Shetoldme Now Charging for Social Bookmarking
Do you enjoy using online social bookmarking sites such as SheToldMe? If so, be aware SheToldMe is now charging for its services. More disturbing, will this be a trend? Will other online bookmarking sites start charging their viewers and regular members?
For those who might not be familiar with it, SheToldMe is a social bookmarking site that pays 100 percent AdSense revenue. Basically, you sign up for a SheToldMe account, also sign up for an AdSense account, then add your AdSense account number to your SheToldMe account. From that point on you can use SheToldMe to post links with descriptions to favorite websites, your blog, etc. Other viewers can then check out your links and descriptions, and if they should click on any of the advertisements that appear on the page of one of your individual links, then you are paid 100 percent whatever AdSense normally pays for that click (that are too many variables to make an estimate on how much that would be, anywhere from a few cents to several dollars or more).
SheToldMe has been one more tool online content providers and other writers could utilize to promote their articles, books, links, etc.
Until recently, SheToldMe has been a free service, but now there are premium membership charges if you want to use this service.
The prices are either $5 (U.S.) for one month or $12 for one year.
That’s not too much, especially considering the site offers 100 percent payout for AdSense advertising.
But this raises some questions and concerns.
The most obvious question is: Is paying the prices for the premium membership worth it?
In my experience, I have to say “no.” I like the SheToldMe site because it is easy to use, but during the last year or so I have used the site, it has not brought me that much traffic nor has it earned me much money. In fact, I would be surprised if I’ve made $5 from SheToldMe during this year.
One could argue that perhaps I am not using the site correctly. Perhaps I need to be working at bringing more traffic to my SheToldMe links. And I can’t argue with that. Except, since SheToldMe is a bookmarking site, I feel I should not have to work at bringing traffic to my links there. Why? Because that is what SheToldMe is supposed to be doing! It’s a bookmarking site, not a blog or writing site. It’s very existence is for drawing viewers to other websites.
I fully understand whomever runs SheToldMe is likely trying to recoup some of the money (and perhaps time?) they have invested into the site. I don’t blame them for that. But I do feel charging for their services is a mistake on their part. A better option, in my opinion, would be to lower their AdSense payout, but absolutely no lower than 50 percent. That way, if I make money, then they make money. But as it is, I make a few cents at most while the site’s owners are making dollars from me.
That I can’t abide. It would be a sorry business model on my end to follow through with such.
In all fairness, there is currently an option for long-time SheToldMe users who have more than 70 scoops (links) to ask the site owner for a free Premium Membership. This is a nice touch, but I believe it is too little too late. I fully expect SheToldMe to lose the majority of its regular users, and is not likely to draw many new users.
All of this brings up a big concern: Will other social bookmarking and similar linking sites now begin to charge for their services?
I truly hope not. I believe this would be the death knell for such sites. I say this not only as an online writer who uses such sites as promotional tools, but also as an online reader who enjoys using the sites to find new, interesting topics.
Related links
I am a hack writer and proud of it
Can Social Networking and Online Marketing Take Over a Writer’s Life?
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Tags: Bookmarking, linking, links, online, publishing, searches, Searching, shetoldme, web, Writing
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August 20th, 2011 at 11:02 am
I heard that, so it’s true then.
August 20th, 2011 at 11:47 am
I’m sure many existing members would leave. When there is so many high ranking social bookmarking sites that offer free service, why go for a paid one.
Either they will do away with this paid service or will lose their members totally.
August 20th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
The AdSense revenue share model actually works out to 100% revenue 1/3 of the time. This is why AdSense earnings at SheToldMe are so low. The revenues are split three ways.
This will result in loss of revenue for the site because who is going to pay to bookmark in these days post PANDA when when revenues have been so hard hit?
August 21st, 2011 at 2:39 am
Hi, I’m James from the site shetoldme and I can tell you not to worry about it being a trend, I don’t think so, it is totally isolated.
Also you speculate about me having money problem or whatnot, well it’s not the case. I’ve explained my reasons very clearly on best reviewer forum and of course I understand that many people are not happy and are going to not pay and not play anymore, well THAT IS THE IDEA!
I won’t re-explain again everything, but yes the idea is to have many people stop using my site, sounds strange? Yes welcome to the real world where we’re not companies, where websites are built by individuals and might decide one day or another to simply delete the whole site and you’ll be sorry.
That’s why I ALWAYS advise on forums or by email, to focus on your own web properties and not on other people’s sites. Add content to your own site, with a domain name and proper web hosting, don’t fall for the hype about building backlinks.
I’m amused when I read some discussions online about shetoldme’s change, well people sure like to speculate, especially about how nobobdy would ever pay the $12 a year to continue posting, how wrong they are.. As if we don’t know that people pay for anything, how many paid for some ebooks, for some music or movies on DVD, when you can get all that for free? But anyway what they don’t get is that maybe their reaction is not a surprise to me, but was actually expected and even wished, yes
Thank you for your article and comments, keep them coming, as they say no press is bad press.
August 25th, 2011 at 2:05 am
cool one..
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:10 am
The return from posting on shetoldme is minimal and the traffic next to none, yet it had a good PR – I haven’t checked it out since Panda.
September 6th, 2011 at 8:42 am
Second that! I rarely (if never now) use SheToldMe. I still write interesting (both seasonal and evergreen) content with strategic keyword use, submit them to free bookmarking sites, and comment on others’ articles. I agree that social bookmarking should be free, not a financial pain in the butt to generate traffic to your articles!