I enjoy running this site, and it’s had some small success over the last few years. Hopefully that continues…
On that note I’m more than happy to accept and publish articles from bloggers, writers, and the financial industry here on My Own Advisor but I keep this to a minimum because feedback on this site informs me folks are interested in reading what I have to say about a variety of subjects, not always reading content from others. For today’s post I have some quick advice for people trying to get me to “bite” on their daily offers for site content – be creative but at very least be genuine.
- Be creative
“Subject:
Attractive Article for your website User
Message:
Hi,
I have a article relevant to your theme. My article is unique and
new and fresh. So will you post my article on your site if yes then please tell
me your charges as per your criteria. If it comes under my budget then
I will contact you back. Hope you like my proposal. Waiting for the positive reply.
Have a great day ahead.”
I suspect this reader doesn’t read my site. Here is my response to this request:
Thanks for your interest in my site. I am not accepting guest posts at this time. In future I suggest you are more creative with your pitch, so I may consider learning more about your offer. Otherwise just offer me a boat load of money to accept your content. Thanks for understanding.
- Be genuine
“Hi Team,
Hope you are doing great. We have the best unique content on “Finance” which we would like to publish on your site ( www.myownadvisor.ca) as an exclusive guest post. Once our content will publish on your site then we will not share it with other site. Do let us know if we can send the article to u for review. Best Regards.”
Thanks for your email spam. Here is my response to this request:
Thanks for your interest in my site. I am not accepting guest posts at this time. Also, if you have done any 5-second reading on my site you should know I am a “team” of one. Please make some genuine effort next time, providing some real details about your pitch in future requests. Otherwise please offer me a six-figure sum of money as compensation so I can shut down my site after I post your content. Thanks for understanding.
I receive a host a credible and sincere offers to publish content on my site. Thanks for those. I read every email I get and I try to respond to every one of them. Other requests are spammy. I want to let you know I’m here to review your suggestions, ideas and post your content now and then but I’m not willing to trash my site with it.
Fellow bloggers and writers – how do you deal with these email requests?
Mark
My name is Mark Seed - the founder, editor and owner of My Own Advisor. As my own DIY financial advisor, I'm looking to start semi-retirement soon, sooner than most. Find out how, what I did, and what you can learn to tailor your own financial independence path. Join the newsletter read by thousands each day, always FREE.
Next time, just get one of the members of your administrative team to filter them out for you. 😛
Good call, I need to hire some people 🙂
Hahah! Made me smile! I get tons of them too! I usually prefer not losing too much time on them so my replies are usually very short. If the person made an effort, then I take time to reply accordingly.
Mike
That’s how I feel as well, try to respond if they took time to write. Then again, I need to be more blunt. Glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
Mark,
I get at least 5-10 of these emails a day. I’m with Stephen and hit delete on many of them. You get used to those copy paste type pitches or the pitch that makes absolutely no sense at all. I also love the pitches that make it seem like they are doing you a favour by writing a post with links that benefit them. for FREE. Those willing to pay decent money with appropriate content suggestions will provide a proper email request.
It’s annoying but I try to give some people the benefit of the doubt. I’ll probably use the delete more going forward. Who knows, maybe they will offer me a six-figure sum of money for a post? 🙂
And there you see the problem. Some folks are quite willing to take cash for posts. The question is, how much are you prepared to take? It’s not a question of standards, only of degree.
I wouldn’t get too Essana O’Neil here, not if you’re working in the finance blogging field. The stuff that many bloggers are doing for cash these days would make a person of ill repute blush. Readers of these sites have no idea what money is changing hands behind the scenes.
Maybe it’s just me that finds it ironic that a life insurance broker like me is continually called to task about bias and my income on personal finance sites, when everyone knows how I get paid and why, yet the finance blogging industry as a whole is promoting the s*** out of products for cash with no disclosure to consumers – or awareness by consumers that it’s going on.
What’s that? Another article on ‘best cash back credit cards’? Oh, how very unbiased, grassroots, and educational of you.
Not accusing this site, but the industry in general. I’ve no problem with making money – I encourage it. But it gets a bit more complex when you’re making money while promoting oneself as either consumer centric or unbiased and the consumer doesn’t even know that you’re getting paid.
(takes off grumpy bear hat and puts back on professional insurance broker hat) 🙂
I have no problem with your rant Glenn. Over the years, I’ve taken very few paid for posts and I’ve done so purposely because I’m not running this site to constantly push products. If I wanted to do that, I’d run a new site called “I want to make money off you” 🙂
Do I want to be compensated for all the work it takes the run the site? Sure, a bit, but I largely run the site because I enjoy it.
The reality is, everyone usually wants to get paid for their work. From the blogposts, to selling insurance, to the banks pushing mutual funds, to the top-notch financial gurus and speaking engagements they attend – folks want to get paid. I think if folks are transparent about it, that’s good and ideal. If they want to be shady about it, that’s their call. Ultimately they need to live with the decisions they make.
You’re not a grumpy bear you’re just fighting for more disclosure from where people’s bread is buttered. Nothing wrong with that and you have lots of integrity. I am happy to disclose where my $8/hr/day to run this site comes from! 🙂 Thanks for your comment as always.
Wondering if you could do a topic on the pro’s and cons of annuities (seggragated funds). Thanks in advance.
Thanks unbalanced. I plan on a posting an article in another month or so about segregated funds, potentially how they can be used for RESPs.
Luckily I’m not getting too many of these emails. That reminds me about sending you an email about guest blogging later. 😀
Send the email, you’re legit 🙂
Oh, and just so you know, I’m actually (and seriously) getting tired of getting spammed by bloggers looking for me to advertise on their site. Don’t know what list I made, but I get emails almost daily with offers to get my content published on ‘high quality’ blogs. Yeaaauuuuuuno.
It wasn’t my list! Happy to have you contribute to this site Glenn, your content is well researched and thought-provoking even if it’s controversial now and then – nothing wrong with that.
On the flip side, there’s bloggers who ignore me completely when I make a genuine offer. Not even a polite ‘no thank you’?
That’s too bad. It would be courteous to respond whatever the response is (yes, no thank you, maybe) I would think.
The ones with the least creative pitches are the ones who are least likely to offer you that “boatload of money”.
I usually find the delete button works best on those ones 😉
I will probably use my delete button more but I try and give some folks the benefit. At least I don’t have to worry about you!!