Earlier today I tweeted this post without completely taking the time to read all of it and the references to other posts it linked to.

Whoops.

My mistake. I skimmed (as I’m known to do at times).

Since then, I’ve come across more than a few conversations that seem to be bashing on Chris Brogan for offering a course on how to use Google+.

How do you determine if something is worth paying for?

I have pretty simple criteria…

• If it teaches me something new, that I can turn around and apply quickly, it’s worth paying for.
• If it saves me time (hours or so) that I otherwise could have spent doing something productive (by that I mean revenue producing activities), it’s worth paying for.

In this particular case, Chris Brogan (someone I trust), is offering a webinar on Google+ (a deep-dive of sorts). The network is fairly new (some 24 days old), but growing fast.

So, is it worth it to pay $47 for his course?

I’m not interested in using Google+ for business purposes. Not yet. But my approach might differ from yours. Maybe you are interested in the business application of a social network like Google+. So in that case, I’d argue yes, it’s worth it.

Sometimes, I don’t like sitting around learning something new. Not when I can pay to have someone do it for me, or “read the cliffnotes” so I can focus on other things. So when the benefits outweigh the costs, and if it satisfies my criteria above, I decide it’s worth paying for.

Do your due diligence…

In this case, I know Chris Brogan. I value his opinion on things related to social media and the application of social media to business. I trust him. Because of that, the cost outweighs the benefit (in my opinion). You might not know Chris, so in your case, the cost (and inherent risk) outweighs the benefit. That’s ok.

In the end, what matters is that you do your due diligence. Whether you’re buying Chris’ webinar or some other information product on the web.

Research things like:

• Who is the person/team offering the course?
• Do they have a good track record?
• What do past clients say about them?
• Do they have a good social presence?

What’s your criteria?

When do you decide when something is worth paying for? Whether it’s this product or any other info-product, I’m curious to hear your take… What price are you willing to pay for a webinar? An ebook? A membership forum? What other factors influence your purchasing decision?

(H/T Derek Halpern, author of Social Triggers [great newsletter by the way] for making me think about this one today)