Make Money Around Free Content

  • Article

another very good reading: https://howto.wired.com/wiki/Make_Money_Around_Free_Content

Holybizmodel

Most web apps will be monetized with some kind of media model. Don't think banner ads when I say that. Think of all the various ways that an audience that is paying attention to your service can be paid for by companies and people who want some of that attention.

Some Revenue models (source: howto.wired.com/wiki/Make_Money_Around_Free_Content)

CPM ads ("cost per thousand views"; banner ads online and regular ads in print, TV and radio)

CPC ads ("cost per click"; think Google ads)

CPT ads ("cost per transaction"; you pay only if the customer brought to you from a media sites becomes a paying customer. Here's an example.)

Lead generation (you pay for qualified names of potential customers)

Autoresponder Memberships (people pay for email; watch this free video)

Subscription revenues

Affiliate revenues (e.g., Amazon Associates, Products + Clickbank)

Rental of subscriber lists

Sale of information (selling data about users--aggregate/statistical or individual--to third parties)

Licensing of brand (people pay to use a media brand as implied endorsement)

Licensing of content (syndication)

Getting the users to create something of value for free and applying any of the above to monetize it. (Like Digg or our own Reddit)

Upgraded service/content (ed: aka "freemium")

Alternate output (pdf; print/print-on-demand; customized Shared Book style; etc.)

Custom services/feeds

Live events

"Souvenirs"/"Merchandise"

Co-branded spinoff

Cost Per Install (popular with top Facebook apps who can help others get installs)

E-commerce (selling stuff directly on your website)

Sponsorships (ads of some sort that are sold based on time, not on the number of impressions)

Listings (paying a time based amount to list something like a job or real estate on your website)

Paid Inclusion (a form of CPC advertising where an advertiser pays to be included in a search result)

Streaming Audio Advertising (like radio advertising delivered in the audio stream after a certain amount of audio content has been delivered)

Streaming Video Advertising (like streaming audio but in video)

API Fees (charging third parties to access your API)