Subscribe
for just...
plus
One of the biggest problems for publishers is the culture of free, and how that completely distorts all forms of common sense. Many people are totally convinced that the true path to success is just to 'find another way to make money'.
The pure and simple fact is that it's all very straightforward. A successful business model only has to include one element, which is: "Someone has to pay." And the amount that this 'someone' pays must be equal to or above your costs.
It's really that simple.
Free means, nobody pays. So free is never a goal, nor a viable business model. Someone has to pay!
But somehow, many still argue that the solution is just to find another way to get people to pay. Suggestions range from opening up a web shop, to hosting events, and creating a consulting division next to the newspaper or magazine (for instance, when an interior design magazine also starts up a business doing interior design consultancy).
But let's put that into perspective. So in this report we are going to explore all these different suggestions of how to make money with free content. We are going to look at why they don't work, and what you need to do instead.
Register to try out Baekdal Plus completely for free for one week.
Baekdal Plus is your premium destination for trends and analysis for the media industry. Every year you get 25 reports about the future media trends, business and editorial strategies, monetization analysis and insights about how to use analytics specifically for publishers.
As a subscriber, you also get full access to all the Plus reports (more than 200) published over the past 8 years, as well as the ability to share what you read.
Yes, of course, please write to plus@baekdal.com and I will send you a regular invoice that you can pay via your bank. I will need your company name, address and VAT number (if within the EU). Also, please note that due to this process being manual, this will be for an annual subscription only.
Yes, please write to plus@baekdal.com for details. But for 25-99 users: the price is 20% off the subscription price ($79/year per user), 100+ users is a fixed price at $5,000 (for all combined).
Yes, please head over to Baekdal Media to read about consulting where I can help you with strategy reviews, trend and strategy reports, and strategic guidance for you media company or a specific publication.
What if something was free for one period and paid for another?
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Why do people pay for media? Let's map it out.
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Many newspapers have opened up their paywalls because of the pandemic. But this is a bad idea.
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
The market for podcasts is growing, but we still haven't found a good way to do premium podcasts
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
taxing advertising will not give publishers more money.
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
A deep dive into the data behind The Correspondent's crowdfunding campaign.
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Free for subscribers
...or full access for $9
Founder, media analyst, author, and publisher. Follow on Twitter
"Thomas Baekdal is one of Scandinavia's most sought-after experts in the digitization of media companies. He has made himself known for his analysis of how digitization has changed the way we consume media."
Swedish business magazine, Resumé
plus
plus
plus
plus
free
plus