If you run a blog or a site with an active community that posts comments on your aticles, there’s a new way to make money from it, thanks to the Discovery earning scheme of the DISQUS Comments System.
First, what is DISQUS?
DISQUS is a free commenting software that can be integrated into one’s blog or site. It can be used in almost all blog types — WordPress, Blogger, Typepad, Tumblr, Drupal , Joomla, and many others. DISQUS replaces the traditional commenting platform offered by those blogs and provides an easier and more interactive alternative.
Here at PinoyMoneyTalk.com, we have been using the DISQUS system for more than a year now. (See DISQUS in action at our comments section below.)
Over the past year, we’ve been pretty satisfied with it — and that’s not just because it is free. What we love about DISQUS is that it provides administrators an easier way to manage comments on their sites. One can easily delete spam and blacklist commenters that may be spammy in nature. Administrators are shown the reputation info of a commenter, which helps the former decide if the latter is a genuine community member interested in discussion or a mere poser on the site.
Before we continue, a disclaimer: this article is not a paid post and our recommendation of DISQUS is just based on our experience using it. If you want to learn more about DISQUS and how to install it on your site, head over to their official site at www.disqus.com.
How do I make money with DISQUS?
In October 2012, DISQUS added an income earning opportunity in the Discovery box of the comments section. The Discovery box acts like a “Related Posts” plugin that shows other related articles posted on other blogs or sites. The links appear at the bottom of all comments made on a site. In a way, it helps generate additional traffic for DISQUS-powered blogs by circulating and redirecting visitors from one blog to another.
Here’s a sample of related content from other sites appearing in our comments section:
Now, some sites pay DISQUS to become a “Promoted Discovery” content or links that are featured in Discovery boxes. Just like in Google Adsense, when visitors click on these Promoted Discovery content, the blog owner gets to receive a share in the payment made by the advertiser.
Unlike Google Adsense, however, where the revenue sharing model is known, DISQUS is still mum about the revenue split. What we do know for now is that the DISQUS Promoted Discovery is still in its infancy, which explains why the revenues are far less compared to Google Adsense’s. In the last month, for example, we only earned $5.00++ from hundreds of clicks made on our site.
Here’s a sample of the earnings summary on DISQUS Discovery Program (sample only — this is not ours!):
How do I get paid?
Earnings are currently paid only via Paypal. Minimum earnings needed for cash out is $100. According to the site, the first payment will be made during the first quarter next year, but I’m pretty sure very few will be eligible since Promoted Discovery is still in its early stages.
How do I join to make money?
Registering to get a DISQUS account is for free. Once you’ve become a member, log in to your account and go to Settings>Discovery. Here you can choose your desired revenue model and also enter your Paypal email address for payment.
Do take note that earnings are more or less related to the commenting activity on your site, so if you have an active community, you stand to earn more.
In the future, we’ll try to show you more ways to make money online. The DISQUS Promoted Disovery is just one of the things we found that are genuine and with good earning potential. If you want to learn more about these ways to make money online, subscribe to our feed by entering your email address below or liking our PMT Facebook page.
