Rules for media companies trying to figure out how to make money online:
 

Wired editor-in chief-Chris Anderson, author of "how the Internet makes everything free" articulated something that is now increasingly becoming obvious: As products go digital, their marginal cost goes to zero.

He draws a number of conclusions from what the Wall Street Journal is doing. Anderson comes up with the following rules for media companies trying to figure out how to make money online:

1. The best model is a mix of free and paid

2. You can?t charge for an exclusive that will be repeated elsewhere,

3. Don?t charge for the most popular content on your site,

4. Content behind a pay wall should appeal to niches, the narrower the niche the better

It means media sites that want to charge for content should charge for their niche stuff instead of their most popular content. But that is exactly the right way to look at it if you want to maximize your advertising revenues. Let the popular content be paid for by advertising, and the niche, exclusive content can be sold to fewer peopel at a higher price.

good tips :thumbsup

What's an 'exclusive that will be repeated elsewhere'? seems contradictory.

non-exclusive content, maybe it was an expression

When the cost to create content is FREE. People will get it for FREE.

I love how all these shit heads have these, 'hot tips', most of which they do not put into practice, nor have any successful experience to show for it.

How's this,.. you go do what you are suggesting.... legally.... and then come and talk down to the rest of us on how we should run our collective business's. Frankly I get tired of people not in the content business telling those of us who are how we should run our online businesses.

It ranks right up there with the whopper floopers coming onto webmaster boards and telling us the same.

:2 cents:

im not telling you how you should run anything, im posting an interesting article, didnt mean to sound like i was talking down to you

dont think you should be calling anyone a shithead, despite being a constant presence for years, you still appear to be one of the least successful people here

Nah. Wasn't referring to you bud. Was referring to the author of these various articles that come out about once a month harping on the same horn.

like suggesting to you not to post a "content for sale" thread every week on gfy?

**yawn**

Right. Because some no name says so? :1orglaugh Next conference I see you at, or panel I see you on, I'll keep that in mind. Until then, make sure you keep my McDonalds food warm.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

ive never seen you at a show, post one pic from fubar to prove this

Those pictures have been posted on boards before. As have people posted on this board about meeting me at a different shows.

Once you can actually prove you are in this industry, I'll concern myself with your requests.

I met him in Atlanta, and I know he has been to several others as well.

This wired article that was just pasted to GFY.

ha, good point.

by the way, i take this back, looking back on it, it was inappropriate to say