Is it possible to give away free content to build a competitive advantage?
The answer is yes! Of course, it only works with the right business strategy. Free content has become a necessity as online demographics search it in mass numbers. By doing so, they are creating a new definition of “free”.
However, many companies are hesitant to give free advice or content because they fear harm will come to their company. This fear is mostly unfounded and is getting in the way of strong marketing results.
The upside benefit of free content has many more benefits than the downside that may come from free content getting in the wrong hands. The most common fear is that competitors will come in and steal your good ideas. Any competitors that would need to do that to compete is not a real competitor. The upside gain of reaching more prospects and business growth beats the potential downside.
The key is to have strategy that leads to a business model that works. Just giving it all away for free is not sustainable. Free should be used to get in front of more people. Most people will only use your free stuff to get value and some of those people are prospective customers.
