You remember the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes? You know, the one with the magical car that could also float and fly? Still one of my all-time favorite movies.

In that movie there was a creepy character called the Child Catcher, whose job it was to capture kids because they were banned in the mythical land of Vulgaria. In one particular scene he is attempting to lure out two children who are hiding by bribing them with treats and in the course of his efforts he utters the line “All free today.” So naturally, the children are captured and hauled off to be imprisoned in the castle.

“All free today.” That’s kind of like the promise made by those who urge information marketers to deliver all of their information products digitally. No production costs, no graphics design costs, no shipping costs. All free today, right?

Well maybe, maybe not.

If you’re an information marketer there will be some segment of your potential market that definitely wants the immediate gratification of digital delivery. And since you’ve avoided those production, graphics and shipping costs you may feel like you’re getting something for free.

But what portion of your potential market prefers the tangible? Wants to hold in their hands your binder, CD and DVDs? Likes to receive that big box at their door?

Remember, it’s about maximum total profit. If you have a number of people who will not buy your product because they don’t want digital only delivery then your profit per unit sold may be less, but your total overall profits may be greater.

Don’t assume that digital only is the way to go. Make sure you know your market and test to see which gets you get greater overall profit.

“All free today.” Those words keep coming back to me. Be careful to not get blindly lured into the digital only world without doing your homework first.

{ 0 comments }