How to Create Income with Associated Content

So you think you may want to make some extra cash writing? This is where Art meets Science. Your creativity and content are clearly the art side of the equation. How to create a realistic income forecast and actionable plan dabbles in the science arena.

Let's get started. At a high level, it is one part quality (relevant content), one part commitment (you must write volumes) and one part consistency (do not expect to retire after one great article). There is an abundance of guidance on content relevancy. Simply put it is something people want to read and have an easy time finding your content. Excellence in this category will certainly reduce your workload.

Blending commitment and consistency will determine your activities required to attain your goal. While we are on goal; you need one! Start with an income goal and use the calculations with assumptions to get to your required action plan for your desired result. Goals should be S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timebound).
Here is an example of an income goal using the SMART principles.

Earn a consistent monthly income of $500 with Associated Content after 6 months of content contributions.

After you have determined your goal, it is time to formulate your action plan. You may be asking yourself, what commitment is required to attain this goal? Business plans are only as good as the initial assumptions and must be revised periodically. Getting started is the hardest part, so we will keep this discussion for those that are clout level 6 and below.

At Clout Levels under 7 the performance payments are all the same. Additionally, we will assume that 50% of the content will be only performance payments and the other 50% will get both performance and upfront payment.

Here is where most people struggle. How many page views can I expect and how much do I need to write? It does not matter! You will know the answer after you have some history. Do not let analysis paralysis impede your ability to get started. Now let me help you with some assumptions. Remember, you will adjust your business plan once you have more data.

Average 2 articles per day for 180 days (360 total articles). Assuming the offer is a conservative $3 for every article, you will earn $90 on upfront payments alone. (In our assumption only 1 of the two articles will be submitted for upfront payment option). 30 days x $3 = $90. $500 - $90 = $410 will be earned with performance payments.

As you continue to write, you will get better and create a loyal reader base. What does it take to earn $410 in performance payments with an article base of 360 articles? Do the math. $410 / $1.50 = 273 x 1000 = 273,000 monthly page views.

273,000 / 360 articles = 758 PV per article. 758/30 days = 25 PV per article per day!

{By the way, this productivity will put you at Clout Level 8}

Is it realistic for you to promote your content through email, twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to average 25 Page Views per article per day? Based on your answer, you can now determine if your goal is attainable. Additionally, you will need to determine if you have the working capacity to generate 2 quality articles per day consistently for 180 days.

Let's be real. Not all of your articles will be winners. Not all will be duds. Some will be sleepers and gain popularity many months after they are published. Some will be bottle rockets, where they garner high PV in a few days and then fizzle to nothing.

Once you are 60-90 days into your journey, your business plan will morph into something different. Maybe you will find you will need to be more promotional with your content and start blogging, creating backlinks and integrate SEO friendly keyword density. Maybe you will find that it is better to write one really great article a day rather than 2 mediocre pieces. Maybe you will find writing therapeutic and push out 3 or more articles a day.

The important point is to start with some realistic assumptions and adjust your plan based on your early results. There is a plethora of content out there about increasing page views, promoting and SEO techniques. After 180 days maybe you are only earning $450 per month -- are you disappointed?