Is Associated Content Wooing Me Back?

When I first got involved with Associated Content (AC) as a fledgling freelance writer, I was thrilled to find an online area that offered to pay me for writing whatever I wanted to write. I soon got enthralled with the community, the feedback offered on writing and markets, and the fact that I won AC's 2006 Worst Date Ever contest didn't hurt either. However, along the way, I started becoming very successful in other markets, my heart grew fickle, and I decided that the monetary payback was not sufficient to continue with AC. It sounds cold-blooded and heartless (and a lot like I'm a gold-digger), but ultimately, my goal was to become a full-time freelance writer, and to be honest, I felt the payment was better elsewhere.

I do credit AC with helping to solidify my position as a new freelance writer, as it allowed me to establish an online portfolio with feedback and ratings, very essential to creating an online resume of writing. But as an occupation or business goes, we have to do a cost/benefit analysis to see if our efforts are best spent in that area or not and the money on each article was not worth the amount spent, when compared to other markets. I wasn't in it just for the romance, I wanted to be able to invest in it and get a good return too, sort of like a marriage contract with all the financial blessings too. Well, now I am having second thoughts, and it is because AC has matured, and flowered into the type of site that I think can provide future monetary returns on our investment of time, even with a low initial payout and I aim to test that hypothesis by getting involved with AC again.

Why AC Is Better Now

Residual performance payments - Yes, I admit it, they initially bribed me back. Well, when you are trying to woo a romantic interest, isn't it fair to give them chocolates or flowers? So, why should anyone fault me for taking notice when I got payments in my PayPal account, even though I stopped writing there months ago? It definitely made me sit up, fluster my fan, and bat my eyes a bit.

Contests - I love their contests. Maybe I'm just one of those people that want to feel challenged by my romantic interests. Sure, contests don't pay anything upfront, but it helps to spur the creative juices and they don't take long to write. I also love to read other people's contest entries and find I learn from what they say and the writing style that they use.

Calls for Content - When I was first acquainted with AC, they didn't have this feature. I'm not sure whether it will motivate me to write more, but I do like the idea that they tell you how much a topic is worth to them before you write it. I hate to waste my time on topics that aren't relevant or don't merit a good payout, which is why I love the performance pay. Let the readership decide what they like, not the editors. And, even if you take an initial payment, you still get performance payouts too.

Flexibility - Let's face it, I am a fickle lover. AC, even if it manages to win me back completely, will never be my only true love. So, I need the ability to have control over my content, because that is what I use to attract other interests, payments, markets, and audience. The new ability to control the rights on our content is perfect for someone like me. I don't always go exclusive, even though, sometimes I might for a particular article. I just need to be able to determine that for myself.

Why I'm Better Now

Of course, it's not all up to AC to make this relationship work. I have to bring something too. And, in my forays with other love interests, I have really grown as a writer. I understand the market better and I even have a much more indepth understanding of how Internet marketing works. It's precisely that knowledge that I intend to use on AC to help me earn money here and to make this a worthwhile relationship. Here are some things that I think will help anyone who wants to earn money on AC:

Understand Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Let's face it, no matter how interesting we find a subject, our tastes may not be exactly what everyone else favors. If you can learn even a little bit about the words that are most searched in the Internet, by using tools like Google's Adwords Keyword Tool, you will be able to target your content to the major search engine's preferences. I did that with one article on AC before, and when I came back this time, I found it was my most read article and generated more income for me than any of the others, even though the subject was "The Basics of Shingle Roof Replacement." Pretty dry, huh? Very lucrative too, if you are interested in residual performance payments.

Affiliations - I've built up more affiliations and understand how to market them better now. While AC can get a large readership, the Internet is a huge worldwide market of people who are hungry for original and innovative content. Use the affiliations area in your profile to show people where else they can find your content, and particularly, your for pay content. I also bring with me people from my own affiliations in the Master's program I've attended and other areas, to enlarge the audience I get and subsequently the audience that reads AC. This means more money in performance payments, and more good press for me too.

Can It Be Fun Too?

Oh, yes, I am liking the new AC much more. However, can't this relationship be fun too? Of course, it can! We writers are a bit eccentric and I think that we can be very playful at times. Associated Content has started to plug into that idea with contests, but they can really maximize that draw by learning how to flirt with us better. However, the interface doesn't really lend itself well to having too much fun, even though I think AC could implement some functions to promote that, like Facebook, without distracting from the professional feel of the site. For instance, I would want to see some applications for AC that we can install in our profiles that allow us to send flowers or applause to various media authors. I mean, who hasn't heard of throwing flowers at the end of a stage performance? Why should a good video not merit the same thing? AC should look at Facebook and see how they did this, because sending gifts is one of the most popular features there and it creates a sense of fun and community, not to mention some romance and intrigue.