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Elijack95
Member
Joined: 14 Apr 2009
Posts: 1
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2009 06:54
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Hello,
I am both new to being unemployed as well as to this forum (or really any)! I was formally a Business Analyst/PM for a bank and was downsized in the financial crash we are now experiencing.
I've spent the last day or so looking around and see that there are people doing article writing, but how do you start? I have very little writing since college but would love to get back into it.
I'm looking for an opportunity that allows me to be home with my two young kids, but still be a significant contributor to my family and be PROUD of what I do. (Although doesn't everyone?)
I've taken a preliminary look at some other things like West at home and Arise, etc. I have time to give, but not necessarily the "quiet spot" to take phone calls, etc.
I'd be interested to know some legitimate ways to get started, how much experience you need, etc.
Thanks from me and my children (who enjoy having me home but want to eat!)
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Elijack95
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happywife
Joined: 14 Aug 2007
Posts: 968
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2009 07:44
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Hi Elijack,
Sorry to hear of your misfortune, but it may be turned around to your advantage given time and effort.
There are different ways of making money from article writing. One way is to write articles for other people (freelance writing). In that instance, you'd want to go to some of the freelance sites like Odesk.com, elance.com, getafreelancer.com, etc.
You bid on jobs (writing projects) and are paid an agreed upon price. It may take a little while to 'break into' that area, so you'll have to start off bidding pretty low until you can build up a portfolio of work and positive feedback. Regardless, it's a set fee for a set task.
A second way to make money from article writing is to write articles about a particular topic and then recommend affiliate products (to earn a commission on sales). For instance if you wanted to recommend an ebook on "How To Sell Your Own Home" you'd write an article (based on keyword research) relating to that topic and then 'presell' the reader so that they will want more info. and be ready to go to your affiliate's page and buy the book.
Depending on where you submit your articles, you can leave a referral link to the affiliate site directly, or you'll have to set up some type of intermediate landing page (squidoo lens, hubpage, blog, etc.) and then redirect the visitor on from there.
This can take time to begin generating some income this way. It is not a set fee for set work. Another downside is that you are ultimately building someone else's long term income rather than your own. (Particularly the article directory owner) 
A third way you can make money from writing articles is to build your own online niche website around a topic that you are quite interested in. Each page you add is an article that you write around a keyword or phrase that people are searching for relating to your site concept.
You then can earn money from a variety of ways - affiliate products, Adsense income, your own products or service, etc.
This way takes time and effort before you start seeing steady income, too. The good thing about it is that each and every article you write is expanding your own business and eventually your own bottom line.
As you may have guessed, that's the route I took (and I'm still pursuing) as it made the most sense to me for the long term best use of my time and energies.
If you need the money asap, you may have to consider getting some part time offline work until you are able to get yourself established online.
I truly wish you the best, whichever avenue you take.
Blessings,
Angie
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A8ch
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
Posts: 438
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2009 17:07 · Edited by: A8ch
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Hello EliJack,
To add to Angie's informative post and practical suggestions, you could consider
writing articles related to your interests - scrapbooking and crafting. You could
google sites in these niches to find one you can start off with as an affiliate.
Since these are hobbies, it'll be a less stressful way to get back into writing since
you know what you're writing about. That will show through in your writing and
be useful in driving traffic to the affiliate page.
When you get really good at it, you can consider your own craft site... perhaps.
Hermas
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Jon Squirrel
Member
Joined: 12 Apr 2009
Posts: 23
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2009 22:18
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Elijack95,
Good to have you here.
When I was made redundant I turned to affiliate marketing to keep me ticking over until things improved. It's been really fun.
Great advice from Angie and Hermas above. My thoughts would be similar though perhaps merging a couple of the suggestions into something that I am in fact considering myself.
1. Create a website about the you that you want to sell - this could be related to your professional experience and expertise that you have to offer, or to your hobbies, or even as a family man who's enjoying a bit more time with the kids.
2. Get writing some articles related to the website you just created - so it should be something you know about and that interests you. Wherever you submit these articles, try and get them pointing back to your website - so when someone reads one of your articles they can go to your website to find out more.
The steps above would go some way to establishing you as an authority on something. Once this starts to happen, many more opportunities would arise.
Doing step 1 before step 2 means that you have a website ready and waiting to benefit from the success of your articles. And if your website links back to all of the articles you write, a reader only needs to find one of your articles to be able to find the rest
(article1 -> your website -> all your other articles)
Hope that made sense!
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Franklin
Member
Joined: 13 Apr 2009
Posts: 8
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2009 00:24
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Hi Elijack,
Those are some golden nuggets. I think with the information that you get here is good enough to get you started in your own niche. Just to add a little something, another practice that you can do once you have a website or blog is to make sure you have a system in place to capture your visitors contact information, that way you can keep building a good reputation with your visitors.
A simple and very effective way to do this is by providing something valuable free in exchange for their contact information. When you have a system like this in place makes anything that you promoting or selling much easier to sell, in fact doing it this way you don't even have to sell, people will be contacting you credit card in hand.
You see must people don't buy something the first time they see a product. Some may but the majority would not. Studies have shown that it takes approximate 5 to 7 times for a person until they buy something.
By you having in your own site or blog this type system in place would give you the opportunity to send them a good and valuable information that when they are ready to make a decision you will be on their mind.
I hope all this tips will help you. But don't forget to come back and let us know
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