A Medley of Musings

Serious health and life changes, call for a serious name change to this blog. In the past I tried to research my blog name, so it wouldn't be a duplicate blog name that someone else might have. I won't be researching it this time around, so the name is subject to change without notice. Life is kind of like that.

The hand made toys, Mini-Me Jan, and Rolly the Octopus are also something I have a passion for. Making hand made items, especially toys.

Thank you if you're sharing this journey of written blog words, and various assorted written musings, with me by reading my blog now.

Jan

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Internet Marketing: A Beginners Perspective

SUBMITTING ARTICLES PART 2

Another thing I don’t understand is that when anyone places an ad in any other medium other then the Internet, those places expect to be paid for providing that service. Whether that’s placing a classified ad in a newspaper, buying a radio spot, or having a commercial appear on TV.

Sometime back I tried some of those get paid to read email programs. While I don’t know what the going rate is today, back then I was being paid fractions of a penny for the advertising emails I did read. Since I wasn’t easily able to get people as my referrals to those programs, it took some time before I could even reach the minimum payout required from some of those sites.

When I calculated my hourly rate, I would have done better working at my local fast food place. But I couldn’t go to any of my local stores and ask them to give me change for a penny. Yet I was being paid less then one cent, to read those emails.

No, it’s not rocket science to spend some seconds reading those get paid to read email advertisements. I didn’t expect to make thousands of dollars doing that. But I also didn’t expect that my rate of payment, would be fractions of a penny. In some cases I had to look at several emails, before I actually earned my first penny. Reaching the minimum amount, before I could get to payout, seemed very far away back then.

Newspapers, radio, and TV charge accordingly for the ads they allow people to place there. The large TV networks are paid quite well, if a commercial is aired, during an event such as the Super Bowl.

When writers submit an article to a brick and mortar publication, they are hoping that the publisher will agree to publish their article, and will compensate the writer accordingly. If that publication accepts that article, poem, or short story, they might pay the writer in contributors’ copies, if the publication isn’t very well known. Other larger publications are willing to pay money, if they agree to publish your writing.

How did the Internet, which is still in many ways a young and growing form of communication, become a place, where Affiliate Marketers and Writers often aren’t paid for their efforts? Why is it not only recommended, but also almost expected, that writers will submit their articles for free publication?

Many Affiliate Marketers don’t receive any money for the programs we’re trying hard to promote, until someone actually buys those products. Being paid strictly on a commission basis, seems like a hard way to make a living, from what I’ve experienced and learned about Affiliate Marketing so far. How did things become so different regarding the Internet, as compared to what newspapers, magazines, radio or TV do?

The Internet is amazing, with the worldwide reach and potential that it has. Not too long ago, if we wanted to communicate with someone in a different location, from where we lived, we could do that either with long distance phone calls, or by sending them a letter through the U.S. post office. We didn’t have the ability to send an Instant Message, like we can today. The letters I sent to someone living in a different city, or a country then I do, never arrived as quickly as email now does.

But I wonder how we’ve strayed so far, from that old philosophy “That there are no free lunches.” Affiliate Marketers don’t get paid, until someone actually buys the other peoples’ products that we work hard to promote. Writers are now expected to submit their articles for
free publication, and we’re told to submit them to as many places as possible.

When did things change so drastically? Where was I when that happened? I guess I must have missed that memo. But I’m doing my best to comply with things the way they are now. I’m willing to follow the submission guidelines, as stated at various Article Publishing Sites.

I hope by following these ever changing rules, I might actually earn money someday, from the articles I work so hard to write. I’ve read from many different sources from different people, more experienced then I am, who have stated that I could earn money submitting my Articles to different Publishing Sites. They said that could happen for me, and I believe them.

So perhaps I’m not only naive because I do believe those written endorsements, as a way I hope to eventually make money on the Internet today, but as I've mentioned a few times before, I’m also new at all of this.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan..

I'm Beth from over at Adlandpro and I just got to your blog from your link on your webpage there...

You're articles are great. I don't know if you have joined APSense or not but you could earn a few more pennies per day... if you posted these over there as well!

http://www.apsense.com/bethsventures

if you're over there already, stop by and say hi! I only know that you are Jan and maybe we already know each other?

have a great Today
Beth

Anonymous said...

Hi Beth

I like Adlandpro, a lot. It's really a helpful community. Thank you for the positive feedback about my articles. I'm new at affiate marketing and blogging too.

How exciting, I'm actually starting to get people commenting on my blog. How cool is that?

I kept wondering why the comments weren't showing up when I looked at it, then I forget, I had specified that I would moderate the comments that come through here! Well Duhhhh!

I assume Apsense is different then Google's Adsense? I'll be looking at it very shortly. Thanks for giving me that link.

I hope we'll get to know each other better, through our blogs and through AdlandPro.

Thanks for stopping by here Beth! It made my day, very exciting!