How to Write Compelling Articles for Associated Content (Yahoo!Voices)

Yahoo! Contributor Network's Associated Content rarely offers any up-front payments to writers. Mostly, they only receive a penny per five page views. This means a writer gets a whopping one penny per five times someone clicks onto their article. The average Associated Content article is two pages, or two computer screens, long. In order to make people click onto that second page and help you to get another penny, you need an article compelling enough to make them want to click on that second page.

Pick a Controversy, Any Controversy

The best way to write a compelling Associated Content article is to come up with the most controversial topics you can think of and then write an editorial about them. Don't be afraid to mince words. Although swearing is generally frowned on, it's also condoned. Unless you write hate speech, make libellous accusations or post pornography, it will stay up on Associated Content. They're not too discriminating about content.

Try not to pick a controversial topic that's been done to death like Holocaust denial or abortion. Broaden your definition of controversy. Some very popular article topics include a series by Steve Shives called "The Worst Films Ever Made." His pick for third worst is the so-called documentary Loose Change and has generated not only huge amount of page views, but unintentionally hilarious comments from 9/11 "truthers." One article doing well for this writer is Why America Needs to Ban Ear Cropping in Dogs. Ear cropping doesn't make headlines but is still an issue many people quietly care deeply about, one way or another.

Stick an Image on It

It takes time, but articles that have at least one image tend to bring in more page views than articles without images. Although you can download your own images if you are the copyright holder, this is not an option for many writers (because if you work for Associated Content, you can't afford a camera.) You must try and glean the slim pickings from royalty free online image sites like Wikimedia Commons or StockXChng. Readers will be interested in the picture and then read to see what the picture is about.

When in doubt about an image's copyright, do NOT use it. You can get into a lot of trouble (well, lots of stern e-mails) from using a copyrighted image. Associated Content may not be too happy with you, either. That's not the kind of controversy you want.

Use Lots of White Space

Notice the length of the paragraphs in this article. Although they look okay on sites like Helium, these are far too long for an Associate Content article. Associated Content uses the same font and font size for its articles as they do for their ads. This can give the initial appearance that an article is a lot longer than it really is. Many people get immediately turned off by long rectangles of text.

But they will hang around if there are white spaces in between subheadings, blocks of quotes, and paragraphs that are four sentences long or less. It gives the illusion that the article is very short and easy to read. Web surfers, busy bees as they are, will be convinced that they have enough time to read the entire article just because it doesn't look so long.