Do not be surprised. People do pay for information that they themselves can get for free off the web. But what are the reasons people pay for these kind of information? Do they have too much money or do they just like enriching others? It seems that the answers to this questions can be found when you yourself purchase something off the web.
Although the information on the web is free, there is no one place where you can get all the answers except of course if someone bothers to actually compile these sites and little information and structure it in such a way that it makes it easier for anyone to understand. That in itself is value adding the product and if it makes someone else’s life easier, then the person who actually put all the work should be renumerated.
Sometimes, we are not just paying the person for compiling and saving us time. We are also paying them for entertaining us. Yes, the info could have been really generic but if they were able to able to apply new ways of expressing the same message and to do it in an entertaining manner, whose complaining right?
Furthermore, the promotion of a particular product requires time and effort and of course creativity. Marketing is something that sometimes entertains us and of course it might sometimes irritate us. But it takes time, effort and money to really pull off a successful marketing campaign. I guess, thats why people sometimes pay for products that most of the time they don’t need. They buy it because they are curious about it and purchasing that particular product could be the only way they could satisfy that itch. Alls well for the marketer and the buyer right?
Another twist that is done to the information that we often find free on the web is the fact that sometimes the tips are represented and hoo haa’ed as secrets. Secrets that only a few know they claim. Of course these claims is usually not supported but how many people actually question all these claims and something that sounds really secretive usually gains the attention of most people and if it is related to something that they have been searching for or is applicable to their current life, desire, problem, etc, it is with more likelihood that they will purchase the product.
So, for anyone out there who is reading this post, stop doing nothing and start producing information products that might just make you a lil bit richer. Its not impossible. It is truly possible and you just might need to wear that thinking cap right from now on and start entertaining people with your new found knowledge from this post.
If you happen to make some money, remember the people around you. ehem…ehem…me. :p
-ishykiel-