Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

You could give me all the components to build a car…or for that matter, a basic toaster..and well, there I’d sit…with a bunch of worthless free components. Help!

Chris Anderson, Wired: Free! Why $0.00 is the Future of Business.

The new “Freedom” of the Web is great - all that open source software, the cool widgets, Google this, that and the other thing.

These days we can start a company with next to no money if we grok the Web.

But, back to my first point, that “free” stuff does ultimately lead to somebody somewhere buying something (ads)…or needing to buy, so they can put all those components together.

For example, many consultants give away advice - great way to show we know what we’re talking about and how we can help you. Yet, it’s one thing for me to tell you, and quite another for you to apply it to your particular business. I can read about English riding all day long - and then the practical application - ah-yahhhh! You try staying on a two-ton animal who has a mind of his own and is galloping!

So, yep - “Free” is way cool - but that’s not the same as easy or simple.

Note: You can also get a free copy of Wired containing the article. Just fill out this short form. Here’s the really cool thing - they’ve pre-checked the “no” boxes for “Please send me occasional email updates…” and “Please contact me from time to time with special offers…”

P.S. Also, us Webbies have to remember there are millions out there that don’t read or use this stuff. I still get funny, disbelieving looks when I tell people that Google mail is free, that Wordpress is - yep - free and that Firefox and Thunderbird are also free. “Well, then that stuff can’t possibly be any good. I’ll just stick with the Microsoft software in a box.”

Read More: Robert Gorell, The Future Now, on The ROI of Free.

Tags: emarketing, marketing troubleshooting, widget economy, Google