18 May The Economics of Free vs Paid Content
Posted
in All About Content
It is the ongoing dilemma in the content creation business: what do you offer for free and what do you put behind a paywall? As Riley said in another post, it is important not to sell yourself short, but it is imperative to find the balance between what fans and prospective customers can access for free and what they have to pay for. Key reminder for this business: everything is content! In this post, I will discuss the difference between free and paid content and offer tips on finding the right balance between the two.
FREE CONTENT
Free content can be shared on a variety of sites and in many ways. On social media platforms and adult sites that replicate their setup, content can be shared on your main account feed or in “stories” on a few platforms. “Stories” are available to view for a short period of time, whereas content on your main account stays there as long as you leave it, and on many platforms, you can also “pin” posts to the top of your account so they are the first thing visitors see.
Free content can also be sent via direct message to your followers or content purchasers. Video, audio, and photo sets can also be uploaded and accessed for free on many clip and fan sites as specific store items. Content can also be made “free” by sharing links to paid content with fans or customers. Many sites have options for this, along with free trial periods for subscriptions and memberships.
Free content generally includes:
- Promotional material focused on yourself or your brand, sites, and special deals or sales
- Thumbnails and previews for clips (although some sites have functions where you can select who can view them, e.g., only premium members can be selected to view teasers on ManyVids).
- Longer form content that is not explicit
PAID CONTENT
Paid content can be long-form or short-form, but is generally more explicit than free content. It is also important to note that ManyVids has taken steps to prevent explicit content from being available for free, and this may be extended to other sites in the future. Paid content can be uploaded to site stores or added to fansite feeds for access by subscribers only or pay-to-view.
Pay-to-view microtransactions are definitely the corner of the market that fan sites have dominated, whether in feeds or in private chats, where the chat itself may be free but paid content is sprinkled throughout. As I said in a previous piece, remember that all interactions people have with you are valuable (even if they feel like just regular chat), and if the chat itself is free, consider adding paid options to make sure you are not wasting your time. (Pro-tip: if the chatter doesn’t purchase the content, this is a pretty good indication that this is a waste of your time).
Although mainstream social media has started having options for paid content through subscriptions, these are generally not inclusive of sex workers, so be mindful of signing up and sharing anything through these features; you may not just receive any earnings, but you may be banned from the platform.
BALANCING PAID CONTENT VS FREE CONTENT
If you got to this point, I hope I have made it clear that there are so many ways that content can be shared, whether that be free or pay-to-view. The beauty of having so many ways of sharing is that you can leverage these methods to grow your specific business for your specific audience. There is no one size fits all, and as the expert of your own business, you need to work out how much and what free content you share against what is held behind a paywall.
The main thing to ask yourself about each piece of content you release is: “What is the purpose of this piece of content?” This question needs to be asked regardless of whether it is free or paid content, as releasing stuff just for the sake of releasing it is not an efficient use of your time or energy. Think about the following:
- Who is this content targeting? (e.g., current fans/customers or potential fans/customers)
- What do I want to get out of sharing this content? (e.g., new subscribers/buyers, connecting with current fanbase, growing my niche presence, selling the content, or creating sales funnels)
Answering these questions will help guide when, where, and how you release content and at what price point the content sits. For example, potential fans need free teasers that show who you are to entice them into becoming paying customers, and current fans/customers can be rewarded for their support with free content, which helps build a connection. Some adult creators will not share certain things for free as part of their brand, e.g., their face or feet are only visible behind a paywall. Think about these elements of your brand and business as they are important marketing tools that you can incorporate into your work.
A quick note to finish: With age-verification legislation pressures, more sites are controlling what free content is available on their sites, and there are regions where free content must be safe-for-work. This adds an additional layer to deciding what you share for free and what you put behind a paywall. While a teaser and thumbnail that shows a little of the explicit action a customer can expect to see in your clip will help with sales, there may be issues with visibility on certain sites and regions. Free content can be made less valuable if you blur or censor the action in it.
Rem Sequence is an Australian adult content creator, blogger, and internationally published alt model. She has a background in psychology, philosophy and political science and worked in health and sex education, youth work and trauma counselling for almost two decades. Now, she works full time in the adult industry, as well as indulging her passion for arts, writing and music in numerous side projects.
It is the ongoing dilemma in the content creation business: what do you offer for free and what do you put behind a paywall? As Riley said in another post, it is important not to sell yourself short, but it is imperative to find the balance between what fans and prospective customers can access for free and what they have to pay for. Key reminder for this business: everything is content! In this post, I will discuss the difference between free and paid content and offer tips on finding the right balance between the two.
FREE CONTENT
Free content can be shared on a variety of sites and in many ways. On social media platforms and adult sites that replicate their setup, content can be shared on your main account feed or in “stories” on a few platforms. “Stories” are available to view for a short period of time, whereas content on your main account stays there as long as you leave it, and on many platforms, you can also “pin” posts to the top of your account so they are the first thing visitors see.
Free content can also be sent via direct message to your followers or content purchasers. Video, audio, and photo sets can also be uploaded and accessed for free on many clip and fan sites as specific store items. Content can also be made “free” by sharing links to paid content with fans or customers. Many sites have options for this, along with free trial periods for subscriptions and memberships.
Free content generally includes:
- Promotional material focused on yourself or your brand, sites, and special deals or sales
- Thumbnails and previews for clips (although some sites have functions where you can select who can view them, e.g., only premium members can be selected to view teasers on ManyVids).
- Longer form content that is not explicit
PAID CONTENT
Paid content can be long-form or short-form, but is generally more explicit than free content. It is also important to note that ManyVids has taken steps to prevent explicit content from being available for free, and this may be extended to other sites in the future. Paid content can be uploaded to site stores or added to fansite feeds for access by subscribers only or pay-to-view.
Pay-to-view microtransactions are definitely the corner of the market that fan sites have dominated, whether in feeds or in private chats, where the chat itself may be free but paid content is sprinkled throughout. As I said in a previous piece, remember that all interactions people have with you are valuable (even if they feel like just regular chat), and if the chat itself is free, consider adding paid options to make sure you are not wasting your time. (Pro-tip: if the chatter doesn’t purchase the content, this is a pretty good indication that this is a waste of your time).
Although mainstream social media has started having options for paid content through subscriptions, these are generally not inclusive of sex workers, so be mindful of signing up and sharing anything through these features; you may not just receive any earnings, but you may be banned from the platform.
BALANCING PAID CONTENT VS FREE CONTENT
If you got to this point, I hope I have made it clear that there are so many ways that content can be shared, whether that be free or pay-to-view. The beauty of having so many ways of sharing is that you can leverage these methods to grow your specific business for your specific audience. There is no one size fits all, and as the expert of your own business, you need to work out how much and what free content you share against what is held behind a paywall.
The main thing to ask yourself about each piece of content you release is: “What is the purpose of this piece of content?” This question needs to be asked regardless of whether it is free or paid content, as releasing stuff just for the sake of releasing it is not an efficient use of your time or energy. Think about the following:
- Who is this content targeting? (e.g., current fans/customers or potential fans/customers)
- What do I want to get out of sharing this content? (e.g., new subscribers/buyers, connecting with current fanbase, growing my niche presence, selling the content, or creating sales funnels)
Answering these questions will help guide when, where, and how you release content and at what price point the content sits. For example, potential fans need free teasers that show who you are to entice them into becoming paying customers, and current fans/customers can be rewarded for their support with free content, which helps build a connection. Some adult creators will not share certain things for free as part of their brand, e.g., their face or feet are only visible behind a paywall. Think about these elements of your brand and business as they are important marketing tools that you can incorporate into your work.
A quick note to finish: With age-verification legislation pressures, more sites are controlling what free content is available on their sites, and there are regions where free content must be safe-for-work. This adds an additional layer to deciding what you share for free and what you put behind a paywall. While a teaser and thumbnail that shows a little of the explicit action a customer can expect to see in your clip will help with sales, there may be issues with visibility on certain sites and regions. Free content can be made less valuable if you blur or censor the action in it.
Rem Sequence is an Australian adult content creator, blogger, and internationally published alt model. She has a background in psychology, philosophy and political science and worked in health and sex education, youth work and trauma counselling for almost two decades. Now, she works full time in the adult industry, as well as indulging her passion for arts, writing and music in numerous side projects.
