How often do you give away the store?
One of the consequences of understanding how to use social media or other Internet marketing services is that people without this knowledge flock to you, asking for your time in exchange for small tokens of affection (Most of these types of people offer me beer — am I that transparent?).
Sometimes it’s a good thing to share your knowledge with folks with little regard for payment.
You never know who may be able to hook you up with a paying gig if they’re impressed with your knowledge. I’ve received lots of business and met plenty of new clients this way. But here’s the rub: you must know when it’s time to stop sharing your valuable skills for little or no compensation.
Internet Marketers Are Not Hobbyists
I believe part of the reason people think it’s ok to trade a round of beers for several hours (or more) of valuable Internet marketing services is because they don’t understand the value and effort behind it. Many people with ‘professional’ careers, like lawyers, doctors, and accountants, believe social media or online services are performed by geeks who enjoy creating successful campaigns with little thought about payment.
Part of this is our own fault.
The number of hours I spend tweaking campaigns beyond what I am paid for has to do with my own insatiable desire for perfection that I don’t feel like billing a client. This is ok – from time to time. But it’s critical to determine for yourself what is ok to give away for free and what else is a service you require payment for.
My own business model is based on something Wired editor Chris Anderson calls ‘freemium’ in his book, ‘Free: The Future of a Radical Price‘.
I will give you advice and tutorials — FREE. The reason I do this is because:
- I love to create, learn and share.
- Sharing content helps establish me as a respected leader.
- Valuable free content drives links and inbound leads.
If you’re a friend and you ask me out for drinks, I will most likely accept happily and without reservation. Want to talk social media? That’s cool with me, I’ll probably even share some notes on the back of a napkin and pump you up about your own ability to build a successful (but most likely basic) campaign.
Send me emails, engage me in conversation, this is all cool and I encourage it.
But here’s what I will not do, and frankly I am risking losing several friends by being honest with you — because I don’t want you to make the mistake of promising your services to people for free. The result of this is usually hard feelings and shoddy work:
- I will not create your AdWords campaigns ‘in my spare time’ (Would you ask a tailor to put together your new suit on his lunch break, or inquire if your accountant can whip up your taxes in between business meetings?).
- I will never build you a website just because you ask me nicely and say you think a friend might be able to get a business owner they know to pay for one.
- No, I cannot ‘do your social media’ this weekend (Dude, social media is social — this means it is an ongoing process, not a one-time activity).
Expertise is Not a License to Sneer
OK, some people will think the Commando is coming down hard on folks who just want a little guidance, and that’s not the case at all.
Sharing your knowledge and helping people out is a professional courtesy the world needs more of. I love helping people and hope you do too. But lets not forget that good intentions can’t make the mortgage payment or put food in our bellies. So long as you are up-front about what is free and what costs money, you’re set up for success.
Now don’t take my example to the extreme! Sneering at folks who inquire about your services are not asking for free help. People who want to know about social media are not necessarily asking for hours of your time. Please don’t forget this, and never do something really stupid like charging for quotes and estimates (Someone is asking you for a quote? Holy crap, sounds like a great business opportunity to me!).
Best of luck with your own online marketing and social media efforts.
Feel free to email me with questions or requests for quotes, which are also available on my services page. And never forget that building relationships and starting conversations is one of the most important activities you will ever invest in…