Yes you can charge for content. Using your TED example, yes, they give away free content, but if you want the TED experience, you are going to have to fork out some money, and hope you get admitted. They give you a taste with the videos, but they only come out once per week. If they put it all out there at once it would be unfair to those who paid for the live online or in person experience.

As for the meeting, food costs money. Content has to be key is true, but the reality is having a place and offering food costs money. We need to ween people off the "free" thinking or no one will make any money.

While I agree with Mark that you don't dictate what people will pay - the market does, in also think you're saying this is less about charging for a networking breakfast and more about this free economy in which we live. Whenever we go to charge people for exclusive content, we always ask them first if they'd pay for what we're about to release. As long as it's premium and exclusive, people will likely pay for it. Don't be afraid to ask them!

The answer is really quite simple. "You" really have no say in whether you can charge for content or not. The market will determine this.

Chris Brogan has put himself in a good position to offer "premium" content. Will he succeed? The market will decide, not Chris.

Thanks for the great post, Arik.

Thanks for the comment, Jon. It's actually a unique event--it's much more than a breakfast meet up locally. It's become a source of programming (they have speakers at each event). So, it's definitely "content"--even though it's an event.

And it is hard to find hardcore data about the link from free content to revenue, but anecdotally, I can tell you it works (from stories I've heard from consultants and small agency owners). The give before you get concept is a tough one for businesses to understand (and measure), but I don't think there's any question that it works.

Of course it's okay to charge for content...there are many professions who have absolutely no angst about doing that...eg; doctors, lawyers, accountants, therapists - you pay for their 'advice' - but really it's about their subject matter expertise.

In my event-planning days, the event always seemed more 'sought-after' if we charged a nominal fee.

I suppose because there's so much free information out there, those of us in SM are wary of charging...but the world will (and in some cases already has) started to move that way...

Arik,

I think this is an interesting question and topic. For me, the answer is very simple: it's ALWAYS OK to charge for content. But the more important question is "when" or "how much" should you charge for content? Essentially you charge for things at your own peril. As you mentioned above we all pay for content regularly and when we do, we've made a decision that it's worth it to us. So if you're someone that generates unique content with a loyal following, you charge them at your own risk. It's possible you'll lose a few, a lot, or everyone depending on how much they want what you are producing. The bigger question is SHOULD you charge for your content? Publications like the WSJ have decided they should - it's too valuable not to - and they're right. To date it has paid off for them, and other publications are following suit. So if you're a blog or an organization, breakfast group, what have you, the question is will people pay to keep coming back and consume what you're producing?

If you have a shadow of a doubt the answer is no and you'd rather keep people coming back, I would say the risk is not worth it. Or you could always ask and see if people would be wiling to pay. Listening to your own audience is always important. I'm sure 9 times out of 10, they will make the decision an easy one for you.

Good thoughts.

To be honest, Arik, I wouldn't call a breakfast meet-up content really. Although discussions and talks are a great means of input.

Nevertheless, there is a good discussion to be had about whether content marketing in the form of blogs, Facebook Pages, etc., can be monetized.

Personally, I believe blogs are a great way for consultants and agencies to demonstrate their wares for free. Then it's a case of using call-to-actions to generate business.

Although a lot of us involved in this space advocate this kind of approach, it's tough to find solid data on whether or not free content really does generate leads and business.