Does Paid Content Changes The Internet?
I was almost 8 years not connected to the internet. In December 2018, I went online again. There’re certain changes that I immediately recognized. I visited the websites which I knew from before. When I scrolled down the pages it wasn’t that the interface design changed much. No, it was, that they wanted me to pay for certain content. There’s now a clear distinction between free content and a specialized version for members who must pay a monthly fee.
I started doing online business in 1999. During that time, I was a stock-market trader. For this niche market, it was common that people used to pay for content. I had a small website and I wrote an e-book about Day-Trading. My book simply explained two Day-Trading strategies. I offered it for 30 Deutsche Mark, which was around 15 USD at that time.
Every day I sold a copy. Back then I was still a student in high school. I earned 15 USD every day for not much work. That was an amazing side income. I’m telling you this because this paid content business only worked for special industries like finance. It’s obvious, if you want to make money in the investment industry then you must invest first. This is stuck in the mindset of the people. 15 USD is nothing compared to the tens of thousands of dollars that some people are moving in their trading account every day.
At the beginning of 2000, I tried several online businesses, but I remember that it didn’t work out. The visitors were simply not willing to pay money for it. The revenue from advertisement wasn’t enough for me. I canceled these business models. I focused on the investment industry. Here was for me the money.
In my other stories, I mentioned that I went offline in May 2011 until December 2018. I’ll explain the story of WHY I went offline in the first book that I’m writing currently. The full story of the WHY you’ll get soon.
Opportunity
Now I came back online and I’m seeing all these new business concepts which are based on paid content. It became mainstream by now. If this would have been the case 20 years ago, then my life would have taken a different turn.
My point is there are big opportunities for us writers and for all content producers we’re not dependent anymore on publishing houses, media, and production companies. We can do it ourselves. We can create our own follower base and the mass market is willing to pay for it.
Just have a look at this site medium.com. I’m willing to pay my yearly or monthly fee that I can read the stories of these amazing writers. I’m not only publishing myself, but I’m a consumer too.
Paid content gives us producers the ability to write quality stories. We can go deeper into research, we can write for a niche group, who are interested in a certain topic and who are willing to pay. It’s the same as I did in 1999 where I sold my Day-Trading e-book. Just now we can do it with any sort of content.
Problems
I see certain problems as well. Nowadays the offer of content is extremely big. There’s so much content out there that we don’t know where’s right and left. It’s like you’re a little fish in the ocean. This overwhelming mass of information is at least for me a problem. I get so many results that I don’t know anymore where the beginning and the end is. I’m starting in the middle of something and then I’m frustrated because I don’t understand it.
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Secondly, there’s so much rubbish content flowing around which makes it even more important that paid content must differentiate itself. That doesn’t mean paid content is good in itself, no not at all, but I’m as the producer of content should make it to my goal to deliver quality. Simply because it’s the right thing to do.
I myself as a writer must clearly differentiate myself from this “bad-content”. I’m responsible for my words. If I can deliver quality, then I’ll make a difference. The readers will appreciate it. In this way, I’m creating credibility for myself. That’s the beginning of my niche.
The Niche
For me, as a writer, it’s important to set my boundaries. I don’t represent all. I don’t write for everyone. Many readers won’t like my words because they can’t identify themselves with me. Neither can I identify me with them. In my writings I try to become specific, I want to nail the problems down. My goal is to help, to provide a solution or at least identification with the reader. When you read my words then you’ll feel, that you’re not alone.
Dream Reader
My words aren’t written for those who are interested in all these rumors from boulevard magazines. They won’t find happiness in my stories, neither would I find happiness in them.
I met many people in my life. Old, young, different culture, heritage, etc. Completely opposing people, but somehow, they’re all the same. There’re a certain group of people. For example, there’re the ones who like to learn, who like to educate themselves and there’re others who don’t.
The group who’s not interested in self-improvement. The people who only start to blame others for mistakes. The ones who can’t see beyond the mountain who simply live their life without any ambition. These people won’t enjoy reading my words. Probably they won’t even find them because they look into the opposite direction.
I’m writing for people who are insightful, who are going the path inside themselves, who want to do something out of their life’s, which isn’t related to material growth but focused on the world inside of oneself. These readers will maybe find joy in my words.
Of course, not all of them will like my style. Some of them won’t like my personality, but between all these people there will be a few who might find joy in my words.
My stories are simply a door opener to a higher goal. Hopefully one day we can meet each other on top of the mountain.
Let me ask you:
