Ian Berry raised a very important point about “Free vs Free” in a frank post on a LinkedIn group. Here’s an edited version:

“I give away lots of digital content via blogs, articles, videos, slideshares, you name it. I give away lots of hard earned wisdom in discussion forums like this. I give lots of in person time to people for free.

For what? Good question!

My experience is that there is now such an expectation of free that the lines are blurred between what is free and what is fee.

I now have great relationships with people that would not have began if it were not for social media/networking. The amount of business that has resulted is miniscule compared to the time, energy, and money invested.”

Ian’s post sparked some spirited and insightful discussion, and you can follow that discussion on LinkedIn.

I’ll share my thoughts here …

I do some things free as part of my service to my community, and I do some other things free with clear marketing goals in mind. Let me put the former to one side and address the latter here, because I think that’s what Ian is referring to.

First, I certainly don’t believe in something else Ian quoted to further the discussion (and I know he was only quoting it, not necessarily endorsing it), that “Free means one of two things, namely you are either not good enough to be paid, or you don’t believe in your own work.” That’s nonsense. In the modern world, there are plenty of examples of solid business models and strong companies based on giving free services (Google and Facebook are two obvious examples).

Ian’s comment that “there is now such an expectation of free” cuts to the heart of the matter. There is sometimes an expectation of free, but that expectation is usually created by the service provider, not by the customer. Not every customer expects everything to be free (Try walking into a shoe shop with that expectation). So, with respect, service providers who attract customers who expect free stuff generally have themselves to blame for creating that expectation – or, at the very least, for not changing it right up front.

I strongly believe in leading with value, which means – yes – you give away some stuff free (and I give away a lot, as you can easily verify on my Web site www.GihanPerera.com and in various on-line communities). Most of my business comes from demonstrating value and building authority, and that’s based on giving away a lot free.

But I also have clear lines where things change from free to fee. And I think that’s the secret. Make sure YOU know what’s free and what’s not, and that makes it easy to communicate that to your clients.

Here are some of my rules and guidelines:

1. I might offer general advice (such as this comment) free, but if you want advice about your specific situation, you pay.
2. If I volunteer information, it’s usually free; but if you ask me for advice, I will generally ask you to pay for it.
3. If my clients (and especially the paying subscribers of my membership site) are paying for it, you should, too – either as a one-off fee or by becoming a paying subscriber.
4. If I do work for non-profit organisations, that’s not necessarily free (they are the charity, not I!). But if the organisation fits certain criteria, then I do offer it free (see www.ourtomorrow.org if you’d like to know my criteria).

I’m not suggesting these rules will apply to everybody, but I do suggest you create your own rules, so you can address the client’s expectation.