One of my favorite websites that I never seem to visit enough is TheOnion. I don’t see it often enough these days, but a story about it caught my eye. “Give This Rich Dude $1 or The Onion Disappears Forever” almost sounds like a title of an article on TheOnion – except it’s Wired.com’s article on the strategy of Jeff Lawson, who recently purchase TheOnion.
The idea is simple. If you pay a dollar, you’re more likely to treat the The Onion as an investment, as something you have paid for, and darn it, you want your money’s worth.
It’s a good strategy. The article points out that WhatsApp used it when it started. It’s a good example.
A small investment, lots of laughs. It’s not a bad deal. I might have gone with 99 cents, but since The Onion is tried and true for originality and a good laugh – even the site’s name is a metaphor of sorts of the content that they create – that one cent shouldn’t matter too much.
The world is generally crappy for many people as we view it through the flat screens. We desperately need to laugh. An investment in good writing that gives you a few moments of joy everyday is pretty good. I like the idea. I wish I were as consistent and as well written as TheOnion.
What’s more, it gives an indicator to the writers and editorial staff how much you enjoy their stuff. And it’s better than advertising impressions of advertisements that… well… are annoying1. Writing original content needs a better business model, and I’m looking at those.
I can’t even get people to buy me a cup of coffee yet. đ
Someday…
- I’ve been experimenting with the WordPress.com advertising despite it’s payment limitations – and that has netted all of $6.19 in the last year. Hosting costs are over that a month. Not a sustainable business model. âŠī¸