The Internet these days is all about the algorithms.
They’re Google’s lifeblood, of course. But other innovative companies are also using algorithms – plus some freelance talent – to create their own cash cows. And that means a fun, easy, and interesting way for you to cash in yourself.
I’m talking about Demand Media. If you’ve done a Google search for one of those weird questions that you just don’t know the answer to or need directions for cooking, making, building, or creating something… you’ve probably stumbled across an article created by one of Demand Media’s army of freelancers.
I’m talking about searches like: “How to make nutritious homemade baby food” or “The best places to visit in Spokane, Washington” or “What countries were involved in the Spanish-American War?” or “Government regulations pertaining to starting a small business” or “How to make a perfect mojito.”
You know, all the important questions in life.
The Demand Media contributors create more than 4,000 pieces of written and video content each day on topics just like those! They’re on track to publish a million a month on Demand Media-owned sites like eHow.com, Cracked.com, GolfLink, LiveStrong.com, and about 40 others, as well as well-known players like USAToday.com.
No matter how many pieces of content they publish they can always use more because the demand is always there. Before we get into the money-making potential, let’s talk about how it all works.
It starts with an algorithm that tells contributors what types of topics need to be covered. That’s right; the computer is the “managing editor” so to speak, which takes human prejudices out of the equation.
The data comes from search terms – more than 2 billion per day, the keywords popular in the pay per click ad market, and what other content sites are publishing.
This data is crunched constantly so that it’s always up-to-the-minute accurate and guaranteed to hit that sweet spot of producing what the most people are searching for. Demand Media makes money when those people visit their sites and click on the ads on the web pages. With 4,000 new articles or videos every day, that’s a lot of pages, a lot of clicks on ads, and a lot of money coming in constantly.
To be blunt, this is a great opportunity for you to make some extra cash. There’s no need to be a subject matter expert or veteran writer to make this work. But some writing experience or at least an interest in writing is needed. You can start creating your own how-to, informational, and instructional articles in no time and start contributing to Demand Media… and making money.
Joining Demand Media Studios
Alright, so let’s get into how exactly you’re going to earn spare time cash from your new position with Demand Media.
The first step is to join Demand Studios, their content creation division. This is nothing like scanning elance.com or oDesk.com for freelance gigs. You simply apply. And once you’re approved, you’ll be working with expert editors on getting your articles ready for publication.
The best part is that you won’t have to guess what topics the editors are looking for… the algorithm tells you what to write about. No writer’s block! How-to, tips, and lists type articles are generally the most popular. And they’re really easy to write too. Plus, the Demand Studios guidelines will really point you in the right direction.
Once you’ve joined Demand Studios, the projects will come fast and furious – those 4,000 a day videos and articles aren’t going to create themselves, after all. So basically you have thousands of possible assignments available every single day. There’s bound to be many articles they need that interest you or that you have expertise in.
To check out what’s available that day, you just log in to your account and pick and choose what you want to write about. You set your schedule, which makes this a tremendously flexible money-making opportunity. Make extra money after your day job… or, if you’re a stay at home mom, for example, knock out an article while the baby is sleeping.
When you write an article, which will take minimal research and just a couple of hours tops of writing time… you’ll make between $15 and $30. Doesn’t seem like a lot but it does add up over the course of the week as you tackle a couple of articles each day.
You also have the option of choosing projects that offer a revenue share arrangement. You get paid based on what websites your article appears on, the number of page views, and other metrics.
However you are compensated, you get paid on time. It’s twice a week for flat fee projects, and monthly for the revenue share pieces.
The really cool thing is you get to put your name on your creation. So while earning money for these fun projects, you’ll be making a name for yourself online as a writer as well. And that could lead to even bigger opportunities down the road.
Demand Media is simple. It offers security. And it offers tremendous opportunities to be published on some of the top websites online right now – your reputation will grow right along with your bank account.
I wish you the best of luck!
John Hollister
P.S. I just gave you all the tips you need to make a splash at Demand Media. But here are a few resources to give you that extra leg up.
Resources
Tips and Guidelines for Joining Demand Media
http://officehelp4hire.com/blog/2011/03/new-writer-tips-demand-media-studios/
Demand Media Sites
The Business of Demand Media
http://www.emediavitals.com/article/16/demand-media-s-content-assembly-line
http://www.quora.com/What-is-Demand-Medias-business-model-and-how-does-it-work
http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2011/03/heres_how_deman.php
http://searchengineland.com/the-new-york-times-demand-media-edition-62643
