Can I Earn a Living as an AC Content Producer?

I recently had the privilege of interviewing AC Content Producer Carrie Freeman. If you'd like to familiarize yourself with Carrie's work, you can see it on her CP page, www.associatedcontent.com/carrie.

Carrie helped answer the question, 'Can a person really earn a living as a Content Producer on Associated Content", because she is one of many people doing just that. During our chat, I asked her some questions so the rest of us can learn how she does it.

JL: How did you get started with Associated Content?

CF: I was looking around the internet looking for someplace to work from home. I don't really remember how I stumbled upon it, but I stumbled upon Associated Content and started looking into it further, and reading over what they offered and what they'd expect in exchange and I was very interested.

JL: Have you done writing before?

CF: Not for any publication place

JL: So this was something completely new to you when you started it?

CF: It was very much new to me. It was something I had not done at all previously

JL: And you're fairly new. You've been in since November of 2006, is that right?

CF: Yes

JL: So you're pretty new to this and I can see looking at your Content Producer page you already have quite a lot of page views

CF: There is quite a bit of stuff there. I still have a lot of stuff that's pending publication, more that's submitted waiting for offers and publication, as well.

JL: So you're a blue planet with two rings- we know that's heavy duty stuff. Do you do Associated Content as a full-time job?

CF: Currently right now I do and for the last few months I have.

JL: While you've been working Associated Content full-time, what have you found you've needed to do in order to make that happen?

CF: Consistency is actually one of the big parts of doing it and being able to be successful. You have to set a goal and stick to it as much as possible. You can't just decide you want to do eight submissions a day and then only do two or three. That's not going to make you successful. You're not going to have material growing consistently because of page views. You're not going to have constant offers coming in. Consistency is a big key, whether you work the same time every day, or whether you're flexible or work a bit of time here or there, it needs to be something every day to work toward your goal.

JL: Do you have anything special you do for promoting your content?

CF: I've got a web site that we're setting up (it's actually for the yorkies that I do some breeding with) that have my Associated Content articles on there. I have some Squidoo pages, the reciprocal friends group and just try to advertise a little bit here and there. My friends and family are signed up as subscribers.

JL: What do you attribute your success here to?

CF: I think variety is a lot of it. Instead of just sticking with one type of submission, or just articles or just videos or just health related information there's a variety of stuff. There's almost something for everyone. It's just a matter of what it is, because there's information on programming, and there's information on parenting, there's stuff about pets, real estate. There's so much stuff that there's something for pretty much everyone, which makes it much more versatile than just working and focusing on just one type of material.

JL: So you try and give a wide variety of interests so that different people will be attracted to your site.

CF: Exactly.

JL: You do video and do you do writing?

CF: Yes.

JL: Great! So you really know how to diversify.

CF: That really is one of the major things that I've seen because that way if someone isn't necessarily able to watch the videos because of bandwidth restrictions, there's probably an article along the same lines that they can read, as well, for people on dial up or with a slow internet connection.

JL: Excellent point. So if a new Content Producer were to ask you what advice you would give them, what would you say?

CF: Definitely seek the advice and help of people who have been around for a while. They are your greatest assets to learn from. They can offer insight into what works and what doesn't work. And the Yahoo! reciprocal friends group is going to help because several people there have been around Associated Content since 2005 and early 2006 and they are a great source of information how to improve and get better at promoting and the key words and writing styles.

JL: It really sounds like if you play your cards right, this is the sort of a business that you can use that will help you to keep growing.

CF: Very much so. What you get out of it is a case of what you put in. If you want to just walk away and forget about it, you're not getting much out of it. But if you try and take it and learn from it and continuously grow and improve, experimenting with writing styles you can see what works out most successfully and then take it and grow from it.

JL: You're a mom, right?

CF: Yes. I have two kids.

JL: And how old are they?

CF: One is two and the other one is four.

JL: Ooh, you're busy!

CF: Very much so.

JL: So you need that flexibility.

CF: Very much, because I enjoy being able to be home with them while they're still young.

JL: So what would you say you're favorite thing about your Associated Content work has been?

CF: I think the flexibility of it. It gives me the ability to be able to talk about what I want to or whatever interests me or whatever pressing events there are instead of just being given a topic you have to write about. So you want to try and keep it something that other people are interested in. You can write about what you want, and that gives you a lot of flexibility in being able to pick out what interests you the most. And if it's something that you're interested in and passionate about it shows in your writing.

JL: Carrie, is there anything, while we close up the interview that you would like your fellow Content Producers to know?

CF: You have to work to generate the page views. They don't just come overnight. With some dedication and some work it is possible to do a lot of great things with Associated Content, especially if you're patient and give time for it to grow. It's kind of like a snow ball effect. Once you get started you just want to do more and more and more. Take the time and learn about promoting and learn the keywords and just keep growing improving and you can do a lot of great things.

JL: That's great! Well, Carrie, your success is going to be an inspiration, I know, to an awful lot of people. You've seen on the forums in the community area that people have been posting the questions, 'Can I actually make a living at this?' So I know you're going to inspire a lot of people. And, again, if anyone wants to visit Carrie's Content Producer page, they can go to: www.associatedcontent.com/carrie. Carrie, thank you so much!