Forum Moderators: not2easy
Previous I have run websites where people could login and upload an article. Then I would review it and either accept or reject the article. The people who did this were usually clients or business partners. We did this via a contract and everyone got something unique. Some examples were:
1. Good Hard Earned Cash
2. Banner Advertising
3. Advertising Elsewhere
4. Links To Their Details
...
...
...
However, I am looking looking to develop some sites where it's reader could fill in a simple online signup form and start uploading articles and content. My question is this: What would the readers want in return? Would a like to a profile / one of their sites be enough. I don't want advertising on the site and I don't want to part with cash. Is there anything else I could offer? What would you want?
Chris
Can you please clarify on your point:
>> how you are archiving the articles
All the articles will be constantly readable and will never be deleted. However, they may be updated. The person will also be notified of changes.
I will be using Brett's highly advanced (your cheques in the post Brett ;)) pyramid scheme if it's not too complicated with the way I am planing on programming my site. If it is, it will be a dynamic site where the link structure will be the pyramid, however, the page structure will not.
Chris
Nick
Article provide by: NAME of WEBSITE
where: NAME links to their profile
and WEBSITE links to the default website
p.s. just thought, instead of a default website, they might be able to pick one from the profile for each article so they can vary it.
I'll have a TOS saying stuff like no adult sites and I might only allow relevant sites to the article. Do you think the relevant sites only will be a big impact on whether they provide content or not? If so, do you think it will be positive or negative?
Chris
Andreas
Paynt:
It would also depend on how you are archiving the articles, how they are linked internally and how you have themed the site.
Could you please clarify on this. What would you find appealing?
Paynt:
There are other things that add to the appeal
Ok, now you have me interested. Do you mind releasing any secrets ;).
andreasfriedrich:
I´d want to choose the keywords in the link to my sites myself.
Interesting. I am now thinking the footer of the article will look like as follows:
Article provided by NAME. (where NAME is a link to their profile)
Their text will be included below where they can have linking and non-linking text.
Chris
In a popular site I write for they let me write my own bio that is included in *every page* i write. So I get to add whatever link text I want...
Nick
A promotional campaign of this sort requires we produce relevant content that is of interest to where we are placing it and bridges (in other words a visitor would have a reason to move between sites – it would make sense – themes) between sites. To do this costs money. How this content is to be presented affects both sites and requires processing on either end. That costs money in both time and effort.
When I represent a site in placing content as part of their promotional strategy there’s also a sorting process I go through in determining which potential sites available within my theme that accepts a content exchange are most suited to expend our efforts. I look to where are we going to get the most bang! for the buck. Most sites I connect with that are willing to take on this strategy start easily with producing 1 article a month.
This leads me to some of the questions you’re asking Chris.
Archiving Articles – I have my ideas on this and in fact an entire philosophy that I’ve pursued for years now with quite good results so I won’t be letting all those seeds out of the bag just yet, ha although I’ve dropped more than a few around here over time. I can tell you that I’ve seen many different methods of archiving used, some better than others. I mean if you gave me article space in an archive held on a canonical (subdomain) or separate domain that would excite me, especially if it were themed and allowed for cross referencing but that’s an entirely different discussion better left for another day.
Other things that add to the appeal – In addition to archiving and the profile page? As mentioned by others of course the bio but I want it customizable for each article. I want room for 35-65 words and yes, to pick the anchor for my text. I want two links in the bio to use as I wish. I want the article placed on a page not cluttered with ads, especially none to my competitors. I want simple navigation. PR above 3 is ok because if it’s set up like this the PR will naturally build. I think it would work better for both of us if I wrote a really long article and we split it between us. Then I could use one of links as the bridge, we both benefit from the article in addition to what we would if it’s placed in it’s entirety on just one site but also the mirror problems of copying it for both. That would appeal, yes very much.
You can find more in the One Page One Link [webmasterworld.com] theory.
One thing I'm working on myself (now and again when I have time) allows contributors just this, each article has a 'this article was submitted to promote....' kind of thing...
Nick
Nick
To sum up you would want those sites that you provide content for to be optimized as you would optimize your own pages. Additionally you would want it to meet all those criteria that you would look for in pages that you request links from with the benefit that you can control a lot of aspects yourself (link text, custom bio, etc.).
Andreas
I worry about puttin all my eggs in one basket... It's really time I started writing for another site...
That’s right and that’s good to spread your thoughts and ideas around. I see that when possible like we have here at Webmasterworld it’s good to build up your base of authority. That’s true for whatever industry a person, as in this case, is promoting themselves. Finding a base to commit to and building on that I believe allows you then the chance to be selective and sort through options. I have my own reason for writing where I write and contributing where I contribute, and it’s been very little outside of the security of these forums, for that very reason I suppose.
To get back to you Andreas, do you think this is unreasonable or unlikely? Chris is showing us by asking that it is possible. For him to have brought up the subject means dozen more people have been thinking on some level the same thing. I know I’ve been talking about marketing online with articles for over two years now so it doesn’t surprise me that site owners are seeking out ways to make their site more attractive as a ‘potential’ during the sort phase I’ve mentioned. What makes the flower prettier or the nectar sweeter?
Do you think this is unreasonable or unlikely?
It ought to be neither. If you expect people to provide content for you then the least you could do is provide such a framework. Chris´ question seems to suggest that such an awareness exists.
Personally my problem has not been finding potential sites to publish articles on (to be honest I have never really looked) but that I never seem to have enough time to write any article. Although if I cut down on the time spent here then that really shouldn´t be a problem ;)
Andreas
Wow, such hi praise from you all. I thought that thing on my neck was empty ;).
The functionality you are all talking about is easily built and some is what I was planning, however, I would never have developed it as much as you are all suggesting. I could have missed out on alot of appeal. I guess I know where to come for my content providers ;).
I'm thinking of having two types of bio now. A site wide one for login and the store of defaults and an article based bio which inherits the site bio's values but are changable for each article.
My main consern at the minute is that people will want to link to their site which is not completly relavant; I don't what to put them off by telling them to find a more relavant link oftern.
I'm still not clear on the archieving bit (I guess it was too late at the beginning and too early now :)). I am planing on make the articles, if not the whole site, advert free. The articles will be themed in sub folders and each article will link to others of the same theme.
Chris.
I'm thinking of having two types of bio now. A site wide one for login and the store of defaults and an article based bio which inherits the site bio's values but are changable for each article.
It's unnecessary to code the options for a bio that is changeable for each article.
What I've seen done with good results is an author bio page that is linked from their by-line directly beneath the article's title, and then a sig file written by the author which is simply included as part of the article submission.
My main consern at the minute is that people will want to link to their site which is not completly relavant; I don't what to put them off by telling them to find a more relavant link oftern.
I wouldn't worry about that to much. Very few authors (with any sense) are going to submit articles on a subject that is completely unrelated to the site they are promoting through their sig file.
What I've seen done with good results is an author bio page that is linked from their by-line directly beneath the article's title, and then a sig file written by the author which is simply included as part of the article submission.
Back to my original plan I go ;).
At the minute I feel like a woman. I have such a clean mind because I'm forever changing it ;).
Chris.
p.s. Please don't take offence. It's a joke I've only just heard. I'm a nice guy really :).
Are you suggesting that male chauvanists can't be nice guys? ;)
Dante "I'm not a chauvinist, I'm just old fashioned" Maure
Although if I cut down on the time spent here then that really shouldn´t be a problem – andreasfriedrich
Oh that’s an awful idea andreas ;) We want to hear more from you not less.
Well now Chris, I hope you let us know how this works out for you and what kind of results you get. Good luck.
That's a will do.
Chris
