MONETIZATION OF FREE
When people visit websites, blogs, podcasts, or other sites looking for FREE content there is always a catch. 😉
The Awesomers.com Podcast series which offers over 100 hours of FREE content is no exception. Although the interviews and other epsisodes are of extraordinary value, in our humble opinion, each episode has sponsored messages weaved into it.
The same advertising supported concept applies to Facebook, Google, and your local “FREE” TV stations as well.
This ad supported concept allows users to consume content without any tangible cost, they only have to endure the exposure to advertising.
The motive for the sponsors is clear: they want to reach an audience who would be most attracted to the content at hand.
THE BEST TIME FOR PRECISE TARGETING
This is one of the best parts of the new digital ad age that we live in. Advertisors can be really specific in their reach.
EXAMPLE: Awesomers which is really dedicated to Entrepreneurs, creators, and other people around the world making a difference is a very specific target. Certain advertisers find this audience to be highly attractive to expose their business or offering to. As a result there can be a perfect match between sponsor and audience.
Today the specific targeting opportunities are huge compared to the traditional forms of advertising in newpaper, tv, or radio.
WHAT ARE THE REAL COSTS OF FREE?
As an aside, the cost of production for the Awesomers.com podcast, hosted by Steve Simonson, is certainly not FREE.
Even without factoring in the time required there are lots of costs of production of high quality content. There is the editing, the transcript creation, and many other jobs required to help bring the podcast from the original idea to the user being able to simply click the play button on iTunes for free. Podcasts typically cost between $200 and $600 in production costs alone, without factoring in other fixed costs. That’s NOT FREE.
FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE
So the next time you find a great FREE piece of content, like the Awesomers.com podcast, why not take a minute to invest in the sponsors, or at least like, subscribe, share and review the content to help the publishers get the most our of the engagement on the content that you found valuable. Pay it forward. 🙂