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With the rise in networking communities on the internet, other types of online communities are starting to offer the opportunity for users to make not only friends but money as well. There are new websites and forums that offer to pay members to use their services. The concept is still rather new and because of that creates many skeptics about these programs and their earning potential. There are various forms of paid online communities but most fall into one of two categories: forums and networking. Paying online communities have the possibility to change the world of online communities as we know it today.

Paid forums generally pay members to post and reply to discussions on various topics, on their website. The pay can vary greatly from site to site as do the rules and requirements of posting. Some forums will pay members a few cents per post which can increase or decrease depending on the size and relativity of the post. Some forums impost a limit or minimum as to the amount that a member can pose daily. Yet other forums such as myLot, have no minimums or maximums on the amount a member can post or earn in a day. Generally these paying forums only pay members for their posts but myLot yet again breaks that standard and also pays its members to upload photos.

Paid networking sites generally pay members to participate in their online community. Participation can include creating a profile, viewing other's profiles, uploading pictures and videos, posting blogs, creating and joining groups as well as participating in those group forums. The key to earning well with these types of websites is to build a significant downline by inviting friends and promoting the site. Paid networking communities such as Yuwie, have a ten level downline earning program and pay per number of page views made by you and your downline. These online communities are great for promoting businesses and affiliate programs as well as making new friends. One great perk of paid communities is that they are not crowded with the vulgarity and offensive material that can often be found on free networking sites. The paying communities are free as well however the earning incentive causes members to not want to risk losing their accounts and earnings by offending or harassing other members.

The way that these paying online communities can afford to pay their users is simple. It's advertising. Like all online communities, these sites get paid from advertisers who advertise their products or services via banners and text ads placed on the sites. They also receive commissions for the sales and impressions generated from each banner or ad. Advertising alone generates upwards of twenty million dollars a month for sites like Myspace. Yet the members do all the viewing, clicking, posing and using of the site and yet receive no compensation for their time spent on that site and the advertising revenue that they in essence create. Sites like Yuwie and myLot share those profits with the people who make their sites a success, giving customer appreciation a whole new meaning.

Learn more about this author, Gisela Perez.
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