Making a Living Not Allowed
The majority of information on this blog is for free. Without doing anything else, readers can come to this blog and click on whatever article they would like. We don’t ask for anything.
When readers come to this blog, they are given the option of signing up to receive the blog content in an email newsletter. There is no cost for this, and signing up for this email newsletter only gives you the convenience of not having to travel to this blog to get the information that you are looking for. We really try to make it quite simple around here, and we really try to provide quality and timely information.
I am an investment adviser, and I want to grow my business. I feature some of our model portfolios on this website. These model portfolios are the basis for client portfolios. I think it is important to have portfolios on my website so we can generate a track record, but I also think it is a great way to let readers of this website know that the portfolios are the end result of all this hard work that goes into this website and the information contained at this website. This is what we do and how we do it!
So this is what is bugging me: when I highlight our model portfolios to our email subscribers in an effort to solicit their business, I get one of the most visceral and strongest backlashes you can imagine. I can let FREE subscribers know that our portfolio results for the month are available, and I can guarantee that the number of cancellations to this FREE subscription service will increase dramatically. Furthermore, the comments that these former readers provide when they cancel their FREE subscriptions suggests that I have somehow offended them by soliciting their business. As one former subscriber wrote: “How dare you send me spam?” And another: “Cancel my subscription. Refund my money. Now.” Huh?
What amazes me is the expectation that readers have when it comes to the internet. They only want free. But as we know nothing is free or nothing really good is going to be free. So from this perspective, if you want what I have to offer, then you will have to endure that occasional (monthly) solicitation. If you want to read my “stuff”, that is great. Thanks for coming to the blog. If you want to read my stuff for FREE, then once a month you will have to tolerate a self promotional advertisement for my investment advisory business. Remember, I don’t do this because I want to make money for you — but if you follow me, you will make money — I do this because I want to make money for myself and my clients.
All I can say is “Thank god I wasn’t asking readers to start paying me money for the information they are now getting for free.” When it comes to the internet, everyone wants everything for FREE, and because of this, making a living is not allowed.
Category: commentary, Uncategorized
I appreciate the information you provide. Also, I view the results of your portfolios as useful statistics to validate the value of your information. There are people with crazy attitudes. Fortunately, you only have to deal with them for a little while. They have to be around themselves all the time.
Yeah, I don’t understand that mentality at all. And frankly some of those folks are just plain stupid. How else do you explain their inability to understand something very elementary?
I certainly appreciate what you provide at no cost to me. And it’s pretty simple to delete any email I don’t want to read. Or alternatively, of course, I can un-subscribe (and get my money back LOL!!).
Ignore the ungrateful fools. Know that you’re not alone in running across the same mentality. Keep up the good work.
Don’t let the bastards get you down. No matter what you do they’ll be someone who will take offense. Ignore them.
You’re providing solid analytical data for free, or for very little. Sadly there are a lot of thankless idiots out there, but I personally appreciate your posts and e-mail very much – I’m certain most others do as well.
Thanks for all your free info Guy. I appreciate all the free info you give.