That Free Thing lost 25% of its members within four months of launching, despite operating worldwide. The company initially promised free product offers but required a monthly membership fee, struggling to deliver on its core promise in many international markets.
Members in most countries paid only the monthly fee to recruit others and earn commissions. They received no actual free offers. This model proved unsustainable. The company faced rapid member attrition as new recruitment lagged.
That Free Thing sought new income streams, launching a vendor network in October 2011. This venture aimed to diversify revenue away from recruitment-driven commissions. However, the vendor network did not generate the expected financial returns.
Now, That Free Thing shifts its focus again, moving into a "Blog Network." This new initiative asks members to write content for blogs hosted by the company. The Blog Network, however, marks a return to the recruitment-based commission structure that defined the company's initial failed launch.
The Blog Network offers web hosting on sub-domains of "blognetwork.com." For a monthly fee, members can create and maintain their own blogs. The company intends for this network to become a large content farm, aiming to improve search engine rankings and attract more users.
That Free Thing promotes a collaborative effort among Blog Network members. The idea is that joint content creation will help individual blogs gain visibility online. Each hosted blog includes a small capture area, acting as a sales funnel to recruit new members into the Blog Network itself.
The Blog Network's compensation plan operates independently of the actual blog content or its use. It employs a 2x14 matrix structure. This matrix places a member at the top, branching down into two legs, which then split further.
The full 2x14 matrix contains 32,766 member positions. Blog Network pays monthly commissions based on the number of members a participant has within their matrix. The company's reliance on recruitment for its compensation model remains central to its operations.