---
title: Seth Godin and Tom Peters on giving away content for free
---

[Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2010/04/seth-godin-and-tom-peters-on-giving-away-content-for-free.html#maincontent)

[ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog)

# Seth Godin and Tom Peters on giving away content for free

 April 19th, 2010

 1 min read

 By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott)

 I frequently talk about the value of free content as way to reach buyers. If you are a regular reader you've seen this riff before.

Conventional wisdom, especially with B2B marketers, has been to only offer valuable information in exchange for contact information. Most companies still insist on requiring an email address in exchange for a white paper via [squeeze pages](https://www.webinknow.com/2009/10/say-no-to-squeezing-your-buyers.html).

**See what Seth Godin and Tom Peters have to say on the topic. **

Direct link to [Seth Godin and Tom Peters on giving away content for free](https://vimeo.com/60438274) on Vimeo.

If you have trouble convincing your management team to try free information without an email registration, consider telling them that Seth Godin, Tom Peters, and David Meerman Scott all say to try it. Send them a link to this post.

The answers in this video were pulled from longer video interviews. If you haven't seen them, the full interviews are worth a watch. I interviewed [Seth Godin](https://www.webinknow.com/2010/01/seth-godin-talks-about-being-a-linchpin.html) around his book Linchpin and [Tom Peters](https://www.webinknow.com/2010/03/tom-peters-talks-about-the-little-big-things.html) about his book The Little Big Things.

This *Inside Look at Marketing* video was produced by my friends at [VisibleGains](http://www.visiblegains.com/).

<https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott>

[ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott)

David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire.

 Connect: 

<https://www.facebook.com/dmscott> <https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeermanscott/> <https://twitter.com/dmscott> [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com)

 Topics:

[ Marketing ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/marketing)

[ Brand Journalism ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/brand-journalism)

[ Best Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/best-practices)

 Don't forget to share this post:

<https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2010/04/seth-godin-and-tom-peters-on-giving-away-content-for-free.html> <https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2010/04/seth-godin-and-tom-peters-on-giving-away-content-for-free.html&title=Seth+Godin+and+Tom+Peters+on+giving+away+content+for+free&summary=+> <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Seth+Godin+and+Tom+Peters+on+giving+away+content+for+free&url=https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2010/04/seth-godin-and-tom-peters-on-giving-away-content-for-free.html> <https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2010/04/seth-godin-and-tom-peters-on-giving-away-content-for-free.html&media=&description=+>

## Related Articles

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Fanocracy%202e.jpg?width=1500&height=841&name=Fanocracy%202e.jpg)

### New 2nd Edition of Fanocracy Publishes Today: Your Human Connection in a Polarized, Noisy World

 July 14th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/new-2nd-edition-of-fanocracy-publishes-today-your-human-connection-in-a-polarized-noisy-world)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bunnies%20and%20bees.jpg?width=1500&height=823&name=bunnies%20and%20bees.jpg)

### Bunnies and Bees

 June 22nd, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/bunnies-and-bees)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HubSpot%2020th.jpeg?width=800&height=448&name=HubSpot%2020th.jpeg)

### Congratulations Team HubSpot for 20 Years of Helping Organizations Grow

 June 12th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/congratulations-team-hubspot-for-20-years-of-helping-organizations-grow)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/loss%20of%20serendipity.jpg?width=2026&height=1067&name=loss%20of%20serendipity.jpg)

### Algorithms Ate Serendipity: Bring Back Surprise to Spark True Fandom

 May 19th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/algorithms-ate-serendipity-bring-back-surprise-to-spark-true-fandom)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Modern%20marketing%20team.png?width=1774&height=887&name=Modern%20marketing%20team.png)

### RIP Middle Management in Marketing & PR

 April 23rd, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/rip-middle-management-in-marketing-pr)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Grokipedia%20SEO%20disrupted.jpg?width=1536&height=877&name=Grokipedia%20SEO%20disrupted.jpg)

### Grokipedia as a Backdoor to Getting Found in LLM AI Search

 February 23rd, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/grokipedia-as-a-backdoor-to-getting-found-in-llm-ai-search)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai_marketing_2x1.jpg?width=1536&height=768&name=ai_marketing_2x1.jpg)

### You + buyer knowledge x AI > them x AI

 February 17th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/you-buyer-knowledge-x-ai-them-x-ai)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Heavy%20Heavy%20Boston.jpg?width=2000&height=1103&name=Heavy%20Heavy%20Boston.jpg)

### The New Competitive Advantage

 February 11th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-new-competitive-advantage)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-01-28%20at%2011.48.35%20AM.png?width=1587&height=948&name=Screenshot%202026-01-28%20at%2011.48.35%20AM.png)

### Report Takeaways: Human-Centered Marketing in an Age of AI

 January 29th, 2026|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/report-takeaways-human-centered-marketing-in-an-age-of-ai)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMS%202025.jpg?width=1435&height=972&name=DMS%202025.jpg)

### My Focus for 2026 and a Prediction

 December 19th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/my-focus-for-2026-and-a-prediction)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Thumb_V2.png?width=1366&height=768&name=Thumb_V2.png)

### AI Book Trailer for Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead

 November 25th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/ai-book-trailer-for-marketing-lessons-from-the-grateful-dead)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Writers%20thrive%20in%20world%20of%20AI.png?width=1536&height=1024&name=Writers%20thrive%20in%20world%20of%20AI.png)

### How Writers Thrive in the Age of AI

 October 9th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-writers-thrive-in-the-age-of-ai)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-10-01%20at%2010.19.28%20AM.png?width=844&height=488&name=Screenshot%202025-10-01%20at%2010.19.28%20AM.png)

### New Sora 2 App Blurs the Boundaries Between AI Video and Reality

 October 1st, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/new-sora-2-app-blurs-the-boundaries-between-ai-video-and-reality)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMS%20BM%20hybrid%202004.jpg?width=1432&height=966&name=DMS%20BM%20hybrid%202004.jpg)

### The Fandom Playbook: My New Book and Companion AI Chatbot

 September 24th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-fandom-playbook-my-new-book-and-companion-ai-chatbot)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_162669533.jpg?width=1500&height=996&name=shutterstock_162669533.jpg)

### From Transaction to Fandom

 September 3rd, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/from-transaction-to-fandom)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Cracker%20Barrel.jpg?width=990&height=541&name=Cracker%20Barrel.jpg)

### Once You Put Your Product or Service into the World, it Belongs to your Fans

 August 28th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/once-you-put-your-product-or-service-into-the-world-it-belongs-to-your-fans)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Flax%20Dental.jpg?width=1540&height=1058&name=Flax%20Dental.jpg)

### The Simple Professional Services Website Makeover That Creates Fans

 August 11th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-professional-services-website-makeover-that-creates-fans)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/write%20compelling%20headlines.jpg?width=2248&height=1506&name=write%20compelling%20headlines.jpg)

### The Fine Art of Crafting a Not-Quite-Clickbait Headline

 August 1st, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-fine-art-of-crafting-a-not-quite-clickbait-headline)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Look%20away%20in%20Italy.jpg?width=1205&height=674&name=Look%20away%20in%20Italy.jpg)

### In Real Life

 July 23rd, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/in-real-life)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMS%20Banner%20Option%202%20-%20LinkedIn%20_%20Facebook%20Sizing.png?width=1200&height=627&name=DMS%20Banner%20Option%202%20-%20LinkedIn%20_%20Facebook%20Sizing.png)

### How to Write and Publish a Book that Supercharges Your Personal Brand

 July 2nd, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-to-write-and-publish-a-book-that-supercharges-your-personal-brand)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/St%20Vincent%20Outside%20Lands%202015.jpg?width=1500&height=1185&name=St%20Vincent%20Outside%20Lands%202015.jpg)

### The Neuroscience of Fandom

 June 18th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-neuroscience-of-fandom)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Jesse%20and%20fans.jpg?width=1126&height=748&name=Jesse%20and%20fans.jpg)

### Bots Don’t Build Fandom. People Do.

 June 9th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/bots-dont-build-fandom.-people-do)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Agentic%20AI%20Web.png?width=1536&height=1024&name=Agentic%20AI%20Web.png)

### The AI Agentic Web Is Disrupting Your Website

 June 4th, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-ai-agentic-web-is-disrupting-your-website)

[![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HBO%20Max.png?width=720&height=480&name=HBO%20Max.png)

### Max, Once Named HBO Max, Rebranded as… HBO Max

 May 23rd, 2025|1 min read 

](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/max-once-named-hbo-max-rebranded-as-hbo-max)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "David Meerman Scott",
    "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott"
  },
  "datePublished" : "2010-04-19T13:39:09.000Z",
  "headline" : "Seth Godin and Tom Peters on giving away content for free",
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2010/04/seth-godin-and-tom-peters-on-giving-away-content-for-free.html",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png"
    },
    "name" : "David Meerman Scott"
  }
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person",
  "@type" : "Person",
  "description" : "Marketing and sales visionary, international bestselling author of 12 books, keynote speaker in 47 countries, and advisor to emerging companies.",
  "email" : "mailto:David@DavidMeermanScott.com",
  "image" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/DMS-Homepage-Featured.jpg",
  "jobTitle" : [ "Keynote Speaker", "Author", "Business Growth Strategist", "Marketing Advisor" ],
  "knowsAbout" : [ "Content Marketing", "Fandom Marketing", "Newsjacking", "Real-Time Marketing", "Public Relations", "Sales Strategy", "Business Growth" ],
  "name" : "David Meerman Scott",
  "sameAs" : [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Meerman_Scott", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeermanscott", "https://x.com/dmscott", "https://www.instagram.com/dmscott/" ],
  "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#website",
  "@type" : "WebSite",
  "author" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person"
  },
  "name" : "David Meerman Scott",
  "potentialAction" : {
    "@type" : "SearchAction",
    "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string",
    "target" : {
      "@type" : "EntryPoint",
      "urlTemplate" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/search?q={search_term_string}"
    }
  },
  "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "David Meerman Scott",
    "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott"
  },
  "dateCreated" : "2014-09-10T22:46:19",
  "datePublished" : "2010-04-19T09:39:09-0400",
  "description" : "",
  "headline" : "Seth Godin and Tom Peters on giving away content for free",
  "image" : [ "" ],
  "inLanguage" : "en-us",
  "keywords" : [ "Marketing", "Brand Journalism", "Best Practices" ],
  "learningResourceType" : "article",
  "name" : "Seth Godin and Tom Peters on giving away content for free",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://413105.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/413105/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png"
    },
    "name" : "Freshspot Marketing LLC"
  },
  "timeRequired" : "1 minutes",
  "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2010/04/seth-godin-and-tom-peters-on-giving-away-content-for-free.html"
}
```