List My Five Experiment Two weeks later

We got a wonderful fall storm, that feels more like a late summer storm, in San Diego today and it has been special to be able to listen to thunder for most of the day.  Something you could never do in an corporate office. 

Anyway, I have been on List My Five for 18 days now.  I have 41 articles (a little under the 3 in 30 day goal, but I should be able to make that up) and 3238 views with a grand total of $2.36.

That is about 3 times the amount of views I last reported, but sadly not 3 times the money, more like double the money.  Which means views do not mean earnings.  Just because they clicked on your article doesn't mean you will get any money from it. 

That was the same at the old eHow.  That is why I was not such an advocate to have my friends come read my article and rate.  Rating never meant more money.

Now let me break down what has the most views and the most earnings.

The Stink Bug article is still the most views and the most money, at 204 views and 86 cents.  I wrote that article after I saw it posted on Google trends.  I didn't even know there was a stink bug epidemic in the east coast till a few days later.  In fact, it got worse over the following week, so I believe that is why my article is doing well.  But, I can't find it on a Google search, so I don't know how anyone else has been either.

The second most popular is the Top Halloween costumes one at 163 views and 16 cents. 

I have high hopes for my Top Holiday Toys of 2010.  The idea came to me when I read about the toy conference and as I looked for research there was no definite list of the top toys…yet.  Maybe by the time it gets closer to Christmas the article will have "aged" and it will show up on Google search. 

A good reason to read as much as you write, because inspiration will come to you that way.

I also have high hopes for my haunted house article, which has earned 4 cents since I posted it yesterday.  I couldn't find a definite list for the top haunted houses, so after doing extensive research, I came up with one. 

My average views are around 80 and my average earnings are 13 cents a day.  Don't take these figures to heart as I am still writing every day and there won't be a real clear picture till I stop writing after 30 days, to see what happens.


Also, when I started eHow I was only making pennies a day and after about 1 1/2 years it was a $1.00 for each article a day and then it is two to three times that.  Point is most people bail because they are only seeing pennies and they think, "I did so much work and that's all I got."  That's all you got for this week, but I guarantee if you dedicate yourself to it, it will grow.  The first month it may only be $3.00, but the next month it's $6.00, next month, maybe $10.00 and after a year, your earning $100.00 a month and it keeps growing from there.  I saw the exact same thing  happen with eHow, so I know it can happen. 


This month will be another record month at eHow and I have not written any new articles in 4 months, but I have still been social networking my articles.  I go back and as a season or holiday nears, I market those articles, and you should be doing that, too.

With LM5, I am finding that Twitter loves these articles and it is so cool to tweet it and then go back and watch the counter go up.  Nice to know that people are looking at my stuff.  I think they are popular because people wonder what is the top haunted houses or what is going to be the top toys this Christmas.

This should help give you a basis on how to come up with article ideas.  You come up with a question and then give the answer.  Then post the question on Twitter (marketing) and then your link.

I am off to write an article on a Discovery show called Disappeared they will be debuting October 4.  They sent me a preview of the show and I watched it and want to get the word out about this missing teen and the show on my other blog and at the examiner.

Talk to you guys soon.