The beauty of modern technology, it seems, is that old pictures can be used for new badges. Hence my Tom Arnold era face graces my SXSW badge this year. Either it's my face or a large pie with two tiny raisin eyes thrust in it. I'm unsure which. (As promised, I begin with petty neurosis, then get to the post.) Attended a panel discussion about mobilizing online communities. Much of the discussion was actually about monetizing your website idea. So all of you with a big money .com tucked away in your brains take heed. There are some interesting changes in the thinking out there.
One idea that is rapidly changing is how much to charge users for membership. The old model was really simple: Membership is free. Make all your money with online advertising. This is stone age thinking. If you walk into a venture capitalist with that model in hand, the meeting is pretty much over. Why? Online ad revenue is shrinking. Plus, it's only profitable once you hit critical mass (i.e. get enough users). In addition, what the online community has begun to realize is that people will pay for the littlest things. (Witness iphone apps which often clock in at 99¢.) It's really better to start with a small fanbase who pay a little bit upfront OR make basic membership free but charge something for premium services.
are those your cheeks, or katya's?
ReplyDelete