Making Money on TSP Talk - Ad Revenue Sharing

**tsptalk** · 01-29-2007, 02:26 PM

Ad Revenue Sharing

We have implemented a revenue sharing program that allows members of the board to make money on any ads that follow their posts.

* You must create a Google Adsense account to get started. (See the FAQ page to see how to set one up)

Once you have an AdSense account, you go to the edit profile section on your TSP Talk message board account (in UserCP) and add the two fields that Google assigns to you (the Google AdSense Client ID is required, and the Google AdSense Channel ID, which is optional), at the bottom of that page. The Client ID starts with "pub-".

All revenue generated from the AdSense ads that are served after the posts you started are credited to your AdSense account.

The amount made by each member will depend on a few things:
1) Threads and posts of interest to others that attract readers, replies, and an ongoing discussion will make more.
2) The more posts you make, the higher the potential to make some money.

* You should never click on an ad if it follows one of your posts. If you do, Google will drop your account like a hot potato - no questions asked. So be careful!

I understand that this could stimulate frivolous threads and posts being created, but the moderators and I will watch for this and try to control any abuses.

IMPORTANT: Please see the FAQ page for more information.

Tom

**tsptalk** · 01-29-2007, 08:47 PM

I am happy to say that we ran a successful test of this process so I am ready to open it up to anyone interested.

See post #1 above for how to get started making money on the message board.

Tom

**qibovin** · 01-31-2007, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by tsptalk

Ad Revenue Sharing

We have implemented a revenue sharing program that allows members of the board to make money on any ads that follow their posts.
....

These ads are actually not nearly as annoying as pop-ups, and I think your revenue sharing idea is fantastic. My suggestion, though, would be to move the ads to the very end of the thread (Just above the Reply to Thread box. There are some great threads out there that get looked at repeatedly, but hardly anyone goes back to the beginning (except for maybe the "sticky" ones with valuable information that never changes). Most of the posts that I look at regularly (and thus would be most likely to notice an ad I might be interested in) are continually updated such that the material worth seeing is only the very last entry or two. This would apply to threads such as "Playing the I fund" and "The Bull Pen" as well as individuals' "Account" threads.

Also, by

both impressions and click-throughs

do you mean that just clicking on the ad has potential profit for that person? If that's the case, I will start clicking on every ad that I see on others' threads, especially if they will do the same for me (wait, let me get registered first). Obviously, if I'm looking at their thread, there must be some value in it so I'm not against that person getting compensated.

Is there some way, perhaps as the moderator, that you can modify who gets these revenues. I've noticed there are a number of threads that were started by one person and have since been all but usurped (usually for the best) by someone entirely different. Anyway, I know we're talking about cents here, but just some thoughts.

**tsptalk** · 01-31-2007, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by qibovin

My suggestion, though, would be to move the ads to the very end of the thread

The ads will show up after the first post of each thread and then every X amount of posts.

Originally Posted by qibovin

Also, by do you mean that just clicking on the ad has potential profit for that person? If that's the case, I will start clicking on every ad that I see on others' threads, especially if they will do the same for me

The problem there is that google's software is very sophisticated and is well aware of this type of activity. They will close accounts down at the drop of a hat with little explanation if they see anything fishy. I have heard tons of sob stories from webmasters thinking they were pulling one over on Google. Be careful.

Originally Posted by qibovin

Is there some way, perhaps as the moderator, that you can modify who gets these revenues. I've noticed there are a number of threads that were started by one person and have since been all but usurped (usually for the best) by someone entirely different.

The person who made the post above each ad will be the one who gets the revenue.

**350zCommTech** · 01-31-2007, 07:38 PM

I don't think this is a good idea. Money can ruin a good thing. This web site is a good thing.

**tsptalk** · 01-31-2007, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by 350zCommTech

This web site is a good thing.

Yes it is. Thanks to you all. This was my way of giving back. I have been on message boards (webmaster type board) where there are 1000 to 2000 people online at any given time. Talk about information.

I remember when I first started the board and someone said, "I see there are 18 of us now. Not great, but it should grow."

I can see where changing a good thing can be a concern, but if someone is going to spend a lot of time here contributing, I believe they deserve some compensation and this is the only way I can do that right now. There is no way this site could have gotten were it is today if I wasn't getting compensated from these Google advertisements. I advertise, more people come, expenses go up, more ad revenue comes in, I advertise more, more people come, etc., etc. Capitalisim at its finest.

Embrace the growth!

Now if people abuse the revenue sharing, I agree. It would be a bad thing and I'd have to discontinue it.

**jayhawker** · 01-31-2007, 08:09 PM

If I were in 350ZCommTech’s place, I’d sign up for Google Adsense, start a new “Playing the I Fund” thread, and count my $$$. That thread is one year old and has 310K views. It’s time to lock it and start a new one. 350Z has earned the right to own that thread and reap the rewards. If you can’t beat ‘em – join ‘em.

Please pardon me if I’m out of line. I’m new here.

j

**tsptalk** · 01-31-2007, 08:23 PM

I agree. And that's true for everybody. Start a thread and call it your own. The more interesting and informative the posts, the more viewers, the more ad impressions and revenue is likely. Why not? If it's a dud, the members won't be back. As I mention in the FAQ, it will encourage positive and useful discussion. Win - win situation.

**nnuut** · 01-31-2007, 08:38 PM

Tom, question, I noticed that the ad in a thread is after the 2nd post in the thread. This means that you would need to lock the thread and start a new thread every day or members would not see your add unless they looked at the page for yesterday, or a week ago or a year ago. Like the Oil Slick Stuff thread I had to go back a year to see the ad. Is it possible to display ads on the 2nd post for that day or every day would be better, best before the 1st post every day? Some days there are many posts on a popular thread.

Oh, the one at the top, would be great.
Norman

**FundSurfer** · 01-31-2007, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by tsptalk

I agree. And that's true for everybody. Start a thread and call it it your own. The more interesting and informative the posts, the more viewers, the more ad impressions and revenue is likely. Why not? If it's a dud, the members won't be back. As I mention in the FAQ, it will encourage positive and useful discussion. Win - win situation.

I've been chewing on this for a couple days now. I hope nobody changes their board behavior as a result of this. I may give the Google thingy a try just out of curiosity but I'm gonna try and forget that I did as soon as I do.

I'm gonna try and forget that I did as soon as I do.....

**tsptalk** · 01-31-2007, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by nnuut

Tom, question, I noticed that the ad in a thread is after the 2nd post in the thread. This means that you would need to lock the thread and start a new thread every day or members would not see your add unless they looked at the page for yesterday, or a week ago or a year ago. Like the Oil Slick Stuff thread I had to go back a year to see the ad. Is it possible to display ads on the 2nd post for that day or every day would be better, best before the 1st post every day? Some days there are many posts on a popular thread.

Oh, the one at the top, would be great.
Norman

This has been changed to credit the person whose post is above any ad - assuming they have an Adsense account.

**tsptalk** · 01-31-2007, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by FundSurfer

I've been chewing on this for a couple days now. I hope nobody changes their board behavior as a result of this. I may give the Google thingy a try just out of curiosity but I'm gonna try and forget that I did as soon as I do.

I'm gonna try and forget that I did as soon as I do.....

LOL, let's just hope the only change is better discussions.