Getting content for websites

[Kylemp]

Hello everyone,
I'm in the process of starting a travel website for British Columbia and was wondering if anyone here has any good suggestions for ways of getting relative content. At this point I cannot afford to go buy travel articles so im looking for free stuff right now.
Hopefully in time I will be able to get users to submit articles on thier own and also be able to go and pay for content.
Anything would be helpful.

Thanks,
Kyle

[Dcrux]

Well, you could try writing and researching the content yourself. I'm sure you'll figure something out. Content just sorta pops into websites automagically.

Since content doesn't seem to be high on the priority list, it's probably not too important anyway.

[Kylemp]

Umm, Yes.. I could but BC is a pretty broad topic.
I would like to eventually end up doing that, but were talking hundreds if not thousands of articles.. not exactly possible for me at this point.
Could you please define automagically?
I thought that content would be pretty high on the priority list, since that really gives a site a reason to exist and people to visit it..

[Dcrux]

I thought that content would be pretty high on the priority list, since that really gives a site a reason to exist and people to visit it.

Well, apparently, not...

At this point I cannot afford to go buy travel articles so im looking for free stuff right now.

An old information design saying is "Don't tell me what your priorities are. Show me what you spend your money on and I'll tell you what your priorities are."

Automagical is where well written content is both crucial to success and free. That somehow, free content will just show up and be able to generate a fairly good income -- from automagical ad placement (the reason the bubble ecocomy became known as a bubble economy) -- until you can produce real content.

On the web you'll see this made fun of in the form:

Step One: The easy part. Start a website, forum, etc

Step Two: Automagical wishful thinking
This substitutes for the crucial heavy lifting of creating a viable business model, a content strategy, user testing and proper interaction design, or a unique selling proposition which is going to be the driver for business survival against entrenched competition

Step Three: Profit!

Few businesses stumble on step one. Step one usually consists of some new hot technology, which people have imagined into a magic charm which warps the rules of reality -- usually business reality. This phenomenon has surfaced enough to earn a Wikipedia definition: Reality Distortion Field. Technology isn't magic. If you don't have a business model technology won't substiture for one. Read WTF2.0 ...it's not just the big shots doing this stuff.

[MorgansMom]

Ummm, ok Dcrux. That was very helpful...

Kylemp, why do you need hundreds or thousands of articles right away? Why can't you start off small like the rest of us? I started with one article and kept building from there.

BC has many different travel features...you could search for some PLR membership sites that have travel articles about mountains or the coast, etc. If you can find a good quality site, the amount you pay is very small compared to hiring a writer for each article.

Have you tried approaching different bed and breakfast owners that would wish to be spotlighted on your site? Just an idea, not sure what type of content you're looking for...

I signed up for a great PLR site for $10 a month and I get 50 pieces of content that's specifically for my site topics. If you do some searching, you can probably find some good sites that suit your own needs.

[Chris]

dcrux's message about improving on-site content is actually a pretty simple one (altho the delivery can come off a bit harsh or sarcastic):

define what your target audience is looking for and produce quality content based on this (research, research, research). this also includes hiring a content manager if necessary (can be a temp hire).

raiding online article depositories isn't necessarily the best method in producing what search engines call "quality content"... and this is not because these free article are necessarily bad, it's just they usually appear everywhere and not very unique because of this.

[MorgansMom]

I'm not sure who suggested 'raiding online article depositories', but it wasn't me.

I suggested looking into some good quality PLR sites that allow you to alter the content to make it unique. It's a quicker way of producing content than writing it all yourself. It could be a good start, but not something I would recommend doing all the time.

[Dcrux]

alter the content to make it unique

Yeah, thats ...not going to happen. By article ten we're likely to see less "altering" than a high school term paper cut-and-pasted out of Wikipedia on Sunday night.

It doesn't have to happnen, it just does.

And we don't know about the website design yet. Probabilites say 1)No information architecture 2)No use centered design 3)Lots and lots of ads.

Articles don't matter if you don't find them because the site planning and structure went to the same place as the content strategy. You don't get fifty "is this the right CMS software" questions without any accompanying application or purpose -- or content discussion -- for nothing.

And this is no more a content discussion than the one on Traffic Equalizer Scrapper content.

[MorgansMom]

Ok, not sure why you have to be so negative. I'm actually just trying to be helpful, unlike some people.

Maybe I'm just a newbie in this forum, but I know about content and I'm way past article ten.

My content is 95% written by me, but sometimes I need some inspiration and I find the PLR articles are great for that. I alter them enough to be different than anyone else's. But then, maybe I'm the only person who hasn't copy and pasted their high school term paper.

[Dcrux]

Here's a nice article about how to write travel reviews. And now we finally have a single post on writing tips in this thread. There ...that'll show me.

[Kylemp]

Ok, where to start..

1)No information architecture 2)No use centered design 3)Lots and lots of ads.

This is all wrong.. im not designing the site with the standard "Throw ad's in your face all the time".
Im assuming that "No use centered" means that im not going to be desiging for useabiity, which I am..
No info arch is again, wrong..
Think outside the box!
The site is exactly the opposite of all these thing because, in my experience with website, these things are a pain in the ass!
Personally, I believe that you can design a site that has a good advertising value but not by having ads every 2 inches of the screen.
I am concerned with having articles right away because it gives a reason for people to actually visit a website.. or, thats really what im catering to. How many times have you went to a site to find just advertising? how often do you.. not stay and never go again?
Theres too many of those sites and I think in ANY business, if you can steer away from what everyone else is doing that annoys the hell out of visitors, your probably going to do decent if not extremley well.
I dont exactly know what PRL is if you could define it a little better for me, but it sounds quite relative and useful.
So, define my target audience.. I dont think that tourism is really all that easy to break down.. it probably has the most mixed demographic as.. the whole of canada's population.

Anyways, thank you guys for trying to help and I do appreciate it and hopefully you have more thoughts on this because I am getting some stuff outta this.
Again, Thanks,

Kyle

[MorgansMom]

Sorry, PLR content is Private Label Rights. Just Google it. It's not for everybody, and there are people who abuse it...but if you use it the RIGHT way, you can benefit from it.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by MorgansMom

I'm not sure who suggested 'raiding online article depositories', but it wasn't me.

I suggested looking into some good quality PLR sites that allow you to alter the content to make it unique. It's a quicker way of producing content than writing it all yourself. It could be a good start, but not something I would recommend doing all the time.

this is just about the same as using articles from the free online article directories, exactly what we've been trying to speak against. original content is not the same as altering someone else's. what Dcrux and myself have been trying to say (as well as the epinions article Dcrux linked) is do the research and the work yourself, or at least in a way that the content being produced is unique and relevant to your site and the services being offered.

[MorgansMom]

No, actually it's NOT just about the same thing as using free articles IF you use PLR content properly.

First of all, they're not accessible to the same amount of people because they are paid memberships, and usually limited to a small group (at least the sites I would recommend are).

Secondly, it is possible to create unique content with PLR articles. If you actually take the time to add your own personality, notes, comments, suggestions, etc. into them, they'll be completely different than anyone else's.

For people who aren't experienced writers, this would actually take longer than writing their own article, but for me, it takes less time because I do have a lot of writing experience.

If someone's forte isn't writing, this would be a good alternative (financially) to hiring a ghostwriter. Many people do it, and they have success with it. As long as they use it properly, as I've stressed before.

Do you think John Reese writes all his own content? I don't think he'd be where he is today if he did. He outsources anything he doesn't like doing.

I personally prefer to write my own content, but I've got two kids and a messy husband to clean up after and cook for...sometimes I just don't have the time to sit down and write articles all day long.

And so, when someone asks for help, I'll offer it. If some people don't like using content that hasn't been written exclusively by them, then that's their prerogitive. But I don't reply with negative, sarcastic or cynical comments if I don't completely agree with them.

[Chris]

umm, i guess we are going to have to agree to disagree here. PLR articles may be editable, but it's still someone elses work. that's where the similarities and incidentally, the reason i wouldn't recommend them begin.

outsourcing, ghostwriting, hiring content managment (we agree here) are examples that would be much more preferable to using unoriginal work. besides, i have a fundamental problem relying on sites that look like this for my content... but that's just me.

[Dcrux]

Thanks for the constructive advice.

So let me get this straight. We want PLR articles ...of travel reviews ...for specific locations and landmarks exclusive to British Columbia. For free or dirt cheap.

And, since we're talking about time sensitive data like fares, changing accomodations, mergers, menus, plays and shows, fairs and festivals all with changing themes and content -- we'll probably want articles which are fairly timely. Or are you suggesting one generic restaurant, a generic hotel review, a generic scenic landmark, a festival review, a play review -- where you can alter the names and reword a little? With the result that the user has an accurate, useful, and therefore valuable guide they'll return to an refer others to?

Those private label rights guys must have some serious writing skills. That's like ...magic!

Um ...could you provide three or four links to such packages?

[MorgansMom]

Chris, I can completely agree to disagreeing. It's when people are rude that I have a problem.

Btw, I haven't checked out nicheology yet, but Jimmy D. is a trustworthy person in my opinion. I'm a member of one of his sites where he has tons of great advice and it's obvious he genuinely cares about his subscribers and customers.

I don't normally go around telling people to sign up for PLR sites because, like I said before, I prefer to write most of my own content. The reason I suggested it this time was because Kylemp was asking about getting good content without writing it all himself. Outsourcing and ghostwriting didn't seem to be in his budget at the moment.

As for Dcrux, you've pretty much broken over half of the posting rules/guidelines for this forum. I'll be reminded not to ask any questions here or I'll probably get some negative and insulting comments from you, even if my questions are legit.

Perhaps this 'argument' could have been avoided if Kylemp was a little more specific in the type of content he needed. For general travel content, he could look at a few different options. For specific content like BC hotels, resorts, restaurants, etc. he'll have to write it himself or talk to the local businesses. (Unless he's lucky enough to find himself another writer from that province - I'm sure there are plenty).

And one more thing, I never said that PLR articles were the only option. If you read my whole post, you'd realize that I also suggested he start writing content himself, and that he approach local businesses for some ideas.

[Drackoxdfw]

You can always get content related ad boxes from google adsense or outboutmedia.com both services work with you by giving you a "block" of html code and automatically serve you content related ads.

It's great because the text ads match your content, thus you now have more content. And if a user doesnt fine what they want, you now can have a chance to make money if they leave.

[Sarah]

Hi there,

To add up to the comments by so many people in the forum, i would like to draw your attntion towards your site ranking.

In the competitive industry, content plays a major role to drive good traffic to your site and also helps you to rank well in the search engines.

If you cannot afford to buy articles at this time better write yourself and check if the keyword has perfect density so that it helps in the long as well as short run for your site.

Sarah

[EwriteNow]

Once you do generate enough of a profit, it really is essential to hire a good content writer for your website. Regardless if you have a solid site, people want to read exciting articles or at least descriptions. It definitely gives your website a more professional look. ;)

[Azam.biz]

Don't know if Wikipedia will be of any use to you or not. Maybe people can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you can reproduce the content if you abide by the terms and conditions.

[Dcrux]

Once you do generate enough of a profit

The assumption is you will be able to even come close to breakeven without quality content. Should this key assumption be wrong, it is going to undermine everything after that, because it specifically rules out developing original quality content as the means to achieve breakeven and eventual profit.

If you can achieve "enough of a profit" to be able to afford quality content creation, why on earth would anyone bother to spend that money? This sort of circular "content is king ....except in all the instances it's not -- such as profit" might stand some careful examination. If not now, in several years when the profit doesn't show up.