Should your channel be free or paid? It's the wrong question — the best creators run both, and use one to feed the other. Here's how to think about it.
A free channel grows fast, gets shared, and builds an audience and trust. The downside: it doesn't pay you directly, and attention alone isn't income.
A paid channel earns from day one and attracts serious members who value your work. The downside: it grows more slowly, because a paywall is a barrier to entry.
Run a free channel as your funnel and a paid channel as the upgrade. The free channel does the reach; the paid channel does the revenue. You post proof and highlights for free and keep the depth — the full signals, the community, the archive — behind the paywall.
Both. Run a free channel to grow and build trust, and a paid channel to earn. The free one funnels members to the paid one — that freemium model outperforms either alone.
Not if you keep your free channel free. Add a separate private channel for paying members and promote it from the free one, so growth and revenue reinforce each other.
Give real value for free, show proof of what's behind the paywall, and make a clear offer with an easy-to-find link. A short trial or founding price helps convert.
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Edgar Obare