Common craft makes excellent instructional videos that are widely popular. The basic versions of these videos are freely available on their website and on YouTube. However, they make a living by selling high definition versions that are used in business and educational settings. If you do not know them yet then this video “RSS in Plain English” is an example of their work.
I have been a fan of their work and business model for some time now. So, after I saw a blog post from Lee LeFever in which he explained their business model, I decided it was time for this post.
Common craft started making unique videos in 2007. During the first few years they made and sold custom videos for companies like Google, Microsoft, and Ford. To view some of their earlier work visit http://www.commoncraft.com/about/custom#sync
They have now moved away from custom videos and are now focused on selling high definition versions of their own videos. In this great article “How common Craft Stopped Doing Client Work, In plain English” written by Marshall Kirkpatrick, you can read about their transition and the motives behind the move.
Presently their freemium model is as follows
Free Product: Free videos explaining everything from Twitter to the US election
Premium Products: Licensed High Definition versions for individual, educational or intranet use.
Explainer network: In this model custom videos that are fun, colorful and easy to understand are prepared and directed to the target audience of the client company. This way Common Craft ensures that client’s brand message reaches its audience.
While many will find this approach novel, it does support Common Craft 100% and the company continues to grow.
What would your business look like if you followed what Common Craft does?
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