Patrick O’Keefe, a well-known online community manager and authority on the subject, has released a book on the topic of monetizing online forums the right way. Sponsored by Skimlinks, the book is being given away for free with an upfront and direct recognition that its sponsorship did not bias the author’s covering of topics or including competitors.
If you run an online community or want to, the book is be a must read. It is also a helpful read for monetizing any online service. Many sites may try to overmonetize to make more money with ads, links, popups, and widgets. Unfortunately, this hurts the user experience resulting in fewer visitors and ultimately less money. While an income is the goal when monetizing a service the author of this book holds building a community in the highest regard.
Monetizing Online Forums covers topics of understanding display advertising and their best practices, selling directly to advertisors, using an ad network, measuring success, optimizing your use of ads, and understanding mobile platforms. In-text monetization with advertising and affiliate links are also discussed along with finding the balance of not over-saturating a site. Other approaches for monetizing discussed in the book include affiliate programs, merchandise sales, and premium memberships.
Monetizing Online Forums is an educational and authoritative read on the subject of understanding monetizing any online presence. The book is written in all seriousness and the author doesn’t want it to be discounted just because it is being given away for free. It is free because it is being sponsored by Skimlinks, a service I use here at 404TS to automatically add affiliate links.
You can download the ebook for free in PDF, MOBI, or ePub formats. You will find the downloads and more information about the book at http://monetizingonlineforums.com/
