Slideshare, the popular service for sharing presentations, has announced that it's switching to a freemium business model that caters to professionals, small businesses and enterprises.
While using the core presentation-sharing service is still free, those who want to track engagement, monitor conversions and customize their pages will have to upgrade to one of three PRO plans. All PRO plans give users access to analytics about where their presentations are embedded and the ability to monitor tweets and Facebook updates. PRO plans also come with the ability to convert visitors into leads through a lead form. Finally, Slideshare will turn off ads for PRO plan subscribers.
Gold plans come with more leads and customization and branding options for your channel. Platinum plans include unlimited leads and greater control over comments and transcripts. Dell, JESS3 and Microsoft are among Slideshare's initial Pro customers.
Silver plans require a $19 per month subscription, while Gold plans are $49 per month. The Platinum plans for enterprises have a steeper price: $249 per month.
Slideshare seems to be following a freemium-leaning trend in monetization strategies. Last week, Hootsuite joined the freemium ranks, and Reddit launched a gold supporters plan to pay for new features and growth.
What do you think of Slideshare's move into a freemium model? Do you think it's a smart move by the company? Let us know all of your freemium-related thoughts in the comments.