A Note to Newcomers

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   TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years ago

   First, I want to welcome you to HP, even if you have been here for several months.
   
   I have noticed recently that many of you are worried about the fact that views are low and income is almost nil.
   
   When I check your profiles,  I see that just about all who are complaining have fewer than 10, and sometimes even only 1 featured hub.
   
   To do well here, you have to write either a good number of hubs or a handful that really get  huge views.  The second option rarely happens, however.
   
   It takes a long time...years...and a great deal of learning and work to make any kind of money here, and what you do make generally is not enough  to live on.
   
   So, if you are expecting huge returns for very little work, you are dreaming.
   
   I have been here 4 years and still have not achieved the big numbers.  Yes, I make monthly payout and sometimes more,  but that's about it.  Most here who put in the time and effort do about the same.  A handful do better.
   
   Who are they?  They mostly are people who write extremely well, understand how to use SEO and write on topics they know a lot about or that  are highly searched.
   
   Not many of us have their expertise.
   
   So, if you want to come here for camaraderie, learning and to make a  small income each month, that is the truth of the matter.
   
   I wish you well.

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      Jesse Drzalposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for that. I want to personally invite you to hop on my profile, browse a few hubs real quick, and just give some general advice on my layouts, look style etc.. I really want to be a valued member here and create content to the best of my abilities. Thank you again.

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      1. 85

         TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Jesse:
         
         A few things jumped out at me when I checked your article on faucet fixtures.
         
         When I looked at the title, I thought it was going to be a "how to replace" type hub.  Thus, the title does not match the content.
         
         Also, if you are writing about faucets, why do you have an ad for a water filter showing.  It does not match your topic.
         
         Instead, why not place an Amazon ad for a faucet or two that match your descriptions.
         
         Be careful that your intro is not too general, but rather repeats the title wording using synonyms where possible.  This makes your hub more specific to your topic and helps the bots to know what you are writing about.
         
         I would not place two photos so close together at the top of the article, nor would I use any that are placed to the right.
         
         Use wide photos and space them away from each other and within the article.  Otherwise, people reading on devices will not see what you want them to see. 
         
         Finally, your article reads like something that has been spun from generalized information you can find all over the internet, which means it is not truly original.
         
         Why not choose one faucet you actually have used, show how you replaced it and then tell why you chose that one over a few others.
         
         This will focus what you are saying in a better way, will be original and will align your ads with your words.
         
         It would help if you were a plumber or someone with a lot of experience replacing faucets.
         
         I didn't check your photos for attribution, but make sure you are using legal photos and telling readers where you got them, even if they are your own. 
         
         I invite you to check out a few of my hubs to see what I am talking about.
         
         I think if you do these things and use these thoughts as a template for your other and future articles, you will do really well here.  Good Luck.

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      tlcsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      What a lovely message Timetraveler2, you and I have been with hubpages for sometime now and what you have said is what I would have loved to have known before I dedicated my time to my hubs. That said hubpages is a wonderful community and so easy to use. Lovely to read your hub. tlcs

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      CCgirlposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you Timetraveler2.  Very down to earth.  The only words worth speaking are true ones.  Would be thrilled to have you as a follower.

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   paradigmsearchposted 8 years ago

   Agreed. If it ain't also fun, then it's not worth doing.

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   NateB11posted 8 years ago

   Yes, that pretty much sums it up. You can make a bit of decent passive income, but it takes a significant amount of writing and/or SEO knowledge.

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   jansharesposted 8 years ago

   +1 Three years in and I still don't make monthly payout. Keep hope alive by hanging in there, newcomers, delay gratification, and continue to write quality hubs. Love what you do; your passion for writing will sustain you.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Janshares, if you are still not making monthly payout after 3 years, then it is time to face reality rather than "keeping hope alive".   Things are very unlikely to change for you now, unless you make drastic changes to the way you use HubPages.  It's true that HubPages is constantly making changes and improvements to the site, but frankly they are more about stopping the traffic slide, rather than increasing it.
      
      As TT2 says, most Hubbers today "come here for camaraderie, learning and to make a  small income each month, that is the truth of the matter".  And there's nothing wrong with that.

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         jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Marisa, I'm cool. I'm very aware of my reality. I don't have time (or make the time) to give the type of concentrated effort to online writing that would result in regular payouts. My main focus is my private practice and other activities I'm involved in outside of HP. My "hopeful" statement was more one of support than complaint. I love the HP learning experience, camaraderie, and occasional payout. I'm good, thanks.

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Why don't you try writing on some different topics?  Maybe there is too much competition out there for yours.  How many page views do you have ad how many do you get daily?  Is that daily number increasing or decreasing?  Use this info to help you decide what you can do to make your situation better.

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         jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Hi there, TIMETRAVELER2. I'd love to write more, that is my plan for 2016. But as I said to Marisa, time and other obligations are major factors. I have 275,000+ pages views now, the daily fluctuates but is increasing nicely, hit 300+ a couple days ago. I'm actually happy with that but CPM is very low. I know it all comes with the territory so it's fine for now. I'm hoping when things slow down with my family that I'll produce new hubs and new topics in 2016. Thanks for suggestion.
         
         Edit: Wow, hadn't looked at total views in a few days, it's 277,000 .

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            TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

            So why the complaints?  You're doing great, even with only being able to write randomly.  Good job!

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               jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               No complaints. Just responding to Jesse and letting other newcomers know that even when you continue to produce quality work, you can still miss payouts but not let it take away your hope and passion to write. That's all. But of course, I'd love to see monthly payouts like anyone would.

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            TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

            I think you're doing great.  I've been here a year longer than you and am just now going to hit 368,000, so I think you're on the right track.  I did notice that after the first 100,000 views, they add up quick.  I also think that once we move into Spring, CPMs will rise.

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               jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               I will keep my hopes alive for a rise in CPMs. Thanks!

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   Jesse Drzalposted 8 years ago

   That is a nice amount of views, janshares. I would say that your audience is growing!

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   Jesse Drzalposted 8 years ago

   Just my .02 cent's too janshares but the nice thing about Hubpages is that you still CAN write, even with a busy schedule. No maintenance or building of your own site. All the tools are already here for you!

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      jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Yup, I love it.

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