Sgt Kraut
Regular Member
- Jun 22, 2012
- 329
- 295
Hi blackhats,
today I want to show you how you can create a word cloud and sell it on Fiverr, stock photo sites, T-shirt stores and/or your own website.
This method won't make anyone rich, however, it is suitable for building a startup income.
What is a word cloud?
A word cloud is an image that contains the main words of a certain text or topic. For example, a word cloud about internet marketing could include words such as money, AdSense, CPA, Amazon, PPC etc.
Usually, the words in a word cloud are sized differently. The biggest words are either the most important words or the most frequently used ones. Word clouds can be created around any text, whether it's from a website, a book, a newspaper article and so on.
This a word cloud of a site we all love - blackhatworld.com:
Who needs a word cloud?
Everyone who wants to explain something through visualization. It could be a teacher giving his students an overview over a topic, a business owner explaining what their business is about, a journalist explaining a topic to the audience etc.
Taking the example of the business owner, many businesses have a word cloud on their "About Us" page. I think it's a very interesting way to explain what the business is about. Definitely better than a long, boring text like everyone else does. I have also seen word clouds on the back of business cards!
How to create a word cloud
The process of creating a word cloud consists of two steps. First, you have to get the main words of a text and then you have to use a word cloud generator or create a word cloud manually.
1. Get the main words of a text or website
Use a website such as TagCrowd to extract the main words of a text, file or website automatically.
An alternative to TagCrowd can be found at WordSift.com.
2. Use word cloud generators
After extracting the main words, you can use either a free word cloud generator, a paid one or you create a word cloud manually.
2.1 Free word cloud generators
Wordle.net
A very good word cloud generator can be found at wordle.net. You just have to paste the outcome of TagCrowd into the textbox and press "Go". Before this you might want to replace words that don't belong into the word cloud and write the words that are very important more often so that they are getting a bigger font size later.
Through the wordle Java app, you will then have numerous option to edit your word cloud. You can change colors, fonts and position of the words. Play with the options until it looks nice!
What sucks a bit at wordle is that we cannot directly save the picture. Therefore, simply take a screenshot or create a .pdf file with a .pdf printer.
The licensing of the images you created through wordle is easy to explain: do what you want!
Let me cite from the FAQ:
HTML5 Word Cloud Generator
Another free word cloud generator is available at timc.idv.tw/wordcloud. Not the most serious looking domain, but it's a very good generator! The advantage over wordle is that you can directly save the pictures and put the word cloud in a specific shape (star, arrow, circle and rectangle). The problem is that you cannot paste the outcome of TagCrowd or WordSift into the generator, as this generator would process these words again. Instead you have to copy and paste the site or text content into the generator and do the editing later.
Now you can edit the words and replace or delete all that do not fit.
Then you can change the color theme, shape, text size or widen/tighten the gaps between the words. Lastly, you need to press save and you'll get a .png file.
There are also word cloud generators available at worditout.com and tagxedo.com. However, the problem is that word clouds created by them have a license for non-commercial use only, meaning that we are not allowed to sell them. I know that some of you guys won't care anyway, but I feel I have to at least tell you
2.2 Paid word cloud generators
Another word cloud generator is available at imagechef.com. The outcome will contain a watermark that is only removed for paying users ($9.99/week). I don't think it's worth it, but decide yourself. There are some more shapes available, e.g. a heart or a checkmark. Also, users can create shapes which will then be available for everyone.
Edit: The user Pilfer7 was so kind to mention another word cloud generator, tagul.com. The price for getting a commercial use license is $5.
2.3 Manually create word clouds
If you own tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator or GIMP you can create word clouds/word art yourself. Here are some amazing tutorials:
Adobe Illustrator
How to make a 3D word art
Adobe Photoshop
How to make a word cloud with a picture font
GIMP
How to create a portrait out of words
Make money through selling word clouds
Now that you know how to create word clouds, it's time to show how you can monetize this new skill.
Sell word clouds on Fiverr
There are many gigs on Fiverr related to creating word clouds. Try to create your own Fiverr gig like this one:
Sell word clouds on stock photo sites
Website owners and journalists often use word clouds in their articles. Most have no idea how to create them, so they are buying word clouds on stock photo sites. Provide them with what they are looking for! The following examples are taken from istockphoto and fotolia.
Create T-shirts with a word cloud imprint
Create word clouds around books, poems, movies, TV series, music lyrics and whatever else has fans. Target those fans through social media and offer them T-shirts with a word cloud design! This example targeting fans of an English novel is taken from zazzle.com:
Create your own word cloud website
If you want to charge higher amounts, you need to consider creating your own service website. You can advertise and wait for customers or take a more direct approach by contacting businesses. Search on Google images for sites using word clouds. If they already have one on their website, the website owners might be interested in having another one created by you!
Summary
• A word cloud is an image that visualizes words related to a certain topic
• Word clouds are used by journalists, bloggers, teachers, business owners etc.
• To create one, you first have to extract the main words of a text or website with TagCrowd or WordSift
• The actual word cloud can be generated with free websites, such as wordle and HTML5 word cloud creator, paid websites like imagechef or self-created with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or GIMP
• You can sell word clouds on Fiverr, stock photo sites, by creating a small T-shirt store and your own service website
Hope you enjoyed the first method I'm sharing on BHW. Feedback is appreciated!
Sgt. Kraut
today I want to show you how you can create a word cloud and sell it on Fiverr, stock photo sites, T-shirt stores and/or your own website.
This method won't make anyone rich, however, it is suitable for building a startup income.
| Investment needed: | None! |
| Working hours: | A few minutes for creating a word cloud + time for promotion and selling |
| Earning possibilities: | Between $4 (Fiverr) and $50+ (own website) per sale |
| Skills needed: | Design skills are optional - this makes the method perfect for beginners. |
What is a word cloud?
A word cloud is an image that contains the main words of a certain text or topic. For example, a word cloud about internet marketing could include words such as money, AdSense, CPA, Amazon, PPC etc.
Usually, the words in a word cloud are sized differently. The biggest words are either the most important words or the most frequently used ones. Word clouds can be created around any text, whether it's from a website, a book, a newspaper article and so on.
This a word cloud of a site we all love - blackhatworld.com:
Who needs a word cloud?
Everyone who wants to explain something through visualization. It could be a teacher giving his students an overview over a topic, a business owner explaining what their business is about, a journalist explaining a topic to the audience etc.
Taking the example of the business owner, many businesses have a word cloud on their "About Us" page. I think it's a very interesting way to explain what the business is about. Definitely better than a long, boring text like everyone else does. I have also seen word clouds on the back of business cards!
How to create a word cloud
The process of creating a word cloud consists of two steps. First, you have to get the main words of a text and then you have to use a word cloud generator or create a word cloud manually.
1. Get the main words of a text or website
Use a website such as TagCrowd to extract the main words of a text, file or website automatically.
An alternative to TagCrowd can be found at WordSift.com.
2. Use word cloud generators
After extracting the main words, you can use either a free word cloud generator, a paid one or you create a word cloud manually.
2.1 Free word cloud generators
Wordle.net
A very good word cloud generator can be found at wordle.net. You just have to paste the outcome of TagCrowd into the textbox and press "Go". Before this you might want to replace words that don't belong into the word cloud and write the words that are very important more often so that they are getting a bigger font size later.
Through the wordle Java app, you will then have numerous option to edit your word cloud. You can change colors, fonts and position of the words. Play with the options until it looks nice!
What sucks a bit at wordle is that we cannot directly save the picture. Therefore, simply take a screenshot or create a .pdf file with a .pdf printer.
The licensing of the images you created through wordle is easy to explain: do what you want!
Let me cite from the FAQ:
HTML5 Word Cloud Generator
Another free word cloud generator is available at timc.idv.tw/wordcloud. Not the most serious looking domain, but it's a very good generator! The advantage over wordle is that you can directly save the pictures and put the word cloud in a specific shape (star, arrow, circle and rectangle). The problem is that you cannot paste the outcome of TagCrowd or WordSift into the generator, as this generator would process these words again. Instead you have to copy and paste the site or text content into the generator and do the editing later.
Now you can edit the words and replace or delete all that do not fit.
Then you can change the color theme, shape, text size or widen/tighten the gaps between the words. Lastly, you need to press save and you'll get a .png file.
There are also word cloud generators available at worditout.com and tagxedo.com. However, the problem is that word clouds created by them have a license for non-commercial use only, meaning that we are not allowed to sell them. I know that some of you guys won't care anyway, but I feel I have to at least tell you
2.2 Paid word cloud generators
Another word cloud generator is available at imagechef.com. The outcome will contain a watermark that is only removed for paying users ($9.99/week). I don't think it's worth it, but decide yourself. There are some more shapes available, e.g. a heart or a checkmark. Also, users can create shapes which will then be available for everyone.
Edit: The user Pilfer7 was so kind to mention another word cloud generator, tagul.com. The price for getting a commercial use license is $5.
2.3 Manually create word clouds
If you own tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator or GIMP you can create word clouds/word art yourself. Here are some amazing tutorials:
Adobe Illustrator
How to make a 3D word art
Adobe Photoshop
How to make a word cloud with a picture font
GIMP
How to create a portrait out of words
Make money through selling word clouds
Now that you know how to create word clouds, it's time to show how you can monetize this new skill.
Sell word clouds on Fiverr
There are many gigs on Fiverr related to creating word clouds. Try to create your own Fiverr gig like this one:
Sell word clouds on stock photo sites
Website owners and journalists often use word clouds in their articles. Most have no idea how to create them, so they are buying word clouds on stock photo sites. Provide them with what they are looking for! The following examples are taken from istockphoto and fotolia.
Create T-shirts with a word cloud imprint
Create word clouds around books, poems, movies, TV series, music lyrics and whatever else has fans. Target those fans through social media and offer them T-shirts with a word cloud design! This example targeting fans of an English novel is taken from zazzle.com:
Create your own word cloud website
If you want to charge higher amounts, you need to consider creating your own service website. You can advertise and wait for customers or take a more direct approach by contacting businesses. Search on Google images for sites using word clouds. If they already have one on their website, the website owners might be interested in having another one created by you!
Summary
• A word cloud is an image that visualizes words related to a certain topic
• Word clouds are used by journalists, bloggers, teachers, business owners etc.
• To create one, you first have to extract the main words of a text or website with TagCrowd or WordSift
• The actual word cloud can be generated with free websites, such as wordle and HTML5 word cloud creator, paid websites like imagechef or self-created with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or GIMP
• You can sell word clouds on Fiverr, stock photo sites, by creating a small T-shirt store and your own service website
Hope you enjoyed the first method I'm sharing on BHW. Feedback is appreciated!
Sgt. Kraut
Last edited:
