Cashing In On Your News
Monday, April 19, 2010
What do you do once you have joined the masses, put down your pen and paper (literally) and have made the decision to go digital? You still have a job to do and bills to pay!
You can earn money online! Due to the rise of online journalism and news, many are actually starting to make money. By publishing independently online, journalists are making extra cash or even a full-time wage.
Here are some tips to getting the money rolling. (This is not intended for established power-seeking news organizations)
1. Advertising networks
Advertising is the largest way new websites are money. The sale and display ads for your site can be handled by ad networks. You just have to decide where you want it to go.
2. Selling your own ads
If you are a little more greedy, and do not want to share revenue, you should consider selling your space directly to advertisers.
3. Sponsorships/Grants
Of all of these options, this one requires the least technical skill. In addition to be a reporter and journalist, you will need to sell yourself. Essentially, you will need to convince organizations and other individuals to give your money.
4. Commissions and/or affiliate links
To make a few extra bucks on your website, affiliate programs would work the best. By providing links to sites and products, your return is usually in the form of more commission.
5. Paid content
If your content and site is unique and valuable enough that readers are willing to pay for it, you will need to come up with ways to collect it. This is the most time consuming and usually generates less revenue than selling advertising on free pages.
5 comments:
Hmmm. This could be interesting and lucrative...or it could be a huge pain.
I agree that this could be a lucrative in devour or a huge pain. A lot of online journalists are amateurs and may not know the ins and outs of advertising online. Some people could even get ripped off for not knowing a lot about it. On the other hand, you have the professionals who could end up making a lot of money.
I agree with Hanna. This could be the start of something intended to help amateur writers make a few extra bucks, but it also seems like the beginning of some trouble. Being a journalist requires schooling for a reason - it not only teaches skill but ethics in journalism. With amateur writers posting whatever they want online and advertising how they please, there is a greater chance for error, accidental or not.
I agree that, as with any online blog or journalism site, the possibility of bad journalism always exists. However, I do like the ideas offered for success in this blog and if anybody wants more information on these technique, check out my blog on some different advertising techniques.
I think this can be so much more than just adding a little extra cash to your pocket. A lot of these independent news sources will probably spring up because of this. I read a story about a couple of reporters in Wales that quit their jobs and started their own online news source and with the money they make from advertisers on their sight they are able to support themselves and actually make more than their wages at the papers they were working for. I feel this could potentially be a way to make big money.
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