Paid on 80/20 instead of 60/40

1. 71

   melbelposted 8 years ago

   I know this is going to be a big no, but honestly, I would be motivated to write more hubs and clean up old ones if I got paid 80% instead of 60%. Even 70% would motivate me more. Anyone else feel the same?

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      Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Gets my vote, lol.

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      1. 84

         gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         +1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000........

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2. 85

   Marisa Wrightposted 8 years ago

   I'm sure we all would - but you're asking HubPages to take a 50% pay cut.  Do you really think they can afford to do that?

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   1. 71

      melbelposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I can definitely see that, however, I wonder if over time they would earn more as writers are more motivated to stay with HubPages.
      
      I thought of different ways HubPages could increase the pay rate while not immediately losing out on a lot of money.
      
      For example, users could opt into a tier system where their current hubs are "locked in" at 60% (they can't delete them and re-add them to game the system. Perhaps HubPages could institute this only for people who don't delete hubs, if you delete hubs, you're dropped from the earnings increase program??)
      
      Then as users write new hubs of x quality (where x could be hub score, traffic, whatever), the new hub is under the 70% or 80%. Also with the creation of this new hub, the user would be able to "liberate" a "locked in" hub which would then go up to the 70-80%.
      
      -------
      
      Or hubbers could could just continue writing new hubs and after doing some things (whatever hubpages decides), they'll be able to boost a hub to a higher tier.
      
      If it's done a hub at a time, with some sort of incentive to write more hubs in order to get your other hubs at a higher earning potential, I feel like HubPages could only win.

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3. 84

   earnerposted 8 years ago

   We used to be able to get 10% of impressions for some time (I think it was an hour) by referring people to the hubs of others.  e.g. I could've seen one of your hubs and linked to it with a tracker and if any traffic I sent to your hub through my tracker resulted in a click I stood a 10% chance of it being "my earnings".  They removed that.
   
   They removed it and now there's no incentive for me to go through your hubs and think "that's a good one" and link to it.
   
   Snip ... snip ... snip .... went the income.
   
   They took away the carrot, the donkey no longer moves.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Did you ever work out how much extra you actually got from that?  It would've been very little, and they removed it for a good reason.   
      
      Internal linking is good for SEO, but HubPages already has an extensive internal linking system (related Hubs etc). Encouraging Hubbers to add even more risked looking spammy.  Also, HubPages is quite a volatile place - Hubbers delete Hubs all the time and that was creating a lot of broken links in Hubs that had linked to them, and Google can penalise a site for too many broken links.  So overall it's a good thing it's gone.

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         earnerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         The point is, there was a chance of getting something if one chose carefully.  I was speaking more of external links into the site, not internal linking.  e.g. where I have, say, a website and/or Facebook page about a subject I could share 2 other people's links/day, providing my readers with a wide variety of pieces about the subject, rather than just linking to my own stuff.

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4. 71

   melbelposted 8 years ago

   I realize there are problems with the above ideas, but as is, HubPages is kind of a depressing place. I keep my hubs here because they earn some income without me having to do much, but the key takeaway here is that I don't do much. At all anymore. I feel like 60% is just too low. The niche sites have helped, but it's too little too late.
   
   HubPages used to be a fun community where I felt proud of my work and rewarded for good work. There were great mods like Simone and Maddie that engaged with the community. I just feel like it's cold and robotic anymore and I don't earn much, so what's the point of writing more.
   
   I WANT to want to write more. I would gladly take an incentive to write more, but I just feel like with a shrinking CPM and only 60% payout, I ought to put eggs in another basket.
   
   It makes me sad, I love HubPages.

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      PaulGoodman67posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I love HP too and like you, I've not written much new recently.  I seem to spend my time editing old stuff, which is good practice, but less fun.  I don't think that's through lack of incentive though, as I'm doing better now than I've ever done!

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   2. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I think you ought to have your eggs in another basket anyway.  However, a shrinking CPM is not unique to HubPages so bear that in mind!
      
      I agree, the community is not what it was.  I still cling to HubPages as my online 'home' (it's the place I come when I'm sitting at my computer and looking for excuses not to work!), but there's no denying it's not the fun place it used to be - and the staff are more distant and much less willing to listen to/consider Hubbers' ideas. 
      
      I agree with Will that the niche sites are the future of HubPages and should offer a better return in the long run.  But it's just a fact that writing online has changed, that's just the way it is.

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      1. 71

         melbelposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         This. 100%.
         
         They used to do podcasts and talk to people on Twitter (more than just post links), they used to come into the forums and interact with us instead of just leave notices. The blog and newsletter would feature a person and the person would tag another person to be featured. We got to know the mods and they got to know us, they commented on our hubs and they got a community going where we would go around and interact with other hubbers.
         
         Now I feel like it's just hard to get to know other people. It feels so I don't know... "all for himself" now or something.
         
         At first I blamed the big change in site navigation (which I still don't like) that occurred what like 3 or 4 years ago, but it's just cold anymore.
         
         Like you, I continue to come here. It's just home, even if it doesn't feel the same.

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5. 0

   Will Apseposted 8 years ago

   I don't think its all doom and gloom, by any means.
   
   I have a feeling that the niche sites will grow in authority more and more, and it will become possible to rank for quite competitive keywords. Anyone, who has the time to write, might get a good reward a few years down the road for what seem like tough topics, right now.
   
   Also, pages that are suitable for Amazon ads can give a good return. HP have pretty much worked out which topics can work and which cannot, so writers need to understand, too.
   
   'Fraid, I can't see them upping the percentage they pay us, given that their cpms have fallen at the same rate that ours have. They might experiment with different ad types going forward, of course.
   
   As to the social milieu, I suppose we could ask Christy to wear a funny hat now and again, lol.

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6. 0

   Will Apseposted 8 years ago

   I think you might be arriving at your 'Remembrance of Things Past' moment, a little early in life, lol.

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   1. 71

      melbelposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Mayhaps.

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