--- title: "Where does technical documentation fit into a “Freemium” business model?" id: "1199" type: "post" slug: "where-does-technical-documentation-fit-into-a-freemium-business-model" published_at: "2009-12-19T06:58:01+00:00" modified_at: "2009-12-19T06:58:01+00:00" url: "https://www.cherryleaf.com/2009/12/where-does-technical-documentation-fit-into-a-freemium-business-model/" markdown_url: "https://www.cherryleaf.com/2009/12/where-does-technical-documentation-fit-into-a-freemium-business-model.md" excerpt: "This short video by Penny Power explains the Freemium model and how it applies to her business: So where does the Technical Publications department fit into this model? Traditionally, the user documentation has been given away free with a chargeable..." taxonomy_category: - "challenge" - "management" - "marketing" - "Technical Author" - "technical publications; technical author" taxonomy_post_tag: - "management" - "marketing" - "project management" - "Technical Documentation" --- This short video by Penny Power explains the Freemium model and how it applies to her business: So where does the Technical Publications department fit into this model? Traditionally, the user documentation has been given away free with a chargeable product. It’s not been chargeable in itself, but people have been required to buy a product in order to have access to it. Today, many organisations are still reluctant to make their documentation freely available on their Web site. It has meant that documentation has been seen as a cost, which has then lead to budgetry pressures upon the Technical Publications department. Underlying this, is an assumption: **More free technical documentation = Fewer chargeable support and consultancy opportunities** The Freemium model challenges this assumption, offering the potential for: **More free technical documentation = More chargeable support and consultancy opportunities** Can technical documentation really act as funnel to more chargeable services? With Web Analytics, you can test this idea. What’s more, you can use analytics to test different ways for increasing the conversion rate from “free to fee”. The Freemium model can be difficult for many businesses. It challenges the ideas of property, scarcity and value. If your business does find it scary, be thankful you’re not competing with Google, as it sometimes adopts a [“less than free” model](http://abovethecrowd.com/2009/10/29/google-redefines-disruption-the-%E2%80%9Cless-than-free%E2%80%9D-business-model/) ! This does not mean your business should give away free consultancy. It can educate your clients in understanding what is chargeable and what is not. Indeed, it could help you with sales prospecting and qualifying, educating users to: - Understand your company’s skills and capabilities - See the value of your company’s chargeable services - Understand the “ground rules” between you and your prospects. In our case, we’re always expanding our own knowledge, as well as teaching others. A key part of our company’s culture and identity has been to share knowledge willingly. It helps people get a better understanding of our company, demonstrating our expertise and our areas of knowledge. We do it to challenge people’s thinking, and more importantly, to be challenged ourselves. We share what we learn and find through a number of means. We share through this blog. We share via our newsletter, for information better suited to dissemination in this manner. We also host peer group mentoring meetings for documentation leaders, and we’re members of other peer groups ourselves. If an organisation wants to call upon external advice or resources, we’d like to think they’d consider using our services. A Freemium approach may mean that the Technical Publications department has decide what to give away for free and what (if anything) to hold back. Alongside the technical aspects of publishing different versions and controlling access to them, it raises the issue of what belongs where and what has the greatest value. Again, this is where Web Analytics and, perhaps, usability testing can help you make those judgements. We welcome your thoughts. ### Share this: - [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https://www.cherryleaf.com/2009/12/where-does-technical-documentation-fit-into-a-freemium-business-model/?share=facebook) - [Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn](https://www.cherryleaf.com/2009/12/where-does-technical-documentation-fit-into-a-freemium-business-model/?share=linkedin) - [Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp](https://www.cherryleaf.com/2009/12/where-does-technical-documentation-fit-into-a-freemium-business-model/?share=jetpack-whatsapp) - [Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky](https://www.cherryleaf.com/2009/12/where-does-technical-documentation-fit-into-a-freemium-business-model/?share=bluesky) - ### *Related* ### 3 Comments […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ellis Pratt, Peter Anghelides. Peter Anghelides said: RT @ellispratt Blog: Where does technical documentation fit into a “Freemium” business model? [http://is.gd/5toN9](http://is.gd/5toN9) <= IBM docs are free on web […] as a technical writer, i believe, the “Freemium” model is something that not only fits in for technical documentation, rather its a necessity. It specially applies to selling softwares, where training the users to use the software for free can be a great marketing tool. While, explaining them how to use it and how it meet their needs, it also reduces the ‘Tech-Phobia’ of a great number of non tech savvy users. – thanks 🙂 Hi Ellis, The flipside of this is Magento, who are now selling their User Guide. i never heard a company do this before and no idea what the uptake has been. Re this business model. I think we’ll see ‘low quality’ providers offer this service as a teaser but larger more established will avoid this model. I have no problem paying – if the value is there. Regards, Ivan ### Leave a Reply[Cancel reply](/2009/12/where-does-technical-documentation-fit-into-a-freemium-business-model/#respond) This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. [Learn how your comment data is processed.](https://akismet.com/privacy/) #### Previous post [So you want to publish your user manuals on the Web, but don’t want everyone to see them](https://www.cherryleaf.com/2009/12/so-you-want-to-publish-your-user-manuals-on-the-web-but-dont-want-everyone-to-see-them/) #### Next post [Questions to ask a Documentation Manager](https://www.cherryleaf.com/2010/01/questions-to-ask-a-documentation-manager/) #### Browse posts by month Browse posts by month Select Month October 2026 (3) September 2026 (12) August 2026 (8) July 2026 (7) June 2026 (14) May 2026 (8) April 2026 (6) March 2026 (14) February 2026 (9) January 2026 (9) December 2025 (7) November 2025 (9) October 2025 (10) September 2025 (7) August 2025 (6) July 2025 (1) June 2025 (3) May 2025 (2) April 2025 (5) March 2025 (3) February 2025 (3) January 2025 (2) November 2024 (8) October 2024 (3) September 2024 (2) August 2024 (3) July 2024 (4) June 2024 (1) May 2024 (2) April 2024 (4) March 2024 (1) February 2024 (2) January 2024 (1) December 2023 (2) November 2023 (9) October 2023 (8) September 2023 (5) August 2023 (3) July 2023 (1) June 2023 (1) May 2023 (2) April 2023 (3) March 2023 (2) January 2023 (2) December 2022 (4) November 2022 (1) October 2022 (1) September 2022 (1) August 2022 (1) July 2022 (1) June 2022 (1) May 2022 (2) April 2022 (1) March 2022 (1) February 2022 (1) January 2022 (2) December 2021 (1) November 2021 (2) October 2021 (1) August 2021 (1) July 2021 (2) June 2021 (3) May 2021 (5) April 2021 (3) March 2021 (3) February 2021 (1) January 2021 (2) December 2020 (4) November 2020 (4) August 2020 (3) February 2020 (3) January 2020 (1) November 2019 (3) October 2019 (1) September 2019 (1) August 2019 (3) July 2019 (2) June 2019 (3) May 2019 (4) April 2019 (1) November 2018 (2) October 2018 (1) July 2018 (2) June 2018 (4) May 2018 (2) April 2018 (3) March 2018 (4) February 2018 (2) January 2018 (3) December 2017 (2) October 2017 (3) September 2017 (1) August 2017 (3) July 2017 (2) June 2017 (7) May 2017 (4) April 2017 (5) March 2017 (1) February 2017 (7) January 2017 (1) December 2016 (3) November 2016 (4) October 2016 (1) September 2016 (5) July 2016 (1) June 2016 (3) May 2016 (1) April 2016 (2) February 2016 (2) January 2016 (5) December 2015 (1) November 2015 (4) October 2015 (2) August 2015 (1) July 2015 (1) June 2015 (2) May 2015 (3) February 2015 (2) January 2015 (6) December 2014 (1) October 2014 (1) September 2014 (4) June 2014 (4) May 2014 (1) April 2014 (2) March 2014 (3) February 2014 (4) January 2014 (4) November 2013 (2) October 2013 (5) September 2013 (3) July 2013 (3) June 2013 (11) May 2013 (4) April 2013 (6) March 2013 (7) February 2013 (4) January 2013 (4) December 2012 (9) November 2012 (23) October 2012 (14) September 2012 (8) August 2012 (4) July 2012 (12) June 2012 (12) May 2012 (10) April 2012 (8) March 2012 (12) February 2012 (3) January 2012 (6) December 2011 (2) October 2011 (3) August 2011 (1) June 2011 (5) May 2011 (2) April 2011 (1) January 2011 (1) December 2010 (1) November 2010 (3) October 2010 (4) September 2010 (8) August 2010 (5) May 2010 (2) April 2010 (3) March 2010 (3) February 2010 (2) January 2010 (3) December 2009 (2) November 2009 (6) September 2009 (1) July 2009 (6) June 2009 (7) April 2009 (8) March 2009 (3) February 2009 (3) January 2009 (3) December 2008 (1) November 2008 (3) October 2008 (3) September 2008 (4) August 2008 (1) July 2008 (3) June 2008 (5) May 2008 (2) April 2008 (2) March 2008 (3) February 2008 (2) January 2008 (1) November 2007 (3) October 2007 (2) September 2007 (1) July 2007 (3) November 2006 (1) October 2006 (2) September 2006 (3) August 2006 (1) April 2006 (1) March 2006 (3) #### Browse posts by category