Hi everyone. I'm seeking suggestions for one of my sites. I have a site that I have been re-working for about three weeks with much fresh content. It has occurred to me that a website owner has to wear a lot of hats: -Promotion (SEO) -Fresh daily content (writing) -Site development (programming/configuring) As a result of doing many things at once, it seems I am not doing a great job of any single aspect. I happen to be using Drupal this time around; I’m also paying up to $5 a day for Adwords; and my site is based on fuel efficiency and energy conservation. I was thinking about trying to find good writers but that seemed like a hassle (almost like hiring employees). What I would prefer to do is set up a deal that places us (the writers and myself) on the same team; instead of cash payment, each writer would include an ad in their story (probably a 468 x 60 banner near the top). This also makes tax issues very simple (no 1099s etc). It seems to me the writers would have the same motivation to see the site gain popularity; more visitors would mean more clicks for them. All stories would be checked by me for grammar and quality (the site aspires to look like a news site, not a forum). Not all posts would make the cut as I am trying to keep the site professional looking. I'm basically trying to establish a site by the end of the summer; I don't care what I make this summer because I am looking towards a future stream of revenue. Anyway; could this work? I am posting these thoughts as a way of seeking suggestions and critiques. Thanks for looking.
If I was interested in writing about this, why would I write those articles, give you the rights in exchange for some adsense "cents" ? Don't take that negative, just consider. What do you have to offer that they can't get through their own site? There's this site (feel stupid for forgetting the name of it) and you can submit article to them, depending on the quality and wether or not they want it you get paid 3$ up to I don't know what figure, plus residual cash based on page views. That sounds like a better deal, right? Paid up front + residual cash. You can always look through forums related to your topic and look for the real die-hard enthusiasts. You should be able to find people who'd do if for free, just for the love of it. Maybe if you mention their names (as if they're real reporters) plus give them their own blogs on your site (so they can monetize their articles through adsense and their blogs as well) They could post a link to their blog (which is on your site) in their signature. More exposure for you. More "authority" for them. They can show all their die-hard friends the blog they have and articles they've written and your site will be in their minds. I'm just saying; 10 die-hard enthusiasts with their own personalities could be pretty interesting. hope this helps, greetz, jobic ps: I like those three words in your signature. Short and it hits the nail just perfect.
Personally I would want some sort of monetary compensation to be a writer of a forum that has not yet gained any traffic. The banner option does not guarantee me anything if the forum fails, nor would profit sharing.