Do you know why so many people want $5 articles?

It’s not because they can find people to do it.  That’s a prerequisite, but it isn’t the motivation.

Many of the $5 article buyers, those penny-per-word clients upon which so much scorn is heaped,  are posting those ads and making those requests because that’s what they’re taught to do.

They’ve been taught to build backlinks by mass-distributing anything that won’t trip the Copyscape alarm to a million and one article directories.  They’ve been told that they’ll get enough direct traffic from even a so-so article’s resource box to their money page that they’ll come out ahead.

They’re not trying to screw writers.  They’re following “systems” sold by name-brand Internet marketers that champion the idea of getting articles on the cheap.  Their mentors tell them that a penny per word is AOK and that there’s nothing wrong with using the bid boards, Craigslist or whatever else to find people who are willing to churn out content for the lowest rate possible.

They weren’t born with a proclivity to devalue writing.  They think they have an idea of its value–a penny per word.  That’s what people–people with persuasive stories, good sales copy and well-known names–tell them.  And it’s a message that’s constantly reinforced within their community.

Here’s what those IM “how to make money online with cheap content” mentors and gurus aren’t telling them.

• A properly positioned and promoted piece of fantastic content will create more valuable and meaningful links than a piece of half-gibberish (or in the case of mechanically spun content, complete gibberish).  An irresistibly shine link lure has the advantage over mass-syndicated crap.

• A “traditionally distributed” article (i.e. one submitted to EzineArticles.com, et al) will produce a considerably higher CTR than a low-quality article.  A crafty pre-sell can grab the reader by the collar, yanking his or her face righ to that money page link, which will actually spur better sales numbers, as well.

In a perfect world, you’d explain how they can better use their content and why they should focus on the acquisition of superior materials.  They’d be blown away by your insight and would immediately commission you to write five articles at a $ubstantially higher rate, and everyone would live happily ever after.

Alas, we live in an imperfect world.  Your plea may very well fall on deaf ears.  Why?

• Your story and the story in which they’re already invested are quite different.  They’ve been told a billion and one times that the secret to success is following through with the plan and you’re asking them to make a significant deviation.

• You’re struggling with a trust deficit.  The $5 buyer believes the guru.  The guru has a name and a reputation within the Internet marketing field.  You’re a writer.

• Your pitch is feeble compared to the one that led to the buyer’s investment in a cheap content system for online financial success.  Bob Bigmoney has cool graphics showing insane earnings.  You have testimonials that say, “I really liked the articles!  Great work.”  Bob Bigmoney’s picture shows him lounging in a hammock, his smiling mug reflected in the fender of a bright red Ferrari.  You have a headshot.  Maybe.  Bob Bigmoney promises financial independence and bulging Scrooge McDuck-style vaults stuffed with filthy lucre.  You have a “commitment to quality.”  Basically, Bob Bigmoney promises pool boys with rippling abs and bikini babes straight out of a late-night Cinemax feature.  You have an uptick in CTR.

• The buyer is risk-aversive due to limited resources.  There’s comfort in low price tags.  If the client has a C-Note to spend, he or she may better about buying 20 articles, hoping that one of them does the trick than he or she is in getting one/two/five/whatever articles.  It’s easy to look at clients as wannabe exploiters who are just looking to low-ball you, but the fact of the matter is that many of these online entrepreneurs have less money than you do.  They’re trying to catch a break.  They’re working on shoestring and/or non-existent budgets, trying to bootstrap themselves to success.  The idea of plunking down more money for less “inventory” is scary.  Walk into a casino.  Where do the people with limited bankrolls go?  They don’t place fat bets on a blackjack table with a $100 minimum bet.  They gravitate to the $5 table or the penny slots.

So, where does that leave you?  You basically have three options.  You settle for the low rate, tell the cheap crowd to look elsewhere or make an effort to change their outlook.

That last option is the toughest of the three, but it also has some great potential for both you and the client.  If you can get them to take a different approach and you can help them to get RESULTS, you’ll have a loyal client for life with all of the great perks that come along with that relationship.

Can you do that? Ask yourself:

• Can you create a compelling pitch?

• Can you substantiate your performance claims?

• Can you coach the potential client in proper positioning/promotion/distribution of the material?

• Does it look like the potential client is smart/capable enough to “get it” and to do things the right way?

• Does it look like the potential client has the right elements in place to generate value from your content?

• Can you really produce the kind of bad-ass writing that will produce a greater return on investment?

• Can you find a way to bridge the trust gap with solid arguments and good interpersonal skills?

If you nodded in affirmation as you read through that list, you may not want to tell the next person who approaches you with a request for a gaggle of cheap articles to buzz off.  You might want to spend five minutes trying to initiate a conversation about alternatives.  I’ve “flipped” several low-end buyers into good customers who come back to me for additional work and who are willing to fork over money for consultation, planning, etc. by initiating that conversation.

However, it’s not something worth doing every time you see a crazy-ass Craigslist ad looking for 1/3 cent per word writers.  You need to pick your spots.  If you’ve been around awhile and you’ve paid enough attention, you can develop a good feel for who warrants consideration and who justifies a nice, “thanks but no thanks.”

A knack for identifying potential winners in a population dominated by the doomed is important in terms of maintaining your efficiency.  You don’t want to squander valuable time chasing after jokers who are going to be waving a white flag in a month.

The trick to creating better clients is confidence.  You need to know that you are worth more than $5 per unit to that buyer.  You need to know that you can deliver enough value to justify the expense.  You must be sure of your pitch, its honesty, its accuracy and your ability to deliver results.

BONUS TIP: I’ve had a lot of luck with one particular strategy.  When someone tells me they have $300 to spend on content and they seem married to the idea of going cheap across the board, I’ll invite them to split the money.  I’ll tell them to spend x% of the cheap stuff and the remainder on a few great pieces and to track performance and overall value.  That way, they can spread the risk.  It makes them more comfortable with the idea of deviating from Bob Bigmoney’s system.  When the smoke clears, they’re usually back for more of the good stuff.

WARNING/PLEA: If you’re a great writer who isn’t interested in understanding the nuts and bolts of online business or in providing value-added service in terms of advice and recommendations, please don’t do this.  Tell the people who don’t match your criteria to take a hike or bit the bullet and work cheap.  Your call.  Whatever you do, don’t try to pitch if you don’t know how to make the content work for the client.  The last thing the writing world needs is more people making promises they’re unable to keep.