Blogging

Will I Ever Have To Pay To Read Your Content?

Posted by Les Scammell on January 22, 2010
Posted in: Blogging. Tagged: .

With more newspapers looking to charge people a fee to read their content, it has to leave you wondering how long it will be before other content providers like some of the big names in the blogging world, start to charge to read their content. Would you pay to read CopyBlogger, Problogger or the Marketing Pilgrim?

I am not sure that I ever would and I am not sure that we will ever reach that stage. Small Business Mavericks asked the question – Is Paid Content Our Future? and more generally, “is this the future for all online content?”

What I can see in the not too distant future is that some of the big named bloggers and content providers will ‘charge’ an access fee – however, it won’t necessarily be in dollars. Insisting that individuals become members (and so sign up to the mailing list) is one option – an option that is probably very real. Would you become a member of one of the big sites if that was the only way to access their content?

I do see a problem with that model however. The only way it would work is by having all the content marked as private. This means keeping the search engines out and if you keep the search engines out, you won’t rank for that content. If you don’t rank, you will not attract new visitors unless you can circumvent the search engines and deliver a strong social media marketing campaign. If you niche is franchising, how will you let the non-franchise world know what is happening. I know if I was in that industry and want to Make Your Franchise a Success – I would want all the free traffic I could get.

Some niche’s are probably not big enough to utilize a subscription based content model. Take medical transcription – would you subscribe to get the latest news on the topic. If you were in the field you may, but that is only 5,10 thousand tops – is that enough? Probably, if you were so popular you had all of them subscribed. Most of those involved have enough difficulty Handling Home-Based Medical Transcription – I don’t think they would bother with any form of paid content.

I guess if the big boys aren’t ranking in the search results, we may get a look in! In the meantime, is paid content on the horizon – maybe for big time operators, otherwise, don’t even contemplate it.

Job Research And Training The Way Forward

Posted by Les Scammell on January 17, 2010
Posted in: Blogging. Tagged: , , .

There are times in our lives where we come to a crossroad – we are not happy in our current situation yet we don’t know how to move forward and make changes. This has become a frequent occurrence in peoples careers, particularly over the last 25 years. The only way to move forward is by doing a self analysis of where you would like to be and in what area you would really like to work.

To achieve that aim, you need to undertake some research and, most likely, some training. There are quite a few web sites around the world that can help you find the information and perhaps even help you find or undertake the relevant training.

Take ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools. If the field of heavy equipment, that’s operating bulldozers, cranes, excavators and so on interests you, then ATS provides a wealth of information on their blog. Their latest post  Skid Steer Loaders Perfectly Suited To Winter Conditions provides an insight into skid steer loaders.  Other posts cover a wide variety of heavy equipment.

Some people reach a stage where they don’t want to work for a boss – they want to be their own boss. Buying into a franchise can be a good idea, however, you still need to do your research since not all franchises are the same. Red Hot Franchises can offer assistance in this area. Their latest post – Franchise Opportunity Research Pays backs up my philosophy of doing research before jumping in.

Even work at home jobs like medical transcription services requires research. This research looks at you as much as it does the job itself. Are you suited to working under tight time frames? Can you provide a secure environment – you are dealing with patient records after all? Transcription Jobs From Home provides valuable information related to the profession. There latest post – What Happens in Medical Transcription?
 describes the work involved quite well.

When it comes to finding career information and training, the internet is now a valuable asset. Take a career such as a security guard. You can even undertake training online and become qualified in fairly quick time. The Online Security Guard blog not only provides information about the job and training, it provides links to any job vacancies that arise.

The online world is valuable when it comes to helping to make decisions on our future. All the information is there – we just have to decide on the direction.

Beefing Up Traffic Through Third Party Services

Posted by Les Scammell on December 28, 2009
Posted in: Blogging. Tagged: , , .

Many bloggers write each day, some even taking the effort to optimize their blogs for the search engines. Sometimes it can be interesting to actually see where your traffic is coming from. I noticed over the last couple of days a real surge in traffic coming in to this blog. When I say surge, considering I am lucky to get 30 visitors a day, jumping to 130 per day is a real surge. So where did that traffic come from.

This really took some research. Using Google analytics I was able to track the source of this traffic to an online newspaper out of Chicago. My first thought was how and why? I mean, what sort of newspaper is going to include a link to my pages. I couldn’t see a link anywhere on their pages so once again I was stumped.

Back to Google analytics – this time to see which page they were landing on. The page that interested everyone was one written a while ago about Aldi and the value of their products. Okay, back to the newspaper. A quick search produced a couple of Aldi stories. Now here is where I did get the surprise. At the bottom of the news story was a link box courtesy of BlogBurst and whose link was on top – mine, or at least the link to my Aldi post.

I had heard several months ago about BlogBurst partnering with major online news services and placing links to relevant blog posts below news stories. So there is a moral here.

Sign up to BlobBurst, and while your at it, try also Bloggapedia, BlogCatalog and MyBlogLog. Why do I suggest placing your blog on these blog directories? After Google and direct traffic, this is where the majority of my traffic comes from – these four sites. If you haven’t signed up to them, I suggest you do. Free traffic for what is ten minutes work to start with.

With BlogCatalog and MyBlogLog you will need to do more work as you gain ‘friends’. However, the other two simply take your RSS feed and distribute it, or the link, for you.

Footnote – it is rumoured that MyBlogLog may not survive for much longer – however, while it is in existence, make use of it.

Affiliate Marketing – What About The Customer?

Posted by Les Scammell on November 4, 2009
Posted in: Blogging, Ranting. Tagged: , , , , .

Over the last couple of days I have been looking at ways to improve my website. I know posting more often helps – and I am working to a routine on that front. Other areas included a new theme, removing a lot of the unnecessary clutter on the sidebar and perhaps creating a monthly newsletter.

The one are I have absolutely no experience with and feel somewhat helpless at times is in building a mailing list. Everywhere I look I see the words “the money is in the list”. Well hang the money, I just want a loyal group of readers who would be happy to receive a newsletter each month. Building the list is the only thing that has stopped me to date and being such a novice, the last thing I want is see my money going down a big hole with no return.

money down the hole
To cut a long story short – I went searching for list building advice and everything led back to Aweber. That’s fine, I checked out their site and everything ‘sounds’ good. The problem is, it is a monthly subscription. Now this blog doesn’t make $1 month so spending $19 (I know it’s not a lot, it’s just the principle) is not an investment – it’s an expense that needs to be considered.

So – now to the affiliate marketing angle. As a buyer, not seller, I often wonder what price a product would sell for if it didn’t rely on affiliate marketing. For Aweber, they pay 30% or a little over $5 per sign-up. Being a cheap-skate, I would rather pay the $14 each month instead of the $19. Small dollars I know. However I was looking at a different program over the weekend that cost $70 per month. It had a 50% affiliate payout.

To my mind, that means I am paying an extra $35 each month over the true worth of the program (if the owner is happy to accept $35 each month then that is its true worth). Like I said, it all adds up. suddenly you’re paying $2oo per month when it could be as low as $100 if there were no affiliates.

It’s just my little rant for the week. I understand that sellers need affiliates to spread the message and that affiliates need the income to survive. Now here is a question for everyone involved in affiliate marketing.

Can I register as an affiliate marketer – clear my cookies, then buy through my own link?  As least then I get the affiliate selling fee (effectively a discount).  Your suggestions would help?

Creative Commons License photo credit: ChrisLB