If you look closely at the right of this blog, you?ll notice I?ve posted two ?donation? options. One says ?donate a beer?, the other, is just a plain PayPal donation button. Click and you?ll receive an opportunity to give me $2.30. I?ll give you nothing in return.
Now, I?m not really expecting a flood of donations here but am experimenting a little with a market research concept, which goes something like this: If individuals will give you a modest gift (something) in exchange for your ideas, knowledge and resourcefulness, then maybe you have something more you can sell at a much higher price to others.
Of course, this ?request a donation? approach turns the principle on its head, in which you voluntarily give and share strategically to create a sense of obligation, then (where appropriate) ask for the order. Here, we?re making it easy to reciprocate but are asking for a voluntary contribution.
If any readers here wish to buy me a beer, of course, I?ll be grateful. If not, that is okay as well. The donation buttons will probably disappear within a couple of days.
This initiative is a (small) marketing experiment. I decided to go ahead with it because it carries virtually no risk and cost and has the possibility of generating some, well, ?beer money.?