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A lot of blogs are now using Reddit posts as a basis to create content. Can you make money writing online this way?
There are a lot of ways to potentially make money writing online. Some people are turning to commentating on Reddit posts.
You’ve seen the blog posts before. They’ll screenshot the posts from various Reddit threads and then write a commentary around them. They also include some responses to the original thread to help with the discussions.
Is this really a way to make money writing online, though? Before you jump into this, here are a few factors to consider.
Not all Reddit threads allow for stories to be used
It’s important to look at the rules of a Reddit subthread to make sure you can take the content and use it. For example, the Let’s Not Meet sub-Reddit doesn’t allow you to use people’s stories without their permission. There are some sensitive information in them, and people don’t want the risk of being spotted by others who know them.
Some threads are intellectual property. They could be short stories that people have written. By taking this content and making money from it, you could end up running into copyright problems. It’s just like taking screenshots of Kindle books and sharing them to make money writing online*.
So, you need to be careful. The last thing you want is to be told to take it down or have to pay money for your copyright problems.
MORE: Can you make money writing fiction?
Google may not help you make money writing online
These types of posts gain readers through Google search results and social media posts. The problem right now is that Google has made some substantial updates to its search algorithm that’s affected a lot of sites—both good and bad ones. Low-quality content is the target.
Arguably, taking screenshots of a sub-Reddit and writing a small commentary around the content is low-quality. People can head straight to Reddit to get the information. And then they can scroll through all the responses and even share their own.
However, it depends on how you want to make money. They can bring commenters on social media, which helps to boost engagement and boost your presence in the social media search results. This is an option if you want to make money online.
Make sure you offer people something interesting
You don’t just want to write a commentary around a Reddit post. You want to make sure you offer people something more. Sure, there will be a lot of people who just want to read the post and then the responses. However, there are others who will be interested in expert advice.
So, look at offering that. Break down some statistics that are connected to the Reddit post. You’re adding some helpful content that can also help you with Google search results to make money writing online.
Just keep in mind that you want to encourage people to read more on your site. If they only read that one and click the back button, it doesn’t help your ranking with Google. It suggests that your content isn’t all that valuable.
You also want to avoid the clickbait posts. If you have a Reddit posts in your featured image or as the headline, make sure it is listed on the blog post. Make the blog post about that specific Reddit post and not about a bunch that follow similar themes. Clickbait is annoying for readers, and they will click back and click “irrelevant” in their search terms when that comes up as an option. If you’re getting people from Google Discover, people will start hiding your website.
MORE: Why private clients remain the best way to make money online
There are many other ways to make money writing online. Are you using Reddit? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
