyhead on Twitter) has "Long Page Larry" (and the free strategy) figured out in her hilarious "The Complete Social Media Guru." (Note: Allison did allow us to slightly alter the screen-shot and title to keep this a family friendly-friendly site – so be forewarned if you click the link).
It’s true. These guy’s days are numbered. Alison has them nailed and Brian has them covered. So, here’s the lesson for the day – and an oversimplified explanation of Chris’ book:
Read folks like Brian Clark, Chris Anderson and Alison Lunde. They get it. They establish their credibility by giving away free ideas. They are the people we all want to hire because, when we do, we know what we’ll get.
6 comments ↓
I struggle with “free.” On one hand, I like free info, but on the other hand I believe true experts should be “paid” for their knowledge.
A colleague told me something once that I liked…if someone wants your help…give them a taste of what you have for “free” – one session on the phone, a free trial of your product, a bit of advice in writing…then charge for your services. If they find the free portion valuable…they will pay you for more. But the “more” you have better be worth the price…
Hi Leanne,
Don’t you suppose that’s why so many people want the money up front? Likely because it’s not worth it in the first place. Don’t feel alone, though, most people simply aren’t there yet. Believe me, though, there will come a time when you will never again shell out for just the pitch. The world has changed – the pitches will fade and the pitchmen will waste away.
Michael,
Small world, I was in Chicago last week and had the pleasure to read a review of Free in The New Yorker – sure, I read it for the cartoons but every now and then I dip into the articles. Haven’t read the book but Malcolm Gladwell wrote a fascinating review exposing the soft underbelly behind Chris Anderson’s hypothesis.
One of the interesting flaws that Gladwell points out is that to deliver Free can actually cost quite a bit of money. Anderson’s poster child for Free, YouTube, spends about $360 million for bandwidth and another $260 million dollars for licensing costs for the professionally produced content they make available. Gladwell quotes Credit Suisse who estimate that YouTube will lose over $ 1/2 billion this year and says, ” If it were a bank, it would be eligible for TARP funds.”
Before you by the book or for a counterpoint, be sure to read the whole review for … wait for it … free at http://cli.gs/DWDX45.
I think Free is a great idea. That’s why Costco is a cheap date on Sunday afternoon. Savor that free pizza roll sample and, who knows, you may just end up buying a whole carton. The problem with free is that it reduces information and knowledge to a commodity and didn’t we cede our manufacturing to China because we were going to become the information economy?
By the way, you’re wrong about putting an end to the long page Larry’s of the internet; they’ll thrive because they understand the power of price. At the end of the day I’ll always be suspicious of free because I was taught – as were you – that you get what you pay for and, in that light, free ain’t no bargain.
Great article with lots of practical advice. I know the free stuff is out there, but sometimes it is hard to find. I agree with the philosophy to build a base by offering free content and build (or maintain) your authority by continuing this practice. Then consolidate, expand, repackage and otherwise promote all of your services and expertise for a fee. I learned this as the Mequoda Method (www.mequoda.com) who practice what they preach. Thanks for your continuing education in this fast-growing field!
Hi Tom,
Always love to get your comments – and shocked that you read the New Yorker (and travel to far off lands like Chicago). I’d say link to the Audible.com free offer if you want to know what’s going on with free today – especially when it comes to information. The Audible version of Chris’ book is unabridged, read by the author and engaging, persuasive and leading edge.
Let’s see – Brian Clark loses because we don’t trust him? Read Seth Godin’s Meatball Sundae – where he tells about Copyblogger’s success. What we learn these days is to avoid the bogus offers of the long page larrys of the world and look for the good stuff that’s free, like Mr. Clark’s.
[...] called him “Long Page Larry” in a recent blog post and renamed him here to “Frank Lloyd Long-Page.” [...]
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