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List My Five: A Fun Website Where Writers Earn Residuals

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What Is LIST MY FIVE and How Can I Earn Money There?

I was curious about all the buzz being generated about the List My Five website, so I took a look at some of the articles my writing buddies were posting there. What the heck, I thought, I'll try a few. After posting a couple of articles, I could see what was exciting them.

I'll explain how the site works, how you get paid and how to get started.

Over the months, I'll update the notes here with tips as I gain more experience on List My Five.

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The Basics of LIST MY FIVE

The website is free to join and then the user begins creating content (articles using the format set by List My Five). Each article title begins with the words "The Top Five." When you create a list on the site, it will end up with a title like The Top Five Ways to Save on Pet Care or The Top Five Dog Breeds For Children.

You choose the topic and fill in the form with your list and a paragraph about each item on the list. Each item on the list needs at least 25 words in the description.

For each list, there's an optional introduction and summary section. You can just zip past those if you are in a hurry, but remember these are places to get more valuable keywords in place.
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Use SEO and Hot Topics on the Site

List My Five is just like any other website, you need to have a good topic, use the keywords effectively and promote it.
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Promote Your Lists Posted on LIST MY FIVE

The website is very new, so Google is probably not steering many readers to it. Until they build up a reputation, it's up to the writers to promote their content.

It's easy to post it to Facebook, as that option is offered at the point you are publishing what you wrote on the site. Go ahead and submit it to other traffic generating sites like Stumble Upon and Digg.
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tweet - tweet - tweet Tweeters t-shirt by LyndasLines

“New on LIST MY FIVE -
Accolades & a homepage leader board section
Friends and Subscriptions”

My First Lists That I Wrote for LIST MY FIVE

The Top Five Reasons to Love Squidoo
Squidoo is a free site that lets you make lenses (their word for webpages). I've made over 200 lenses on Squidoo and I love it. Here's why:
Top Five Ways to Get Rid of Chipmunks Without Killing Them
Although chipmunks are cute little critters, they can become a serious nuisance if they get in your walls or attic. In the yard, they eat the strawberries, dig up bulbs and can burrow under steps and decks undermining those. If they've become a pest, then try these ways to move them along.
Top Five Ways to Entertain Visiting Children without Toys
If you don't have children in the home, then you are unlikely to have a stash of toys ready when a child visits. Here are some ways to keep a child happy without investing in expensive toys and games.
Top Five Ways to Save on Pet Care Costs
It can be expensive to keep a cat or dog. Many families are unwilling to give up their faithful pet, so have to look for ways to keep the costs down. Here's how to save on your pet's expenses.
Top Five Ways to Keep Tabs on an Elderly Parent
It's natural to worry about an aging parent or relative who might fall or forget their medicine. This is especially worrisome if they live alone or if you aren't nearby where you can check on them frequently. Here are some ways to have peace of mind about the well-being of an elderly person.

How Many List-My-Five Lists Have You Posted?

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Here's a Big Plus....

You can put links to your Squidoo lenses or other online articles in the Resources Section of the list. Limit of five links.

Here's an Introductory Video to List My 5

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How Do You Earn on LIST MY FIVE?

The lists are posted online with ads surrounding them. The site has a Writer's Compensation Program that you enroll in to get paid.

You'll see a record of your earnings daily on your profile. When you sign up for the Writer's Compensation Program, you give your social security number and Paypal account email address.

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Top 5 Worst Christmas Gifts Shirt by krichard08

Tips from Writers on List My Five

top 5 excuses not to work shirt
top 5 excuses not to work by photograph_me
The Top Five Mistakes Writers Make When Writing List My Five Lists
Every day I read 20 or more List My Five lists. I like to see what my freelance writer friends have on their minds. I want to see what other people I want to learn something new. However looking at the lists with a more editorial eye, I usually become frustrated. It's not because more and more write
The Top Five Ways to Make Money at List My Five
If you're looking for the best ways to make money at List My Five, I think I've hit on them below. It's taken me a LONG time, a lot of sweat, and a lot of tears to figure out what I've done right and wrong when making money through online writing. I hope the below tips help you make money at List My
Reasons to Fill out the List My Five Profile
I see some blank profiles on List My Five. You are missing out, if your profile page just shows the username and your top five lists. Below are some reasons to fill in the profile.
How to Get List My Five Accolades
Accolades are earned for completing certain activities and awarded for special recognition at List My Five. They are fun to collect and appear on your profile home page, for all to see!
Helpful Tips to Improve Your List My Five Experience
List My Five is a fun and easy writing site that can help you earn revenue sharing money and enhance your writing skills if you follow these important tips.
Reasons to Write for List My Five
I'm sure these are obvious reasons, but if you are still on the fence of whether or not you should write for listmyfive.com here are the reasons you SHOULD.
Ways to Earn Points on List My Five
This sounds like a no brainer The more lists you create on list my five, the more points you will earn. You will see your points going higher each list you create.
Tips for Writing Helpful List-My-Five Lists
Joining List My 5 (LM5) meant that I had to revise my previous writing style from how-to articles and try to figure out how to write helpful lists while still attracting readers. The below tips are just a few I've figured out by looking at which List My 5 lists get the most views and earn at the sam
Things I've Learned about List-My-Five Points
Points are one of the many motivators that keep List My Five Writers writing. Points can be a bit mysterious and I don't claim to know it all, but here's what I've learned about 'em.
Reasons Why List-My-Five Is a Nice Place to Write for
Writing for Listmyfive allows me to make money. It is always nice having a little bit of extra spending money. I'm not going to get rich by any means writing for any company but it gives me a little extra money. As long as I am going to be online, I might as well do something that will bring a little

Check out LIST MY FIVE

How Am I Doing on LIST MY FIVE?

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Finances by beverlytazangel


At this point, it's too early to tell. The former eHow writers are all buzzing over the site because they remember starting with pennies on eHow and some now make hundreds of dollars a month in residuals. If it is like eHow, then it takes awhile to build up a library of content, but then it is like money in the bank that keeps earning interest for you.

No one that I've talked to so far has made enough to get the minimum $10 payout.

I'll post below my pennies as they start to add up and the number of lists that I have on the site. Check out the blog postings by LIST MY FIVE writers to get other feedback on this.
My Two Cents worth mug
My Two Cents worth by gravityx9
  1. Since 9/17/2010, I've posted 5 lists and made 9 cents as of 9/23/2010.
  2. 9/28/2010 - I have 8 lists and have made 29 cents
  3. 10/1/2010 - I'd made it to 39 cents in September, then OOPS, I'm back to zero. It looks like it was a mistake not to sign up for the Writer's Compensation Program right away. Went ahead and signed up, so now my pennies will roll over from month-to-month until I reach the $10 payout.

    Update: after signing up for the WCP, my 39 cents was restored.
  4. 10/25/10 - For the month of October, I've made $1.03. That's with just 11 articles. Just project that out to 100 articles with a possible earning of $10. I've been lax about adding lists, but did add one today.
  5. 11-11-10 - In ten days of November, I've made $1.46. I can see progress here. I have 27 lists posted now.
  6. 12-11-10 I'm up to about $5 in earnings and have 57 lists posted. Hopefully I'll make payout ($10) in January.
  7. 2-1-2011 I just reached $9.84, so I'm 16 cents short of making payout. By the end of February, I hope to have another $3 or so added to that. I'd better get busy making some lists.
  8. March 1, 2011 - My earnings reached $12.90, so I'll get my first payout this month. Hurrah!

How Much Have You Earned on List-My-Five So Far?

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I Asked My Writing Friends What They Were Earning on LIST MY FIVE

  • 1L.W.C. said, "Finally made payout for the second time there---took 4 months to do it on 106 articles."
  • 2JSEVEN has over 400 lists. Notice her earnings going up month by month.
    April, 2011 $25.71 Completed $25.71
    March, 2011 $16.71 Completed $16.71
    February, 2011 $17.34 Completed $17.34
    January, 2011 $14.62 Completed $14.62
    December, 2010 $15.50 Completed $15.50
    November, 2010 $5.56 Completed $5.56
    October, 2010 $3.09 Completed $3.09
    September, 2010 $1.13 Completed $1.13
    Total Earnings This Year(2011):$101.28

What Is Your Best Earning List on List-My-Five?

Show it off here (and get a backlink)

The links are checked first to prevent SPAM, but yours will appear here soon.

1

Vote Up

http://www.listmyfive.com/7d1a6a6e/The-Top-Five-Ways-to-Get-Rid-of-Chipmunks-Without-Killing-Them

Although chipmunks are cute little critters, they more...0 points

2

Vote Up

http://www.listmyfive.com/98322721/The-Top-Five-Flintstones-Characters

The Flintstones are 50 years old! To celebrate, he more...0 points

My Most Frequently Viewed List on List My Five

Top Five Ways to Warm Feet in Bed
If you suffer from cold feet, you've probably tried a number of ways to warm them. It can be miserable trying to get to sleep with your feet feeling like blocks of ice.

Newly Added Features on LIST MY FIVE

A Forum, Messaging, Subscriptions & Leaderboard

11-9-10 List My Five announced some new features coming soon: "A homepage leader board section, a profile page communication tool (inbox, message board/wall, friends) subscriptions, a new high-five feature where you can now give lists "high-five's" rather than the star ratings...and more. This update will also address some issues and concerns expressed in the Feedback sections of the forums."

1/2011 - The leaderboard on the List My Five home page shows the point leaders for the month. Last month some listmakers had a competition to see who could get the most points by the end of the month.

2-20-11 - I like the new feature with the subscriptions. I can subscribe to my favorite writers and when I click on the subscription section of my profile, I see what new lists they have posted.
List My Five Forums
October 1, 2010 - the forums have been set up and several announcements posted there. The writer's are starting to comment in the forums.

Where Can You Get Topics to Write about for List-My-Five?

The more lists you write, the more likely you are to earn on the site. Get in the habit of writing a list every day. I've posted a list every day for 99 days (as of February 25, 2011). You get accolades for streaking (writing lists day-after-day).

Top 5 Things Heard magnet
Top 5 Things Heard by Scrappintwins
Ways to Find List-My-Five Topics
Inspiration all dried up? Here are a few ways to find ideas for a List My Five list.
Finding List Topics for LM5
So now that you've found List my 5, you are probably spending time trying to come up with list topics. Here's five sure-fire ways to find topics to write about.

What My Friends Are Saying about LIST MY FIVE

from Facebook and eHow Forums

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5 Reasons I Became A Teacher Funny.Stickers by schoolteacher
  • i think earnings only update once a day but love the real time views update (E.C.)
  • until the search engine starts working on List My Five, so that you can actually look things up, the only way to keep making money is to keep publishing new lists or promote your lists yourself on Twitter and the like. Because right now the best way for anyone find your lists on listmyfive is if it's showing up on the homepage. (DinB)
  • Remember to write your lists for good SEO, just like you did for your eHow articles. (D.C.)
  • Don't put all the keywords or tags in one line. Click on ADD to enter each tag individually (V.A.)

Give Your Prediction about List My Five

Add a prediction about how you think the site will grow, succeed or not, how earnings will grow, or anything as long as it relates to List My Five.

vallain predicts:

that earnings will grow over several years, just like they did for me on eHow

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amylaine predicts:

I make enough on LM5 to pay one weeks grocery bill but that is about it. I have twice the amount of articles on LM5 as I do Squidoo and make a lot more on Squidoo then I do on LM5. But LM5 has brought me traffic to my lenses.

scarlettohairy predicts:

that whatever happens on LM5, it'll happen without my full participation. Sad to say, it lost its appeal for me with the low earnings.

MonikaWeise predicts:

I predict I'll write some more on LM5 before it's over.

nancycarol predicts:

I've really gotten bored with LM5, and have not written anything there for a long while. Don't think I will go back to it.

HSSchulte predicts:

LM5 makes it very easy to write with a wonderful pub tool and the natural creative inspiration of a top 5 list, but visitors to the site don't seem to be interested in the ads. Therefore, revenue is low. I don't believe that will ever change unless they rethink their ad layout.

 
 
 

Add Your Profile Link on List My Five

The link won't post right away. I have to check them and toss out the spam (selling shoes and jewelry).

12

Vote Up
Vote Down

http://www.listmyfive.com/workingmomwm

My newly created List My Five profile. Posted my f more...0 points

13

Vote Up
Vote Down

http://www.listmyfive.com/dreamsinbloom

Top Five Lists by DreamsInBloom0 points

List My Five - Here's the Link for It

Are You Looking for New Writing and New Earning Opportunities?

  • workingmomwm Sep 4, 2011 @ 10:17 pm | delete
    I'm always looking for new writing and earning opportunities! :-) Great lens, by the way. Loved it! Hopefully, I'll be able to make a little with List My Five (and get some decent backlinks). I just signed up today and have only posted one list so far.
  • Philippa Aug 7, 2011 @ 4:59 pm | delete
    Please open the site up to international participants. I would love to join in, but can't!
  • vallain Aug 7, 2011 @ 6:44 pm | delete
    That's too bad that List My Five only pays U.S. writers. Squidoo is an international writing site and I really enjoy seeing work by writers from many countries.
  • phoenix-arizona-friends Jul 18, 2011 @ 11:35 pm | delete
    Great lens.
  • KathrynDarden May 6, 2011 @ 4:52 pm | delete
    Thanks for the LM5 info.
  • jseven May 6, 2011 @ 1:16 pm | delete
    I'm doing pretty good on LM5 as long as I add a list daily, which is very easy. I like it!
  • scarlettohairy Mar 21, 2011 @ 2:50 pm | delete
    This is a great lens, Virginia. Love all the interactive features you added!
  • bossypants Mar 20, 2011 @ 5:40 pm | delete
    What a fun interactive lens about LM5! I do love writing lists and I am such a LM5 accolade addict. :) Terrific lens. I want to come back and see the voting results!
  • vallain Mar 20, 2011 @ 9:21 pm | delete
    Be sure to list your LM5 profile on the list above. Might get some visitors from this page to yours.
  • Elaine Chastain Mar 20, 2011 @ 6:41 am | delete
    Great Lens Virginia, I really like how you set it up. I'm earning and making payout. Hugs
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vallain

I'm Virginia Allain, a retired librarian. Now I devote myself to writing, photography and designing books to self-publish. Having fun!
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