I’ve spent a lot of time recently really thinking about the role of “free” in my business. Because yes, I’ve decided that I’m running a business and no longer consider myself a freelancer. Because I’m running a business there are certain unexpected decisions that I’m finding myself dealing with right now.
As I make the shift from general blogging to entrepreneurship I am thinking deeply about the different roles of “free” in my business. If you’re running an online business, freelancing, or a blogger this post is one that I hope will give you food for thought and help you be more deliberate about how you utilize “free” in your virtual business.
In the Beginning
I was writing for free for other bloggers (guest posting) and occasionally doing a review for a product when people or an organization reached out to me. I didn’t mind doing these free projects because it was a way for me to grow my brand and collaborate with other bloggers and organizations. However, for the past couple of months I started to feel a little used and a little pissed off.
I was asked to do a review and then emailed several times to “follow up” and see if I had posted the review. Huh? You’re not paying me for this content and it’s content that I’m sharing on the blog that I’ve put thousands (not even hundreds) of hours working on: refining my voice, learning how to write compelling and engaging stories, troubleshooting technical problems, and the list goes on. It was at that point that I realized that I am basically doing YOU a favor by writing about your product for free.
I was also told that some free content that I wrote was too short. Well, you’re not paying me and I’m saving you money on writing staff by doing this for free. I am also pretty sure that you can afford to pay people-so why not pay me?! It was at that moment when free stopped being an option for me moving forward.
I realized a couple of things in those two moments: I am being approached because there is a perception of value that I’m bring to the other entity. However, there might also be the belief that I don’t know the value of what I’m bringing via: my reviews, blog posts, and basically tacit endorsements of the website or product that I was loosely collaborating with when I work on these free projects.
I had to figure out if the I had the time to dedicate to activities that weren’t making me money. Or, that didn’t seem to have a positive outcome for me.
No More
I know what I’m worth. There will be changes moving forward in terms of collaborations that I would like to be a part of and the role of “free” in my business. Let’s be clear though, I don’t resent the free work that I did to build up my readership, connect with other people, and get my name out there. It was worth it. But, I’m recognizing that I’m at a turning point and will no longer give my influence away that I’ve worked so hard to grow and nurture for the past four years. However…
Free Has a Place in Every Business
Many businesses utilize “free” as a way to: market, inform, reward, or engage their current customers. One of my best side hustles is my Brand Ambassador side hustle. I have a lot of fun doing my side hustle. What I do as a Brand Ambassador is hand out free stuff. That’s all I do. I share some talking points (details about the product to educate current and new customers) and then I hand them: free food, sunglasses, a handkerchief, or hand sanitizer. What I hand out depends on the business and the product that they are selling. Best side gig ever.
You may find little samples at the cash register of your coffee shop to tempt you to buy a pastry. Free is a way to lead people where you the business owner would like them to go.
Free information
You are probably seeing a ton of free information being shared on different websites across all sections of the blogosphere. From webinars teaching you how to run a webinar, to detailed information on who to start a blog, or how to book speaking engagements.
This free information is value being given to current and new readers with the hope that they may be converted into clients in the future. This type of free is a win-win because who the reader gets good information and the website owner is able to grow their email list. A robust and active email list is considered an important tool as online entrepreneurs monetize.
You may call a business and receive a free consultation or mini intro to their service. Typically this type of free service doesn’t last long but it’s a great way for businesses to connect with potential clients.
When Free No Longer Works
There will be a point in time when free just isn’t working anymore for your business. How to figure out when it’s not working? You may find yourself becoming resentful of the time that it takes to do the tasks that you’re doing-without pay. You may be pissed off that you’re unable to focus on paid opportunities.
If you’re losing money utilizing free in your business-then it’s time to rethink your process. Recognize the value of your: endorsement, participation, connection to the brand that is reaching out to you. They are reaching out TO YOU. If that is happening that means there is a perception that there is value in what you could bring to them.
As a result of these experiences I recognize that I’m moving into a new phase of my business. Unless I’m writing for the Huffington Post, I truly doubt that I will be providing free posts for other websites anymore.
Initially I felt a little guilty about feeling this way but I worked my a@@ off building this blog. Why would I belittle all of that work by not understanding the value? Time and Money. Time Equals Money. No more wasting my time.
What is The Role of Free in Your Business?
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Free works every once in a while. I still do free guest posts once in a while to get to a different audience. I had a few companies e-mail me late last year to promote or do a review for them. I told them that I do sponsored reviews/post for a certain amount. One obliged and paid and the other didn’t.
The company who contacted me about a guest post didn’t respond to my reply which is that I get paid for those types of posts. In fact, they didn’t email back. Thwanted the link-I didn’t. I’ve worked very hard to grow my blog and I’m proud of the work that I’ve done. Now-it’s time to make money.
I think it’s good to start with free or VERY cheap when you are just starting out. I hired another writer recently and he has no blog and not much in the form of examples. I was willing to give him a shot at a very low rate and he accepted. I think that’s the approach you need to take and honestly if I was him I would have even offered to write for free for the first 3-5 posts just to get in.
I 100% agree with you about your new staff writer the difference is I’m not starting out. I am well past that time in my blogging career and I think that it’s important to make periodic assessments about what is appropriate and not appropriate to do at this point in time.