Content Sites - any still around and useful?

Question

I missed my chance to write for About.Com when it was TheMiningCom and now it's DotDash and seems to be under different rules. Suite101 has become Suite.io (blocked from my work, so that's all I know.)

I know at one point I had bookmarked Squiddoo, HubPages, BellaOnline and others to write for. Are they still around? No idea - possibly in some form.

I'm talking basically about sites that pay at least a little, and they're not totally anonymous content farms, but by-line linked, and you theoretically develop a little community.

Why would I want to write for one? I do well with peer pressure/incentives. The Rep/Badges system here is a great gamification system that works.

Community is helpful -- I am recognizing names of frequent contributors. If any of them post a link to their published work or blog, I'll check it out and hope for vice-versa, even if it's not normally my cup of tea. I know the '00s were the decade for non-facebook/IG community-building, but there may be some.

And beyond Writing.SE, an external, regular deadline is good for me. I can't seem to set my own deadlines and stick to them, so my blog/site is blah. But if I have a promise to BellaOnline for 2 short articles a week about Board Games (not my proposed topic), that rebuilds my regularly-writing-for-an-audience muscle.

They reward moderate expertise -- I don't feel expert enough about coffee or whatever to propose A Column to A Coffee Magazine/Site. But I feel I know more than the average bear, and can quickly research things that the average reader would want to know more about. It always seemed that the "experts" on these sites were Pretty Good, but not Great, and that's what I wanted as a reader, and what I can deliver as a writer.

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But are these sites dead? Will I make $5 from them, or should that energy go towards really good ebay descriptions of shoes I want to sell? Will I get readers? I'm not trying to poll-for-experience, but if anyone has statistics on these sites, or which are still thriving without a massive pivot-to-video, that would be helpful. Thanks!

Answer 1

In my experience, the content sites were sinking fast years ago. I honestly stopped looking. However, if you want to write quality content, it's not hard to find people looking for it.

Back in the day, getting 4¢ per word was not unreasonable, but today, it probably won't happen at your typical site. Sites that pay per-word have to hire people just to process the submission requests.

I am moving into a new market and put together a summary for six articles I wanted to write. I approached two print magazines targetted at niche segments and both have asked for articles from my list. In fact, I'm supposed to be editing now but needed to give my brain a break.

Legit SEO content (not spin)

If there is a reputable SEO company in your area, tell them you're available to write. There is a demand for real, legitimate content. Especially for sites catering to professionals who have ethical guidelines, such as lawyers, CPAs, medical professionals, and engineers. They're going to want 800-word articles on a topic, and of course leveraging specific keywords, that conform to the site's content guidelines. For example, one headline for every three paragraphs, two links for every three paragraphs, etc. The trick is that the articles have to conform to their professional responsibility guidelines. In my area, Iowa, USA, these guidelines are published online. For example, ethics guidelines for Iowa lawyers. The company hiring you will probably tell you the guidelines and have the professional do the final editing.

With the SEO content, you may not get a by-line, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Trade Magazines

Trade magazines also need content. The chamber of commerce in your town and nearby towns probably publish a quarterly magazine. You can interview a local business owner or committee member (I do this by e-mail) and then turn it into a 1,500-word article. Real estate firms also use this kind of content for their newsletters.

These guys have a serious challenge getting content, so if you pitch an idea, you really have a strong shot at it.

Fiverr

With their new business model, you can now charge more than $5 for a service. Yes, they take a cut, but it's better than free. There are lots of opportunities to write on there, especially if you're aiming for the lower cost segment.

Answer 2

As requested, I'll try to write more about my comment regarding Kalaage.

First of all, I DON'T work for this site. So this is NOT an advertisement.

I have used it for just a few weeks, I can say it is safe and it shouldn't be a scam. (But since I've never earned because I never qualified to get the minimum number of "Views" and "Nice reads" required on each post to start earning, I won't guarantee you).

The easiest way to earn is to post any article (on whichever subject you may like) or a poetry etc. But, to start earning, your post must receive a minimum 200 views and 10 "nice reads or likes", and they'll pay you INR 300 per post which meets these requirements which roughly translates to $4.36.

Now, it depends on you if you call this a significant amount or not, but its not that bad, if you have a good online presence and you can easily meet those requirements per post and also, if writing is just your hobby.

If the name of this website confuses you or you find it weird, you are not the only one.

This is the mail I received after I posted a poem written by me on this website:

Congratulations on your work upload on Kalaage.
Your article titled 'Thoughts' is now live and your shareable link is below: [link]

If you share the above article, on your social media channels, and get minimum 200 views and 10 'Nice reads', you will get INR 300 in cash.

You will get INR 300 each time any of your article reaches the above numbers.