Associated Content started out as a small website that encouraged anyone to sign up to start publishing their own articles on the web. After five years, and growing to more than two million pieces of content online, Associated Content was purchased by Yahoo! in 2010. Through the acquisition, many things stayed the same for Associated Content writers. One notable change was the inclusion of much of the content in new areas of interest, such as Yahoo! Finance and Yahoo! Sports.
The Benefits of Writing for Associated Content
Unlike many sites, which require writers to submit a writing sample or have some experience in the field of writing, Associated Content allows any U.S. Citizen who is 18 years of age or older to sign up and publish articles of their choosing. Amateur writers are welcome at Associated Content, and are given access to many free lessons about writing online via the Yahoo! web style book.
Associated Content writers are independent contractors, and as such, create their own hours and schedule. There are no minimum article numbers to meet, and once accepted, the writer is able to contribute as often or as seldom as he or she prefers. Writers can choose from pre-determined assignments, or they can write an article of their own choosing.
How Writers are Paid at Associated Content
Payment is made via PayPal only, and depending on the type of payment earned, payments can be made several times per month or once per month. The payment structure at Associated Content can be confusing at first, as there are a few different ways for aspiring writers to earn money at this site. Every article published on Associated Content earns what they refer to as “Performance Pay.” At the time of the publishing of this article, Performance Pay was $1.50 paid for every 1,000 page views, or $1.50/PPM. This type of earning is unlimited, and the writer will keep earning the amount of money per 1,000 page views continuously, year-over-year. As writers earn more and more page views, they earn “clout” with Associated Content. The higher the level of “clout,” the higher the amount the writer is paid for each 1,000 page views. This rate, at the time of publishing, is capped at $2.00/PPM.
The second way a writer can earn money at Associated Content is via their Upfront Payment program. This program allows writers to submit articles for upfront payment. This additional money is typically between $2-15 per article, and is in addition to their performance payment revenue as described above. Writers can submit their work to the Upfront Payment program prior to publishing. It is then reviewed and either accepted or declined. If accepted for upfront payment, the money is deposited to the writer’s PayPal account within a few days. If declined, the article is still publishable, but only via the Performance Pay program.
The Drawbacks of Writing for Associated Content
One of the greatest drawbacks in writing for Associated Content is the lack of editing prior to publishing, as well as the lack of credibility the sites holds with many citizens of the web. Because anyone can apply to be a writer at Associated Content, there is no minimum standard by which applicants are measured. Further, though resources exist to help educate the writer, after the first few articles have been published, there is no editorial team available to fact-check or review the article prior to publishing.
While the payment structure for Associated Content has several components, the $1.50/PPM base scale means that an article will earn continuously, earnings are only generated when someone views the article by the writer. As such, the writer must be well-versed in writing for the web to hope to generate any continuous income from Associated Content.
In addition, writers can choose how they would like the rights to the content to be used. However, the more restrictive the rights, the less the content will be distributed, which translates into potentially large loss of earnings.
As far as most web content sites are concerned, Associated Content is considered a good spot for beginners who are learning to write for the web, but not a site where anyone with extensive experience writing for the web would consider especially lucrative. While there are experienced web authors who make hundreds of dollars each month at Associated Content, they are the exception to the rule and not the norm. Overall, most writers would earn more publishing at more selective and reputable websites, instead of via the confusing Associated Content platform.
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