Ready 2 Go

Don't chase every opportunity

2009-08-09T00:22:00.000-05:00

I've been rather 'cheating' the past few weeks,
with all of the videos I've been posting.
Even at that, I've had to do a bit of
research
in order to offer the video pieces that I have.

Even if they appear rather 'random'
I assure you
they are anything 'but'.

I wanted to give you some information...
that will keep you from becoming
discouraged or chasing your tail.

No Catch Internet Marketing

2009-08-05T11:24:00.000-05:00

Survey Scam

2009-07-31T21:07:00.000-05:00

Best Ways to Make Money Online

2009-07-26T13:13:00.000-05:00

I went out "in search" of what other people thought were the
'best ways to make money online'
and found this site.

Several of the suggestions offered there...
1. Build an authority site.
2. Network
3. Affiliate Landing Pages
4. E-commerce
5. Create and sell your own product.

Of the 63 'opinions'...there were many repeats...
but most of them agreed...
making money online takes time...
so..
if you're not in it for the 'long-haul'
you may want to 're-think' a venture into
making money online.

Find Your Niche

2009-07-21T23:05:00.000-05:00

Try Etsy

2009-07-16T13:11:00.003-05:00

Whether you have the skills of
an artisan or craftsman...or not...there
are still ways that you can offer
items for sale on Etsy.

The list of Etsy catagories include...
Art
Bags and Purses
Bath and Beauty
Candles
Ceramics and Pottery
Clothing
Dolls and Miniatures
Furniture
Geekery
Holidays
Housewares
Jewelry
Music
Paper Goods
Patterns
Plants and Edibles
Supplies
Toys
Vintage
Woodworking

Here are links to some items
in a couple of different categories...

In Plants and Edibles
including these yummy candies.

In Everything Else.

In Geekery.

In Vintage.

Or go to the Etsy home page...check out the front page
display...and all of the other information
that can be found on Etsy.

It is a good little site and growing very quickly.

NOTE: -- This post was updated July 25, 2009.

Bum Marketing - 5 Core Steps

2009-07-11T22:57:00.002-05:00

Bum Marketing -- Article Marketing Tutorial

2009-07-06T20:13:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share this tutorial by Travis Sago with you.
I really do enjoy his videos.

Check your page rank.

2009-06-28T18:06:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder how to find out the
page rank of your
website(s)?

I usually check my
page ranks if I
stumble across a page rank checker
while searching for something
else.

Here is a site that you can
check your page rank in
Google,
Yahoo,
MSN.

Free page rank check.

How Do You Plan to Get There

2009-06-24T16:03:00.004-05:00

The world of internet marketing
might seem like a giant 'maze' to you...
I know it does to me.
Take all of the emails I get..each and everyday.

So far, today, I've received emails for:

1. Micro Continuity (x 5)
2. Free Traffic System
3. Underground Training Lab
4. SitePal (for a "Virtual Employee")
5. Longtail Articles
6. Instant Lead Magnet
7. (3) Separate survey requests (non-paying)
8. A couple of 'up-grade' offers on free website submission sites.
9. A video from Travis Sago on Clickbank Links
10. Four or five emails from people/sites I've never heard of.

And...this is in just one of my email accounts (I have 7.)

It's enough to overwhelm anyone.
Most of the emails are
real lessons in sales letters. They all
seem like the 'next best' thing!
And...almost all of them cost money!

In my plan to get through the 'maze' of opportunities
(and confusion)
the first step I am taking is
'unsubscribe'!

I can't afford to be distracted,
derailed,
or tempted in any way.

But...
I won't unsubscribe to everything!

I'll continue to receive those emails for programs
that I am most interested in...
'One Week Marketing'
'Niche A Day'
'Bum Marketing'

anything that falls into the plans I have
mapped out
to get through the maze
as quickly as possible.

So, how do you plan to get there?
I'd be interested to hear
what others are doing to muffle
the 'noise' from all of the
opportunities you receive.

More on How to Sell on Ebay

2009-06-21T05:30:00.002-05:00

I like to run visuals every so often...
just reading things can get a bit boring and
I don't want to be 'accused' of "being boring"...even if I am..a bit!
Anyway...I ran across this
"how-to" video
and found it to be somewhat entertaining...
as well as...informative...

One Week Marketing Review

2009-06-17T01:39:00.000-05:00

I first 'mentioned' One Week Marketing back in December. Basically, this program is a 'how-to' on bum marketing. This means writing articles, blogs, Squidoo lenses, and promoting other people's products for little or no money out of pocket.

The 'One Week Marketing' program was written by PotPieGirl, also known as Jennifer Ledbetter. Not your typical guru in that, once you buy One Week Marketing (for what I consider a very low cost of $47), she doesn't 'hit' you up to buy anything extra.

I can't tell you how many programs, including the 'freebies', hook you up with their 'opt-ins' and literally FLOOD your email inbox with new offers, joint ventures and pushing the products of all of their 'guru' friends. Most of these programs charge you 'such and such' for their program and then, low and behold, you find out you need additional products that cost even more money, or you have to sign up for a program in which you will incur a monthly fee. Often you don't even find this out until after you've parted with your hard earned money.

What I like most about One Week Marketing ... once you own the course, you have all you need to know to begin making money online immediately. You have no additional products to buy. But wait! There are a few costs that you will want to consider. Web hosting and buying is a domain name…it isn't required, and I've run across a number of free sites that have hit page 1 of Google in their niche, so it really is up to you which way you want to go.

One Week Marketing takes your work week and breaks it down into days. Each day has an action plan with a given task for each day.

Once you've completed day 7, you will have created a targeted campaign that will be up on the internet and generate money for you 24/7.

After the first week, you move on to the second week and start the process over again. PotPieGirl's techniques are straight-forward, easy to understand, and easily duplicated from one niche to the next.

I think this is one of the easiest to learn and most honest programs currently available and I am confident that once you see this program you will will not only love it but, see the potential for making money straight away. If you are looking for something simple, free website traffic, a step-by-step and day-by-day plan, you have found it. If you want to pay one time only and not incur monthly fees, this is the best program I have found.

I really like PotPieGirl's concept behind One Week Marketing, the one time only cost of the program. It is perfect for the beginner just starting out because of the low cost and the easy to follow step by step plan.

If you still aren't 'sold' that One Week Marketing is for you, go ahead and get the first 18 pages free to see if it’s something you want to know more about.
The course contains 5 PDF’s and one notepad file.

* One Week Marketing Guide Book #1 - Days 1 - 7 explanation
* A Conversation With Nick - Nick was her guinea pig. He made 3 sales in his first week.
* One Week Action Plan
* One Week Marketing Mind Maps
* One Week Marketing Checklists

For a sampling of her work, go and check out Pot Pie Girl's Squidoo Lensmaster Page
and you'll learn a bit more about her. If you are looking for a way to make money online, it really is hard to go wrong with this course.

Eight months ago

2009-06-14T02:43:00.004-05:00

I started this blog with the idea in mind that I would find out how to make money online without spending any money.
That was over 8 months ago!

What have I learned in the past 8 months?
Yes, you can make money online without spending money but, if you are learning from all of the 'bits and pieces' of free information available...it may take a lot longer.

Do I have screenshots of big money 'paydays' to show you?....Not exactly....but, I decided that I would "come clean" and show that I am making some money online. Most of it is from my online shops but, I'm also earning money from the articles I write and from my affiliate marketing.

I've been making money from my online shops since 2004, so I have that "down". It might have been easier and happened faster if I had known there were "how-to" books available but, I was such an internet 'novice' that I ended up teaching myself and learned the 'hard' way, by trial and error.

Looking back over the past 8 months, I will admit now that I wished I had spent money a bit sooner on just a few of the programs I will be sharing over the next few weeks.
I don't get any program that costs too much...I don't have that much to spare. But, these are the programs that have helped me turn things around in recent weeks and months...and I would have begun making money much sooner with my affiliate and bum marketing had I started out with them

Step 5 -- Rinse and repeat

2009-06-12T05:09:00.002-05:00

Step 5...Repeat steps 1 through 4! --- With a brand new Niche!

Go back to Step 1....do all of the 'searches' again...find a niche that appeals to you and has high interest/ low competition and repeat steps 1 through 4 all OVER again.

Keep doing this and you'll find....some are winners...some not so much..........but, overall..the odds are in your favor that you will begin to earn an income...online.

Step 4 -- Build a List

2009-06-10T05:07:00.001-05:00

Step 4...Start building a list.

Here are a few methods you might try in order to start building your lists.

1. Scatter a number of subscription boxes throughout your website and/ or blogsite. Believe it or not, it's very easy to 'overlook' a subscription box if you only have one available, unless it is BIG and BOLD.

2.Offer a really good bonus or gift...for FREE! Just make sure your 'freebie' has something to do with your site(s). For example, don't offer an ebook on "How To Make Money Online" if your sites are about 'Growing Prize Winning Chickens'.

3. Pop up windows is another way a lot of marketers are building their lists. Personally...they annoy me and I have never signed up through a pop up. But, maybe I'm in a minority, so I thought I'd, at least, mention this one.

4. Send your articles to a landing page that has an opt-in, to collect emails of interested subscribers.

5. Purchase a list. Here again, quite a few marketers do purchase lists....I for one, want to be sure my customers WANT my emails...so I do NOT use this method. But...I wanted to offer it as a suggestion.

Step 3 - Build a site

2009-06-07T11:42:00.006-05:00

Step 3...Put up a little website or blogsite. (You need to be able to link your articles to one of your own sites. This will translate into a bigger conversion rate than to just link directly to the merchant page.)

You can choose to put up a blog right here on Blogger.com or get a hosting site like

I personally use both.
I have several Blogger blogs...that do get some traffic. This is a little more time consuming and takes a little longer.

I also have a couple of Wordpress blogs hosted on Host Gator....this 'does' cost money for hosting and domain...but the Wordpress blog themes are free. And...by going with sub-domains, I only have the monthly cost of web host and the price of one domain.

The best thing about having your own site...it is YOUR site...not a shared site...and you have a lot more control over your own site...and you can host numerous domains and sub-domains on one Host Gator site...saving a ton of money on hosting.

You can also set up a free website at Webstarts.com or Webs.com.
I have sites on both and find they are so easy to use that it only takes about 15-30 minutes to set up a starter site, as long as you have the information ready to upload.

Step 2 -- Write More Articles

2009-06-05T03:33:00.000-05:00

Step 2....Write some more articles in niches you are already having some success in. (Okay...unless you have lots and lots of FREE time, you may need to consider finding someone else to write these (and the other) articles for you.

I personally like to learn new things...writing articles gives me a reason to learn. So, I prefer to do my own articles...however, you can get some pretty good articles written for you, for a reasonable fee.
Since I like to write so much, this is something I do quite regularly. I have written articles for clients through Textbroker, I get paid for articles I write for Associated Content (many of those articles serve a duel purpose as, I not only get paid to write the article, I also include links to my niches, so I can drive traffic back to my 'bum marketing' efforts.

Step 1- Find A Hungry Market - Part 2

2009-06-03T03:27:00.000-05:00

So...let's suppose that by now, you've got your (1) niche. (Mine is 'waterwheel play table')
You've done all of your searches.

You've got, at least, 10 good keywords...at least half of them, long tailed keywords (three or four words in length.)
I'm using: waterwheel play table, 2 waterwheel play table, step 2 waterwheel play table, sand and water table, naturally playful clubhouse climber, step 2 playhouses, step 2 sandbox, step 2 naturally playful climber, step 2 playhouse, home playhouse step 2, step 2 naturally playful playhouse, step 2 naturally playful sandbox, step 2 welcome home playhouse (Each different play item will have an affiliate link, a separate short article and blog post...for highest optimization.)

You've found two or three affiliates so that you can make some money. (I had to stick with Amazon for now...which is fine...as I can use all of the 'sub-niches' to monetize each of those, this will make up for only having one affiliate program linked to the niche.)

So...now it's time to write a few articles.
Here's a fairly easy way to write your own articles...

Type your niche (mine-'waterwheel play table') + articles into Google. (niche+articles).
Copy and paste the article(s) you find into your wordpad.

Rewrite every sentence of the article into your own words. -- Remember that if you copy content word for word, your articles will not get to the front pages of Google as they will be seen as 'duplicate content'.
As you rewrite each sentence, be sure to delete the original sentence, so that all you'll need to do when you're finished is to copy and paste.

Do NOT put any affiliate links into your articles, then you won't have to worry about which directories accept them and which ones do not. Instead, include a link to your blog in the author's resource/ bio box.
For Go Articles and Associated Content you can put text link, to your blog, within the article if you can work it in.
Best to leave them out of Ezine Article submissions.

GoArticles will publish your article immediately, Associated Content and Ezine Articles must approve them first.

If you really do not like to write articles, you can either Use the articles in GoArticles, Ezine, etc...which you must include the author's name and bio box...including links to their sites.
(Since I don't want to re-direct any traffic....I don't use this method.)

You can outsource your articles, which will cost you a small fee...but you will have all rights to these articles, as well as the author title.

I'll cover article writing and marketing more in Step 2.

Step 1 - Find a 'Hungry' Market

2009-06-01T22:31:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post..."5 Step Bum Marketing"...and I decided to expand on each of those steps..in 5 separate posts..hoping it might be a little more helpful to you.

Step 1 ....Find your 'hungry' market and then...write lots and lots of articles for that 'hungry' market.
---So..where do you find that 'hungry' market???
*Find out what people are looking for. Search eBay pulse, Top searches for day, week, month and year, Amazon hot picks, etc.
---Then, find product. You can check clickbank, affiliate sites (like Pepperjam) and Amazon associates. (You need to be able to monetize your efforts.)
(NEW)---use Adsense!

Here are the top five 'hungry' markets in each of my searches.

I. Ebay Pulse

1.	cursor
2.	ipod touch
3.	ipod
4.	iphone
5.	xbox 360

II. Yahoo Top Search

1	-	Scarlett Johansson (1)	+597	614	1	Missing Plane	Breakout!
2	2	New Moon (11)	+105	431	2	10 Worst Hurricanes In History	Breakout!
3	6	MTV Awards (2)	+104	287	3	2010 Ford Taurus	10261%
4	35	Eminem (23)	+149	224	4	Lance Stephenson	8403%
5	-	Air France (1)	+181	188	5	Toy Story 3 Trailer	6122%

III. Amazon Bestsellers
1. Bailout Riches
2. Kindle
3. Waterwheel Play Table
4. Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred
5. The Sims 3

IV. Google Trends

1.	candace cameron bure

2.	pseudocyesis

3.	cake farts

4.	whitehouse.msnbc.com

5.	selachophobia

V. Niche A Day - Subscribe to Niche A Day. It's FREE and they will send you (1) niche everyday, via email. Check it out!

Okay....now here we have -- 25 DIFFERENT possibilities....just doing a couple of quick searches. (Time spent....10 minutes.) These are the 'hungry' markets....the TOP searches.

NOW....time to see which (1) possibility would work best for a specific niche ... for our bum marketing.

First....do a couple of searches. (For examples' sake, we will go with....the 'Waterwheel Play Table'..)
The first place I search is the Google Keyword Tool ... I find that it has an average monthly search volume of 12,100 for the keywords...'waterwheel play table' and 1600 monthly searches for 'Step 2 waterwheel play table' and 1600 searches for '2 waterwheel play table'. (You'll want to use all of those 'long tailed keywords' in your blog and your articles.)

Now I go back to Google and type in "waterwheel play table"...in quotes...there's 79,700 sites covering 'waterwheel play table'...not optimal, but there's a chance to get an article or two on the first page with the right keywords.

There's a new FEATURE now in Google to help you find 'just the right keywords'...it's called...'wonder wheel'.

To get to the wonder wheel click on the 'show options' .... I have it circled in this screen shot example...it will bring you to a second page...on the left side...about midway down the second page you will find 'wonder wheel' in the STANDARD VIEW section. Click on the 'wonder wheel'.

In this example there are several keywords that might work as 'sub-niches' for your 'waterwheel play table' niche such as,
"little tikes"...within this 'sub-niche' there are...'little tikes log cabin'..'little tikes playground'....'little tikes jungle climber'.
"naturally playful sandbox"... for which there are ... 'naturally playful playhouse'...'naturally playful lookout treehouse'...'naturally playful sand and water'.

See how this one 'top five search' produces at least a dozen different ways to 'monetize' on this specific niche!

Now...it's time to find some affiliate programs that carry the 'waterwheel'...'little tikes'...and 'naturally playful'....

CLICKBANK

AMAZON

I'll let you work these first steps....and I'll continue with the rest of Step 1 in the next post.

How do you make money online?

2009-05-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

I have a number of things online
'going on all at once'.

A couple of Etsy Shops,
(for my art related businesses)
an Imagekind Shop,
a Zibbet Shop,
Three Zazzle Shops
and it doesn't stop there.

I have about
ten mini-websites, all of which
I have attached some affiliate marketing links
somewhere on each site.
And, at least that many blogs,
also with affiliate links attached.

Each site is very 'niche-specific'...and the intent
is not as much about making 'lots' of money per...
but rather, a little of money on a lot of different sites.
My mindset....the more streams of income I have
going...the better.

Now...to top all of these sites...I also have
about 15 Squidoo Lenses and a couple of Hub pages...
and I write numerous articles,
some for my 'bum' marketing
and some for CASH.

The point I'm trying to make here is...
not that I am advocating seeing how 'thin' one can 'spread' themselves...
but...

I NEED to make $57.00 a day/ 7 days a week....
not all that much..right???

A few years ago I was sticking to pretty much
one venue...
selling my original art on eBay...
and everything was going just fine and DANDY.
I didn't need to make as much in those days...
and I was making what I needed
which..in turn...made me an eBay Power Seller.

Okay...sounds great...and then.......?????
eBay changed the rules in the middle of the game.
Not only could I not afford
to 'play with the big boys'...
I saw my sales take such a plunge
that I could no longer afford to continue on eBay.

So...what happened?

I put all of my eggs into
(1) one eBay basket...
and when it dropped...
my eggs broke!

I learned not to trust any (1) one thing
for my entire income.

Now...I work my behind off...
trying to get everything all set up.
I've stumbled a few times...and fumbled a few more...
but, I'm finally seeing income coming in
from multiple sources.
Once all of the set up and promoting of each site
has been taken care of...
most of the hard work is out of the way...
then, it's just a matter of maintenance.

So...I've got money coming from
Etsy (from art sales)
Zazzle (three shops worth)
Affiliate sources (as affiliate items begin to sell)
Referral fees (from buyers who click on my affiliate links and then buy something else)
Article marketing (directing buyers to my sites and blogs where they purchase something through my affiliate links)
Article writing (outright article sales)

It's what I have to do to
make a living.
But...I'm finally beginning to get it all down
to a science!

Free Affiliate Convention in Denver

2009-05-27T17:21:00.000-05:00

To find out more information and register
for the convention, if you are interested,
just go to the Affiliate Convention website.

Sell your stuff on Zibbet

2009-05-24T17:22:00.000-05:00

Zibbet is a relatively new site where you
can sell your
handmade crafts, jewelry, paintings, supplies,
even vintage products.

You can "set up shop"
list the items you want to sell...
and it won't cost you anything
until you sell something.
Then, the commission is a mere 7.5%.

They've recently started a referral program
on Zibbet...where they will take 2.5% of
their commission and give it to you
for LIFE.

I have one shop on Zibbet and I'm
seriously considering opening another.

To learn more about their program,
and I give the site owners 'kudos' for their
'hands on' customer service,
go to Zibbet and check it out!
It's one of the most affordable ways to
start an online business.

I had to look elsewhere.

2009-05-21T02:37:00.000-05:00

I recently updated my 'Wealthy Affiliate' post.
With nothing really negative to say about the program, it just wasn't the 'right' fit for me.
First....I don't have any extra money to purchase the extra 'info' I wanted. Much of their program focuses on PPC....and I am not yet in a financial position to go 'there'.

I still needed to work the program though. So....I decided to give this program a go....it's a little more 'user-friendly'....with all of the step-by-step "how-to's" that I really needed to relieve a lot of the confusion I took away from the Wealthy Affiliate program.
Here is the program I signed on with....it cost me half as much each month...and I already have a website set up...following her step by step instructions. I REALLY needed these instructions to set up a site over at WA, and could not find them.HTML code:

I'm sticking with 'Bum Marketing' for now. I'm signed up with several affiliate programs and currently have over 100 different accounts with links to include in articles, mini-sites and the like.

For an 'un-biased' support system, I have elected the 'Warrior Forum'. It's free to join, and you have to be a member to participate.

Affiliate Marketing Predictions for 2009

2009-05-19T03:48:00.000-05:00

5 Step Bum Marketing

2009-05-16T05:17:00.000-05:00

5 step Bum Marketing....

Step 1 ....Find your 'hungry' market and then...write lots and lots of articles for that 'hungry' market.
---So..where do you find that 'hungry' market???
*Find out what people are looking for. Search eBay pulse, Top searches for day, week, month and year, Amazon hot picks, etc.
---Then, find product. You can check clickbank, affiliate sites (like Pepperjam) and Amazon associates. (You need to be able to monetize your efforts.)

Step 2....Write some more articles in niches you are already having some success in. (Okay...unless you have lots and lots of FREE time, you may need to consider finding someone else to write these (and the other) articles for you.

Step 3...Put up a little website or blogsite. (You want to be able to link your articles to one of your own sites.)

Step 4...Start building a list. (See this for more information.)

Step 5...Repeat steps 1 through 4!

I subscribe to Travis Sagos' Bum Marketing emails, have downloaded much of his material and watched all of his videos...and these steps are not mine...they are his. I follow these steps...now I share them with you.

Social Networking ---- Best Web 2.0

2009-05-13T01:45:00.000-05:00

Social Networking Means Being Social

On MySpace, it's important to build up your friends' list and get comments on your MySpace page.

On Squidoo, while you don't have a friends' list, per se, you 'socialize' by leaving reader feedback and marking your favorite 'lenses'. There's also the forum at SquidU, where you can 'get better acquainted' with the other lensmasters.

The biggest difference on these Web 2.0 sites....if you try to blatantly market anything on MySpace, you might get banned. It's best to use their 'blog' feature, write a brief article about 'what' you are trying to market...and include a link to your site, where you are free to market to whomever visits.

On Squidoo, there are multiple ways to monetize. You can make money off of their 'share' system, which doesn't usually equate to a whole lot...unless your lens is highly ranked and getting hoards of visitors (and there are quite a few lenses that can boast this)....you are also able to put direct links into your lens so that your visitors can click and buy...or at the very least, visit your site.

Finally....niche specific Forums. Where better to 'social network' than with a group of like minded people? To find these forums, go to Google ... type in your niche...i.e... golf + forums.
But, get acquainted for a few days...before you start 'hawking your wares'... folks will tend to 'avoid' you if they think you're trying to 'sell them something'.

2009-05-11T00:14:00.000-05:00

I started this blog...as an experiment...to find out if there were any 'honest to goodness'...programs that will give the information and direction needed to start a viable 'work from home' business. I have run across several....that I am currently signed up with...and pursuing.
In the 'course' of doing all of this research...I have signed up for so many 'offers' that my in boxes are always full. I've had to 'unsubscribe' to quite a few, leaving only those that I felt had something to offer me...so that I could actually read the email that comes in.
Through one of the few emails I now receive, I went out and downloaded "200 Affiliate Programs" that pay 100% immediate commissions through PayPal.
Here is a link to that site. Since the site is just taking names, to be notified when their site is up...which is 'genius', as they are also building a list before 'opening their doors'....so I'm including a few of the programs from the list I received.
I haven't checked any of these out yet, (I just downloaded the list and wanted to share it right away) and I didn't have the time to 'link' each program, so you'll have to copy and paste the url into your search engine.

www.linkselite.com/invite/affiliates.php
www.reviewtemplates.com/affiliates.php
www.rodgerhyatt.com/hwn/affiliates.php
www.warriorwebinar.com/affiliates.php
www.provenemailsecrets.com/affiliates.php
www.legendsofpizza.com/pizzabook/affiliates.php
www.yourmasterresalerights.com/p/salesmachinesecrets/affiliates.php
www.supertraffictools.com/affiliates.php
www.yourvideoproducts.com/masterthegimp/affiliates.php
www.moneysavingreport.com/affiliates.php
www.myvideocashmachines.com/affiliates.php
www.7bucksonly.com/MakingMoreMoneyWithAudioAndVideo/affiliates.php
www.rapid-action.com/expert-content/?action=affsignup
www.petbloggingprofits.com/affiliates.php
www.paidsurveystar.com/affiliates.php
www.mynewtrafficsecrets.com/1/affiliates.php
www.bummarketingmastery.com/BMM/affiliates.php
www.microbloggingprofits.com/affiliates.php
www.tradingoptionslab.com/blog/affiliate-partnership-program
www.softwareprofitpack.com/affiliates.php
www.rapwiz.com/advrap/affiliates.php
www.jointventureseeker.com/affiliates.php
www.mybizdepot.net/Sales_Bot/affiliates.php
www.optionstradingbusiness.com/?action=affsignup
www.instantauctionsites.com/affiliates
www.imbuzzebooks.com/backendprofits/affiliates.php
www.instantcommissionstoyou.com/OffersYou/SuperMoneyEmails/affiliates.php
www.quantumexpress.net/products/water2gas/?action=affsignup
www.panicandanxietyrelief.com/?action=affsignup
www.utrackitpro.com/?action=affsignup
www.ultimateimvideosource.com/Copywriting_Pro/affiliates.php
www.davmann.com/AdsenseArbitrage/affiliates.php
www.cruiseshipvacationsguide.com/?action=affsignup
www.wednesdaywhopportunities.com/rap-profitpack/?action=affsignup
www.buckleyonlinemarketing.com/affiliates.php
www.greatholidayfiresale.com/winter08/affiliates.php
www.viraloptingenerator.com/?action=affsignup
www.150megchristmaspack.com/xmas1/index.php?action=affsignup
www.pdfpup.com/affiliates.php
www.giveyouthis.info/proxyguide/?action=affsignup
www.impactfulactions.com/affiliate-signup.php
www.pathway100.com/dream.php
www.wackyweekendsale.com/050708/affiliates.php
www.resellrights4you.com/cbad/index.php?action=affsignup
www.crazyfiresale.com/April/?action=affsignup
www.traffic-mastery.com/affiliates.php
www.nichemarketinguncovered.com/?action=affsignup
www.selfhelpcoaching.org/affiliates.php
www.tradingologysystem.com/?action=affsignup

2009-05-07T23:56:00.000-05:00

This program really does sound "too good to be true"...really...copy your campaign and make money from that????

It doesn't sound like something that was really "on the up-and-up" and I was pretty sure I'd probably be requesting a refund but, I believe in 'being fair'....and besides, how would I know if something worked..or didn't...unless I gave it a shot?

So, I took one of their campaigns, copied and pasted it, as laid out in the ebook. Within 24 hours I had a few sales. Granted, I wasn't planning my retirement (just yet) but not too bad for only 30 minutes of effort, seriously. I made less than $100.00 but...$80 for 30 minutes of work....I can 'live' with that amount.

Copy and Profit provides traffic generating methods... free and paid. Of course, the paid methods is Google AdWords...which I still have been reluctant to use. (To be honest...I don't have a big enough budget to 'gamble with something I haven't fully studied yet.)

For those on a ZERO spend budget...like me.., there are other methods you can use for traffic generation.

Some daily work is required, basically to see which campaign is generating sales and then fine tuning those. Often, in internet marketing, you will find a "magic" keyword that counts for 50% or more of your sales. With Copy and Profit, these keywords are given to you up front.

I think, Copy and Profit is well worth the small price of the program and if you follow the Campaigns...you should recover your investment within one or two days of trying just one of the many campaigns there are to copy. If it doesn't, for whatever reason, work for you... you are protected by Clickbank's 100% no questions asked money back guarantee.

Affilorama Review

2009-05-05T23:29:00.000-05:00

Once again I have 'stumbled' upon something that I think is worth
sharing...it's a program called...Affilorama.

You have two options...free (which is always my first choice.)
or premium...(which gets you much more than free.)

A few of the things you can learn at Affilorama .

There's much...much more that they cover...both in video and written
instructions...

I really recommend this program...at the very least, I do think Affilorama is worth
a 'look'.

Scam Alert - How to Spot a Survey Scam

2009-05-03T00:54:00.000-05:00

There are so many surveys scams on the internet today. You can spot them easily if they are asking you to pay them in for a list of companies to do surveys for. They tell you their hard to believe promises to make $125 an hour. They might even tell you that you can quit your job and do surveys full time.

The truth is that, not only can you "not get rich" doing surveys, chances are pretty good that you'll spend more time cleaning the spam out of your email in-box taking so much time away from filling out surveys for cash. It is possible to make some money, but nothing close to $125 an hour.

Any person or program telling you that you'll get rich quickly and easily... really is just trying to sell you something.

Always remember the ONE most important rule when it comes to spotting a paid survey scam, you shouldn't have to pay money to make money. Do not confuse this with, "it takes money to make money"...that's a whole different story...

The Maverick Money Maker Program

2009-04-30T04:12:00.000-05:00

Have you hear about the Maverick Money Maker Program?

If you have read any of my posts I'm sure that you familiar with the term, affiliate marketing. For anyone who hasn't heard the term, it is basically a way to sell or refer someone's product or program for a commission. It is a popular way to make money online and there are a number of affiliate opportunities if you know where to look.
For those who have 'figured out' the fine art of affiliate marketing, they are considered "Super Affiliates". With the right marketing, the right product and some 'know how' there are a LOT of Super Affiliates who make thousands of dollars a day.

During the last election we heard the word 'maverick' bantered around all over the place. If you don't really know what a Maverick is. It's basically "someone who doesn't do things in the expected way or some one who strikes out on his or her own against all odds."
When you take this attitude and team it with affiliate marketing, you have the "Maverick Money Maker".

It's easy to falter and even fail when we try a new venture that we don't know a lot about. Many of us get discouraged and we're afraid to ever try again. Not the Maverick Money Maker.
It takes a real 'Maverick' to pull together the courage in the face of fear and failure and become determined that they WILL succeed...no matter what!

Becoming a Maverick Money Maker may not be for everyone, especially for the easily discouraged. But, with a willingness to try and an eagerness to learn, it can be very lucrative and extremely satisfying.

Take a minute and learn more about the Maverick Money Maker Program, it might just bring out the 'Maverick' in you!

Vinefire - A new program to make money on the internet

2009-04-27T18:13:00.000-05:00

Vine Fire is a program I recently signed up with. It's FREE to join, but, if you want to make even MORE money, you can sign up for their really inexpensive upgrade.
Vinefire is an experiment and it is a work in progress. Fun, profitable, exciting.

Basically, it is a website where you can earn money for posting and clicking on links to news, videos, savings offers and more. The best links rise to the top and the worst are buried as their members vote on links submitted by everyone else.

Ways to Earn

* Click Posted Links: Log in, then go to the home page and click on any of the links posted by members. You'll currently earn $0.05 for each link you visit. The links will turn gray once you have visited them.
* Click Sponsor Links: Visiting their sponsors helps the website grow. Sponsor links are currently worth $0.50 per click.
* Vote on Links: Use the icons on the home page to vote up links you like or vote the down links you don't like. You'll currently earn $0.35 each time you vote.
* Add Links: If you have a link to an interesting web page that you think people will like, just visit the Add Link page. You'll currently earn $0.02 every time someone votes "up" on your link. (Until you reach your daily earnings limit).
* Share with Friends: Have a friend that would like our website? Visit our Share page to get your personal referral link. You'll currently earn 50% of your friends earnings every time they click a link, vote on a link, or add a link.

Currently, new members can only earn up to $3.00/day. If you would like to earn more, you can verify your account for a small fee ($5). Verifying your account takes about 2 minutes and will instantly raise your daily earnings limit to $25.00/day.

Above and beyond the earnings possibilities on Vine Fire, is the traffic that is being brought in to my own niche websites. Even if Vinefire didn't pay it's members, the increase of site traffic would be worth the time spent visiting the site and voting.

Get Paid To Troubleshooting Tips

2009-04-25T03:58:00.000-05:00

If you signed up for CashCrate and it appears that your offers are not clearing, consider the following possibilities:

-Your computer is not accepting cookies.

To do GPT offers it is important that your computer is set up to 'accept' cookies. Cookies are little files that are put onto your computer by the websites that you visit. Cookies are meant to follow what you do on those websites, and report back to the advertiser server when you complete an offer.

If your computer does not allow cookies to function, the advertiser that you are trying to complete the offer for does not know that you have completed the offer.

To see if you are accepting cookies, go to your IE, Firefox, etc toolbar, check the Tools, Options and Privacy (you'll see the cookies settings in the Privacy Tab.) Occasionally your virus protection programs may also be blocking access, check those programs, just to be sure.

Other reasons CashCrate give, for any offers that did not clear, include;

• You didn’t complete the entire offer. If you quit half way through a survey or don’t finish an offer, you won’t be credited. For example, many sites require that you confirm your email address at the end of the registration.

• Fake or inaccurate information was used. If you use fake information when completing an offer, you will not receive credit. Using fake or misleading information is also against our Terms of Service and will result in the termination of your account. If you’re not interested in having a company know your real information, don’t do the offer!

• You’ve done the offer before. Advertisers aren’t interested in paying for the same person to try their product or service multiple times. If you’ve done the offer (or possibly even an offer from the same company) outside of CashCrate, we won’t receive credit for it if you do it again.

• You used a gift card or prepaid credit card to do the offer. If you do an offer that requires a credit card, some companies will not credit us if you use a gift card or prepaid credit card. This is because they don’t want you signing up for a trial, only to find that your card gets declined if you continue with them after the trial period.

• You canceled the offer immediately. If you sign-up for a product trial and then immediately cancel your trial, you won’t receive credit. The point of our program is that you get paid to try products and services that you’re interested in. By canceling immediately, you’re indicating that you weren’t even interested to begin with. If you’re not interested in an offer, don’t do it!

VERY Important!!

Something that I learned, because I wasn't using my head, was that you MUST always read the fine print on the offers that you complete. I ended up signing up for a monthly entertainment subscription for taking three new IQ tests weekly, for 9.99 extra on my cell phone bill. I didn't read the fine print and just went ahead and gave my cell phone number so that I could receive my score....DUH!!
So...PLEASE read the fine print before you submit anything. If you want to (receive 3 new IQ tests a week for 9.99 a month...that's okay...I personally don't need that much entertainment in my life:)

Keep a Notebook Handy -- and -- USE it!

Whenever you sign up to complete an offer, write down who the offer is through. You'll quickly discover that company A has a survey about Brand X soft drinks and you fill that out. A few offers later you see a similiar survey and wonder if you've already filled that one out...or not.
Keep your notebook handy and fill out EVERY offer that you do...and whether or not it was completed...I may start an offer, get a ways into it and discover that they want me to sign up for something for free and all I need do is pay for shipping. If I do complete the offer...I need to make a note of what 'transpired'.
And..if you do complete the Brand X soft drinks survey through company A and you try to complete it again through Company F, you will only get credit for one. No sense in wasting your time.

A few TIPS to know...

If you do the GPT and Survey Programs, do get a new email through Yahoo or Gmail that you use only for these programs. You'll be getting a lot of email and you don't want to fill up your regular mail box.
Be sure that you do not use an email address that contains any obscenities or the word spam in it, or you may not be able to do many of the offers.
Also, do not have a period (.) in your email as it is something a lot of spammers have begun to do and the advertisers are beginning to catch on and not allow offers to be completed with such emails.

Make Money With No Money

2009-04-22T02:05:00.000-05:00

I have searched, for months, for ways to make money with no money.

I found a company that I wanted to let you know about, perhaps you have heard of it, CashCrate.

CashCrate is one of the better programs I have found in all of my searching for legitimate programs that will help me in my 'quest' to earn a living online. It hasn't been that long since I signed up, but so far I am finding it pretty easy to make money with no money spent on a daily basis just by doing some surveys and free offers.

As you know, from my previous posts, I have been searching for legitimate and honest ways to make money on the Internet, with no money to spend for expensive programs, software and the latest and greatest 'secrets' to success. I started doing this, several years ago, before all of the hub-bub about the economy, because I needed to find myself a way to make a living. If it costs me money, (more than just a few dollars a month), then I simply have to 'move on'..see...I need to MAKE money...not SPEND it.

Cashcrate is 'similiar' to Project Payday (and you know what I thought of that program)..but, it is different enough, and simpler enough, that I thought I'd give CashCrate a go.

Basically, the way it works is, companies need people who are willing to try and review products, services, and websites and they are willing to pay to have them do so. Think of the phone calls you've gotten from poll companies who ask your opinions on a number of topics, they want your feed-back but you're asked to do this without any compensation. But, CashCrate takes the money companies give them for our participation, and give us back up to 75% of it! That's what I'm looking for, ways to make money with no money!

The amount of money you can make is dependent on what country you're from (there are more offers for English speaking countries but, there are offers for other countries, as well) and how much time you're willing to spend to making money. Most members do have the opportunity to make more than a thousand dollars!

What I like about CashCrate is that it is free to join, I don't have to complete any credit card offers to earn money and through CashCrate I have found a couple of other
companies that I've made even more money through.

I will have a follow up post to this one...that goes into GPT tips and need to know info.

Getting Backlinks

2009-04-18T02:03:00.000-05:00

If you want higher conversions traffic

you'll need to be getting backlinks that are

RELATED to your niche.

Here are some of the ways you can create backlinks:

1. Social bookmarking

2. Commenting on blogs and forums

3. Pinging and RSS feed

4. Video submission sites

5. Backlinking to the same sites as your competition

6. Submitting your url - linking to other websites

(ONE WAY LINKING!)

7. Backlinking from your blog

8. Backlinking from your articles

Article directories

2009-04-17T01:42:00.000-05:00

Article directories are places where anybody can submit their articles for free. With each article you can provide a resource box with information and links about yourself and your websites.

By submitting your articles,

you are also allowing the directories to allow other ezine

and content publishers the rights to reprint your articles.

Anybody reprinting your articles have to

provide your resource box with the article.

Here are a few article directories to get you started.

Bukisa - Submit Article - Syndicate - Make Money
A new article publishing site that will pay you to submit your content to them.

GoArticles.com

Another search engine directory for articles.

EzineArticles.com

Allows ezine or email list publishers to upload or download

free expert content that can be used within email newsletters, blogs or websites.

Free Articles Directory Submit Articles - ArticlesBase.com

Find free articles for your website, blog, eZine or newsletters.

My Ad Directory

Free article directory where you can submit your articles

with unique content

to get search engine friendly backlinks

Niche Market Example

2009-04-15T01:28:00.000-05:00

Here is a small video on a Niche Marketing example.

Niche Hunting

2009-04-13T00:38:00.000-05:00

Here is a video I found on 'Niche Hunting'. (The video volume was a little low on my laptop...just an F.Y.I., so you can adjust your volume accordingly.)
This is part of the Thirty Day Challenge program, of which I am not yet familiar with, but have provided a link for anyone who wants further investigation.

A Niche Experiment

2009-04-10T22:41:00.000-05:00

I want to let you in on a niche experiment

I have going.

It's actually one of several, following the bum (affiliate) marketing

method.

To begin with...I set up a Squidoo Lens

that is about the advantages of becoming Energy Independent.

From the Squidoo Lens I have a link

to my

Earth 4 Energy Review blog

and my

Home and Garden Blog

which have my affiliate links to the

Earth 4 Energy product.

I also have a couple of other affiliate links

to Amazon based products...that might produce a sale or two

for me.

After building the Squidoo Lens

and writing the couple of blogs...

I wrote a couple of articles for Ezine Articles

linking those

back to my Squidoo lens

and my Home and Garden blog.

Finally,

I put up a small website

that I need to finish...but once finished

will link all of the other

sites together.

Now..I haven't had a whole lot

of traffic yet...though I haven't visited any forums...

etc.

I am going to take this experiment one step

further and see if

I can get some traffic moving.

If I succeed...I'll let you in on that secret.

Find a Niche and Fill It!

2009-04-08T17:27:00.000-05:00

We've all heard the saying..

"find a need and fill it"...

this post is a small sampling of some folks

who took that literally...

their mantra...

"find a niche and fill it!"

There are a bunch of regular folks, like you and me,

who are doing product launches in all sorts of regular markets

(or even some tiny little obscure markets)

and making small fortunes.

John Gallagher did it teaching people about "medicinal and edible herbs and plants."

Todd Brown did it in the massage therapy market... with a list of only 312 people.

Jane Savoie did it in the "dressage" market

(for those who don't know....dressage is HORSE BALLET --- really) -

and she made $140,000 launching a product to 817 people

What is YOUR Niche???

Are you ready to...

'find a niche and fill it'?

Getting Set Up on Auctiva

2009-04-06T18:51:00.000-05:00

Setting Up a PayPal Account

2009-04-04T18:45:00.000-05:00

Video tutorial on how to set up a PayPal account and link it to your eBay account.

A video on How To Sell on eBay

2009-04-02T18:30:00.000-05:00

Making Money Online

2009-03-30T18:00:00.000-05:00

Are you making money online yet? If you are still struggling and looking for someplace to get started...you might want to consider...

SELLING ON eBAY!

I know that everyone has heard of eBay...and you may be already saying..."oh, I already know how to sell on eBay."Maybe so...but, did you sell enough to make 'Silver Power Seller' status?

To reach this level you have to sell $3,000 - $9,999 worth of product, each month, for three consecutive months and have more than 300 feedback that is, at least, 98% positive.

I'll be honest and tell you that I no longer sell on eBay. For one thing, in order for ME to keep up this level of sales, I had to work...literally...24/7. But, that was because I was selling original paintings...all painted by me. It would have been easier, if all I'd had to do was paint..but, there was all of the 'behind the scenes' work that go along with having a brisk eBay business.

There's:

-Photographing your product. (And you really do need to take as good a picture(s) as possible. Since the buyer can't examine the product in person, you should make it as close to the 'real' thing as you can.

-Finding a good template that 'compliments' your store theme. Auctiva has a large selection of free templates, in an assortment of different categories, that you can use. And you can set up your listings to automatically 'list' in eBay at pre-specified times. All of this...is FREE! (I wished I had found Auctiva when I first started...it saves soooo much time!)

-Layout the listing in the most complimentary and inviting manner. Wording the listing so that the descriptions are as complete and accurate as possible. Be positive and 'invite' the buyer to purchase your product and 'come back for more'. This requires a little 'study' of your competition. What makes their listings so appealing that you want to buy from them? Emulate but NEVER...EVER copy their descriptions word for word.

-Answer questions from buyers and potential buyers. Do this in a timely and friendly manner. If ever you receive a message from someone, that is less than friendly, 'sleep on it' for 24 hours before responding. Let your 'immediate reaction' have a chance to cool and then word your reply in a mature and appropriate manner. (I was once 'accused' of copying another artist. Truth be told, I had been painting in that fashion for years...probably while the 'accuser' was still in diapers. My immediate response would have been 'downright bitchy' but, I applied my 24 hour rule and simply responded, "Titles cannot be copyrighted (and included a link for proof of fact) and as for the similarities of styles, since I have been painting in this style for many years and have published evidence of same, I can only suppose that perhaps I have influenced your style of painting, rather than the other way around." ... I have never received a reply.)

-Marketing. If you list your items and leave them to 'take care of themselves', you might as well take a toddler and let them 'fend for themselves'. Your business is your 'baby' and needs to be nurtured. Don't leave it to 'chance' that your buyers will find their way to you. They'll find your competition...the ones tending to their marketing (like a mother tends to her child)...long before they find you. And, chances are more than 70% that they'll buy from the nutured shop first.

-Packing and shipping. In a cost effective and timely fashion. If you don't want to get low marks in your 'detailed seller ratings' - shipping costs and shipping times (these are two separate categories..and low marks in both could be a real 'killer' to your business)

- you'll want to have your shipping supplies on hand. A membership to a Sam's Club more than pays for itself in what you save on Bubble Wrap. I haven't found it online any cheaper, in quantities that I am able to store in limited space. As for boxes, it's cheaper for me to order boxes through Uline and ship USPS First Class or UPS Ground than to get the free priority boxes through USPS and pay the extra charge for Priority Mail -- unless, your merchandise is something that NEEDS to be shipped Priority.

-Customer Service. Email your customer when their item is shipped. If possible, give them a tracking number. Let them know to email you with any questions. Thank them for their business and let them know that you really do appreciate it. Do all of this through eBay, unless the customer has specifically instructed you otherwise, so that you are not accused of 'spamming your buyer.' People tend to get a little put-off if you direct mail them without their permission. So, don't do anything...as innocent as it might be...that sends any kind of warning flag to your customer. You want as much repeat business as possible. Repeat customers tend to send other customers your way and that is great for business.

-Thank you 'gift'. This isn't required and I didn't do this on eBay. I started doing it when I moved my business to Etsy. I still sell original paintings but, now I've added prints and a few other things to my inventory. I have much more inventory and much less work. And, as a 'thank you' I include a magnet of one of my art prints. I use a letter size magnet sheet and print a dozen magnets per sheet, using my own printer. It costs me very little to include one of these little 'thank you's', it personalizes the 'gift' by using my own art prints, and it's something I don't offer for sale. I like to think it is one of the things that bring me a lot of repeat business.

If all of the 'behind the scenes' stuff didn't chase you away.....here are a few other things you need to know, BEFORE you decide to 'set up shop' on eBay. There will be fees associated with listing each and every item you post there.

Some of the fees will be charged, whether you sell anything or not. The 'up-front' fees include:

=Insertion Fees (the fee for 'inserting' a new item into your eBay 'shop'.) -- If you don't sell your item the first time, you can relist it one time, and not have to pay the second insertion fee. This does not apply to the Gallery Fee or any Listing Upgrade Fees, however.)

=Gallery Fees (it's hard to sell anything online without a photo, so your customer knows what it is that they're bidding on. So you'll need to be aware that these fees are separate from the Insertion Fees.

=Listing Upgrade Fees (these are fees that include such upgrades as; subtitles, Featured items, Reserve prices, etc.The 'back-end' fees:

=Final Value Fees (you will be charged a percentage of the actual sale price. If your starting price was $100.00 but the final sale price was $500.00, you will be charged a percentage of the $500.00 actual sale price, rather than the starting price of $100.00. For this reason, it is a little more difficult to determine how much your eBay bill is going to be each month.)

- Do note that the Final Value Fees are only on the final sale price and do NOT include shipping charges.Sometimes you won't be paid, (that's the price of doing business online.) You will still be charged the Final Valuation Fee unless you request a final value fee credit. It doesn't always come before your Bill is due, so you'll want to go ahead and pay your entire eBay Bill, but you should normally receive the final value fee credit without waiting too long.PayPal FeesPayPal will charge a fee as soon as a payment is made through PayPal. Fees range from 2.9% to 1.9% (according to their fees chart

- I did check my PayPal and note that on sales I have made very recently, the fees charged were closer to 4.5% to 5%, per sale depending on your amount of monthly sales. Please note that, PayPal charge their fees based on the amount they receive from the buyer, which also includes shipping charges.

Six Ways to 'Survive' on eBay .. during Economic Slowdowns.

1. Price it right! Lower prices aren't ALWAYS better prices. People will pay more for quality, even in the toughest economic times. Key here is, to keep the price as low as you can while still being fair to both buyer and seller.

2. The right 'stuff'! If you want to sell in volume, switch to items that you can sell for less and still make a profit. You can still make a good living from your eBay business, if you learn to adapt to the economic trends and adjust your inventory accordingly.

3. The 'Laws' of Attraction. They work both ways. If you put a 'positive' spin on your shop and your listings, it will work FOR you and for your sales. People will buy from someone who seems happy and trustworthy. On the other hand, if your shop has any kind of 'negative' undertones, like 'bargain basement' prices or 'times are tough' wordage, the buyers will 'sense' this and won't be as willing to buy from you.

4. Be Budget Minded and Frugal. Don't utilize Listing Upgrades that aren't 'absolutely necessary'. Why spend extra on the cost of a 'sub-title' only to use it to list the name of your shop? They can find out the name, when they click into your listing.Use free listing templates instead of paid ones.Recycle packing supplies and switch to First Class or Ground Shipping.Cut inventory to items that you believe are, or will be, your best sellers. Don't hang on to items that just 'waste space' and fees.

5. Offer 'high end' items too! If you've got them, list them! Don't avoid listing higher priced items, because you don't think there are any consumers left who will pay the price you would need. Go ahead and list them. If they don't sell on eBay, then get yourself an e-Commerce shop that doesn't charge listing fees and list them there.

6. Market..market..market!! You CAN list an item on eBay, set the price and the length of the auction and HOPE for the best. You may or may not get a nibble! You'll improve your odds 'dramatically' with the RIGHT marketing however.

--The Right Title. Make sure your title is 'marketing friendly.' For instance, you want to put as much 'pertinent' information as possible, into the title.If you're selling an original oil painting of a Rooster, don't title it 'At The Break of Dawn'..(even if it is the title of the painting)...that doesn't tell the buyer anything.Keep in mind that many buyers will type in more specific 'keywords' and none of those will include 'break' or 'dawn'.

--Put a 'face' on it! Many people want to 'know' who it is they're buying from. It's easier to purchase from someone you 'know and trust'. Listings that are worded properly can help, but you'll probably need to take it a step beyond and write a blog. You can help your buyers get to know you and what you have to offer in a more 'personal' manner. There are several free blogsites that are very good, including Wordpress and Blogger. If you want a good example of a seller who really 'sells herself' through her blog...visit this blog.

GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE IS VITAL TO YOUR ONLINE SUCCESS! Consumers can get an original painting, an Apple iPod, and, occasionally, even that rare PEZ dispenser from a number of other Sellers.Maybe your prices are the lowest, but if that potential customer takes a peek at your feedback and at your detailed seller ratings and finds that; your shipping prices are high, shipping times are slow, your products were not as described and you didn't offer good communication...they'll move on to another seller, even if the price is higher.I have only disregarded these factors once and it was a purchase that I ended up, not only regretting, but also without product and most of the purchase price. With really GOOD Customer Service, you can be a step above the competition. Most of the time it doesn't cost anymore to offer good customer service as it does Not to. Often times, poor customer service costs More.

What to Sell?I frequently look at the eBay Pulse to keep on top of what items are best sellers. Almost all of the items currently in eBay's Top 10 have been there for months.EBAY TOP 10!

1. wii

2. ipod

3. xbox 360

4. iphone

5. wii fit

6. coach

7. psp

8. bakugan

9. digital camera

10.ipod touch

Here is a link that explains, in further detail, almost everything you need to know to start selling on eBay.But, WHATEVER you do...don't put ALL of your eggs into One eBAY Basket! Whether the economy is booming...or on the 'down-side'...with all of the opportunity that is out there on the internet, having 'multiple streams of income' just makes good 'cents'.

If you are an artist, a crafter, a dealer of 'vintage' goods, a scrapbooking supplier or ...well, there's a lot of categories you might not have ever thought of before, over on Etsy. Take a look. It costs $.20 a listing and each listing is good for four months. It's not an auction site. When a sale is made, payment is almost always immediately received through PayPal.

Whatever you choose to do, to start making money right away, the TWO most important things to remember:

1. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE - is money in the bank!

2. MARKETING IS KEY -- you are your own best public relations expert! Don't be bashful...bang your own drum!! Take a look around and you'll see those that are selling well do that very thing!

21 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Sites

2009-03-27T17:20:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest problems I have encountered, in my 'quest' to "make money online" is...traffic!
How to get it!
How to keep it!
How to convert it!
I absolutely REFUSE to 'buy into' any program that I know little about. One of the biggest problems I am encountering...even as a 'bum-affiliate' marketer myself..is ALL of the 'info' sites that are just 'bum-affiliate' sites. Of course, these are going to give good reviews....they're all trying to sell the product....just like me. (Well...not that product...but, since this is what I'm 'into' right now...I'm recognizing the 'pitch'.)
Anyway...I decided to take a trip to 'You-Tube'....no surprise there...and I ran across this little video.

Warning...it's an 'automated' audio...meaning that the voice is 'automated'....so it's a bit boring! However...there are some good 'tips' for getting more traffic, so I thought it worth a post.

Writers Beware!

2009-03-25T03:59:00.000-05:00

Writers Beware of Freelance Home Writers....it is a Scam!

In these unsettling times, when folks are losing jobs or needing more income, just to make ends' meet, it is easy to be taken in by some clever advertising and end up the victim of a scam.
Recently, it ALMOST happened to me.
I received an email, from one of the 'what seem like "millions"' of work-at-home opportunities, advertising Freelance Home Writers.

It seemed to offer a great service for people who are interested in earning money from writing and the money sounded very good.

Be careful of their 'special' low cost registration fee. Take a closer look at the small print and you'll find that this is ONLY a seven day trial period. Then they will charge $49.95 every month. Even though they also state that" if you are not satisfied", there is an 8 week money-back guarantee. I've learned that others sent them a message through an online 'contact form' asking them to cancel the account and refund their money. None of them received a reply, even though several follow up emails were sent.

Most of the material on their site can be easily found on other sites for free. And, they do not have any 'connection' what-so-ever with employers, or anyone 'looking for writers'. They provide the same kinds of lists that you can find for free on Elance.

Here is a forum thread where I found folks who are having problems with this company: http://www.work-at-home-forum.com/14_7144_0.html You might also find a few links to some free sites if you have an interest in freelance writing, with or without the Bum Marketing.

Unfortunately there are a lot of sites and offers like this, they really are timeless, and these people can make these offers look absolutely genuine.

Careers In Writing - Freelance and Creative Writing(ebook)
Writing Feature Articles (ebook)
Write To Publish (ebook)

Bum Marketing Method

2009-03-23T04:10:00.000-05:00

I have a lot of respect for Travis Sago...the 'author' of the Bum Marketing Method and I've given him a couple of 'plugs' here on my blog.
My main reason for starting this blog...was to do an experiment on whether or not it was possible to make consistent money, on the internet, for little or no investment.

I've run across several programs that 'fit my guidelines' and I keep coming back to 'Bum Marketing'

He'll give you step by step instructions and 7 videos....all for FREE.

There's nothing in it for me...just trying to keep to my 'quest' of providing the best programs for little or no investment...and what's better than...FREE??

Some FREEBIES -- Check them OUT!!

2009-03-21T02:59:00.000-05:00

I wanted to get this post out ASAP as this first FREEBIE is to Beta Test a new Program "Earning In Hard Times".
I've signed up for this program and there are a lot of instructional videos that take you through - Copywriting - Celebrity Blogging - Photoshop - Freelance/ Outsource - eBay - eMail Marketing - How to outsource your Traffic Building - Affiliate Info.
But...you'll have to hurry if you want to get into the FREE Beta Testing ... those doors close on Monday -- MARCH 23rd!!

-----------------------------------------------------------

The 2nd FREEBIE is also a NEW Beta Test Program "Traffic Dynasty". It is just getting up and going and looks to be a very good program. You have to sign up with an email to get started, but it is free and they are going to be having some 'important guests' drop in...perhaps to the forum..so it might be a good opportunity..especially considering that it's free...at least, for now.

Bum Marketing -- Free and Easy -- Video

2009-03-20T04:09:00.000-05:00

Another 'Zoobie' internet marketing adventure!

2009-03-18T03:38:00.000-05:00

Okay..
I seem to be 'hooked on Zoobie'....but, as frustrating as it can be...trying to learn how to do legitimate internet marketing and make a decent living...I think it's also good to 'laugh' once in awhile.

"Complete" Payday Formula Review

2009-03-17T01:15:00.000-05:00

I am impressed with this program...because I am a 'visual learner'...
if I have to 'read' the instructions...I tend to get distracted and end up
having to 're-read' several times...before I 'get it'.
"Show" me and I can...almost always...get it the very FIRST time.
If you are a 'visual learner'...like me...the 'Instant Payday' may very well be the
program for you.

Have a look at this short video, it's a quick review of what the program looks
like....and the $20 'savings' that Travis offers is available...if you click out of the site,
an offer...with a $20 savings will 'pop up'. Don't sign up though, unless you can get the
savings...who couldn't use an extra twenty bucks in their pocket?

More 'Newbie' Adventures in Internet Marketing

2009-03-14T03:27:00.000-05:00

The 'saga' continues....
I do see 'myself...and so many others...in these little characters'

A 'Newbie' Adventure in Internet Marketing

2009-03-12T02:46:00.000-05:00

Everyone who reads my blog knows that I like to 'troll' You Tube for anything I think might be helpful at 'making money at home.'

During one of my 'trolling visits' I ran across a couple of videos that I thought, kind of 'summed up' Internet Marketing for Newbies...and decided to share.

This is episode 1...and I will be doing more episodes...because I like them..in the near future.

Article Writing - 5 Articles A Day

2009-03-10T17:20:00.000-05:00

Fast Article Writing...

First...have your subject (niche) selected.
Second...use Google.

Type in the keywords that you want to use...and remember (this is probably more important than the articles themselves...be SURE you have done the proper 'keyword' research.)

You've typed your long tailed keyword into Google...now..pay attention to the site size...its the "k" size directly following the website address, for example...www.abc124.com/ - 36k (it's the 36k)

Find the four or five sites (on the first page) with the largest sizes (these usually have the most content) and locate a couple of 'points' from each site that you want to cover in an article.

For example, if you are wanting to market an 'herbal remedies' niche...you would type in 'best herbal remedies' (or whatever the maximized long tailed keyword is for this niche) in Google.

Locate the four or five sites with the most content (thus the file size) and select a couple of 'good points to cover' from each site.

You're not plagarizing or copying content...you're simply getting the points you want to cover in your articles.

You've listed the two or three 'good points to cover' -- from each of the four or five sites. (You have the basis for four or five articles.) Use the 'good points to cover' as your outline...along with the who, what, when, why and how...keep the articles between 250 and 350 words each...and you can have the articles written in an hour or two.

Herbal Remedies for Allergies

Spring Allergy Remedies

Herbs to keep Spring Allergies at Bay

Breathe Easier this Spring

Don't let Allergies Keep You Indoors all Spring

Proof read them for grammar, punctuation, and head on over to Ezine Articles, Associated Content, GoArticles...etc...and get them published.

The next day...use the same concept and the same niche...but, double the 'good points to cover' and write 4 or 5 articles (I like 5's... it works better in my little illustration...to get to 100 articles a month, at 5 articles a day x 5 days a week x 4 weeks a month!)

this time it can be...articles on...

5 Herbal Remedies for Spring Allergies

5 Tips to Keep Allergies at bay this Spring

5 Herbs that Relieve Spring Allergies

5 Spring Allergy Remedies

5 Ways to be Allergy Free This Spring

You could probably get an entire week's worth of articles, using this same niche subject..delving a bit deeper into the site content each day.

This is just an example so you can see where I am 'going' with this.

Article Writing for Beginners

2009-03-09T00:09:00.000-05:00

Article Writing for Beginners.

It's been a while, but I still remember my high school journalism basics.

1.Who
2.What
3. When
4. Why
5. How

Who did what? Why, when and how did they do it?

Let's say that I want to write an article about, 'earthworm castings'.

I would begin the article by, explaining WHAT earthworm castings are.
WHY earthworm castings are used. HOW we use them.
WHEN is the best times to use them. WHO can we get the earthworm castings from.

Just by using the 'traditional' basics...who...what...when...where...and..why...I am able to put together a very quick and very basic outline. Answer those five 'questions' about pretty much any subject and you have yourself an article.

I'm able to write a quick 350 word article in just a few minutes, if I know what subject (or niche) I want to write about and I use this very basic outline

Work At Home -- Real or Not?

2009-03-06T23:42:00.000-06:00

Is IT a SCAM or NOT??

If you are wondering, whether or not a

"Work At Home" opportunity

is legitimate or not....consider the following!

You Won't Get Rich Quick

Avoid those programs that guarantee wealth,

unbelievable financial success,

or offer to help you "get rich quick".

Stay clear of any listings that offer,

high income for part-time hours.

More often than not,

they will do none of the above.

Hang on to Your Money

Never send money!

Legitimate employers don't charge

to hire you

or to get you started.

And, don't send money for

work at home directories

or start-up kits.

(A few years back...when jobs in my area

were simply unavailable...I got taken in by a company

that ...for $40.00...

would send me a book of companies looking

for 'home workers'

complete with a description of what

each company was looking for.

I sent my $40.00...

got my book..

signed up with a 'cottage industry' company'

that paid for 'completed craft items'...

for (more money) they would

send the 'supplies' I would need to

do the crafts...

then..I complete the crafts...send them in...

and start 'raking in the profits'....IF the finished product

met their specs.)

It didn't take me long to discover that

my 'completed crafts' would NEVER meet their specifications...

(I felt pretty much like an idiot!)

'Work at Home' Jobs To Avoid

Assembly Jobs -

Learn from my example that,

you can't make lots of money assembling craft kits

or any other type of kits.

It's very possible to waste money on books and packages

to get you started though.

Data Entry Jobs -

You'll see listings for data entry jobs

all over the place.

Problem is, these are most often either

positions 'posting similar ads'

or a pitch trying to sell you a kit that will

"get you started".

Posting Ads -

You won't 'get paid' to post an

ad on bulletin boards or forums...

instead..

you have to 'sign people up'

in order to get

any compensation at all.

Stuffing Envelopes -

I signed up for this 'job'

back in the 60's!

Yep! It's been around, at least,

that long!

I remember I had to send some

postage stamps, then run the

same 'ad' that I answered, for people

to send me 'postage stamps'...

I never did figure out

what that was all about!

But...the 'stuffing envelopes' scam

is still

around...and to be avoided

at all costs!

If you have a question

about whether or not a

work at home position is legitimate or not...

check out the Work at Home Scams Site.

Don't get 'snookered'

2009-03-04T23:02:00.000-06:00

As a general rule...

"if it sounds too good to be true...

it usually is"

I ran across a program that fit this description to a 't'.

It has a pretty good sales pitch...good enough that I decided to,

at least, check it out.

One of the things I have begun to do...after being 'ripped off' a time

or two, when I didn't...is to go out and do my 'homework'...

what are other people saying about their experiences.

Paidsurveysetc....doesn't get high marks from me.

Here are a couple of 'reviews' of folks

who purchased this program...

"I discovered to my horror that in order to get paid for these surveys you had to not only complete the survey you had to sign up and pay for a business offer. You either had to purchase goods or services. I was very dissappointed. My objective was not to make money by spending money on goods and services over and over again. Many of the opportunities involved services that could be cancelled later but who wants to go to all that trouble? I decided this wasn't for me and requested a refund. I haven't heard anything back yet but they did offer a money back guarantee..." Link to complete review.

I gave the author a five star rating for the review...please consider doing this

also. The review could very well, not only saved me money, but

saved me the aggrevation of a program that promised big...and delivered very small.

"My mailbox was inundated with as many as 800 emails per day - all garbage.Countless attempts to get my guaranteed refund have been in vain. No response whatsoever from these turkeys.I traced their physical address to a vacant strip mall in California.The website is very convincing and appears to be heartfelt - someone who has been duped in the past wanting to be sure you only have legit sites - yeah, right!" -- Link to complete review.

The author of this review needed extra income so they

could stay home with their son, while he was undergoing chemotherapy.

How heartless!!

I could go on and on with scam after scam after scam, from this program.

I'm a little horrified that the program is still being offered as a Clickbank affiliate product...

and I will say that...

the ONLY positive reviews I ran across

were from folks..who are actually trying to

'peddle the product'....

You will not find my affiliate link on

any paidsurveysetc product...

I will never...knowingly...lead anyone to a bogus product.

This is my 'review'.

Make Money At Home! Bum Marketing!

2009-03-02T17:41:00.000-06:00

Bum marketing in a nutshell!

Write an article, publish it through Ezine Articles, GoArticles, Associated Content or one of a number of other article publishers.
Provide a link to your blog or website, within the article or the author's resource box and do it all over again!

Sounds easy enough, but there really is more to it than that. For one thing...you need to be sure the article, blog/website is something that you can monetize.

This is one of the biggest reasons that I 'broke down' and joined Wealthy Affiliates. I wasn't 'figuring it out' on my own. Now that it has become 'clearer'...I'm having to go back and rework a lot of my Squidoo Lenses, in order to maximize those.

But, until I've figured it all out...I'm going to be concentrating on my Associated Content Articles
because that is the one site that actually pays for some of the articles upfront, and the rest of the articles for the visits they receive.
They give you 'Calls for Content'...in case you're stuck about what to write about. You can include links to money sites (like Etsy and others) within the articles, provided it is pertinent to the article itself.

My 'plan of action' is to:
1. Select my niche
2. Write an article for Associated Content (embedding the money site link into the article)
3. Write a separate article for Ezine Articles, with a link to either a blog, website or Squidoo Lens.
4. Build a lens, blog, or site around this niche...occasionally a combination of all of these.
5. Link the articles to the site.
6. Go out and 'promote' the heck out of the site in forums, social networks, etc.
7. Write some new and different articles, for Associated Content, Ezine Articles, and Go Articles..on the same niche.
8. Include the links.
9. Do some more promoting.

I may do this four or five times, per niche. The key being...to get myself out there...as somewhat of an 'expert' or 'authority' on this niche.

By this time, I should be seeing income from the niche itself, rather than just from the visits I receive through Associated Content.

Make Money At Home! Zazzle!

2009-02-26T17:20:00.000-06:00

I have been making my entire

income

from the internet, since 2005.

One of the ways I contribute to

my household funds is through Zazzle.

This is one of the mugs that I offer

through one of my three

Zazzle shops.

You don't have to be an artist to be able to take advantage

of this Free Site.

You just need an email address..

and a little imagination doesn't hurt either.

If you have some clever sayings

that you would like to see on T-Shirts..

if you have some doodles

that you think would look great on magnets or mugs..

if you have some photographs

that would make great greeting cards...

...whatever you think would make a great design...

you can put it together

and offer it for sale

on Zazzle..

for

FREE!

They have recently added a wonderful new

feature that allows you

to make hundreds of products in as little as an hour.

If you can't figure it out...

drop me a note and I will walk you through it!

I really am selling hundreds of products a month...

through my three shops..

and that is doing it on a very part-time basis.

Get Things Done

2009-02-22T06:55:00.000-06:00

Do you 'get things done'? I do...sometimes...well, maybe! No, I don't actually 'get things done'. I work around things, over things and occasionally, 'through' things..but I don't often 'get things done.'
So...again on You Tube...I decided to type in 'getting organized' and found this video. Wow..who knew?
I think I'm going to try this and see if I can make better use of my time and my skills. There is a free basic program...I'm going with that one!

Legitimate Ways to make Money Online

2009-02-20T06:38:00.000-06:00

I have been a 'You Tube' junkie lately. I've scoured all over the internet in an effort to find as wide of a variety of 'legitimate ways to make money online' as possible.

Mistakes eBay Sellers Make

2009-02-18T06:27:00.000-06:00

Article Writing and Rewriting

2009-02-16T06:15:00.000-06:00

By the same 'author' as the last video I posted, this video goes further in depth at the fine points of article writing. She does a good job showing what you need to do with your article writing..I do recommend viewing this video if you are interested in doing some 'bum marketing'.

Article Marketing Works -- a video

2009-02-14T12:05:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling a little 'lazy' today, but still wanted to find you some good information that I thought would be helpful...and I liked that I actually found a You Tube video by a woman. I've really felt this business was a bit 'male dominated'...but, maybe not.

Who Is Travis Sago?

2009-02-12T05:38:00.000-06:00

So..who is Travis Sago? He's the man behind 'The Bum Marketing Method' and here is a little video by him on, 'How To Choose A Profitable Niche.'

Building A List

2009-02-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

I am going to be doing this at the same time as the rest of you. This is an area that I had some questions about, now that those questions have been answered, I will start building my own lists in the coming weeks.
Here's a little video tutorial that explains it better than I can explain it.

Ever heard of Frank Kern?

2009-02-08T05:19:00.000-06:00

I had seen a video or two a few months ago, with Frank Kern 'in' them...but I only recently received a 'Frank Kern' by himself video...and I'll admit...I was quite impressed. I'll warn you though..sometimes the language is a little rough.
I've snagged another 'You Tube' video for you to preview, but to get the extended info...you'll need to go here.

The Affiliate God

2009-02-06T05:08:00.000-06:00

I 'discovered' this program while browsing through the Wealthy Affiliate forum.
It's by a college student who appears to be very knowledgeable about the 'ins and outs' of affiliate marketing.
His course is free and you can sign up here.

Wealthy Affiliate Review

2009-02-04T04:55:00.000-06:00

As I told you all a couple weeks ago, I went ahead and signed up for "Wealthy Affiliate" as I wasn't finding as much information as I needed, for no cost. I'd only get so far in my research and find that I either needed to purchase something, or it was just too confusing to implement.
I started right out trying to do some affiliate marketing, without the proper instruction, so I don't think I need to explain how very poorly I've done thus far.
I'm into week number 3 at "Wealthy Affiliate" and can, honestly say, I've learned a truckload of information...in comparison to what I went in with.
The first week or so, was kind of a review of what I'd learned on my own. Now, that we've gotten further into the course, I'm beginning to receive more 'in-depth' instructions on what I need to begin to do.
Wealthy Affiliate costs about $40 a month and it's an 8 week course of learning, so I know I'll stay on for at least two months. But, as a member, I'm finding all kinds of new information from other members that I might not have found as quickly.
I'll be sharing some of that info with you all.

No get rich quick schemes---for real!

2009-02-02T04:31:00.000-06:00

There are no get rich quick schemes! For real...they just don't exist! In spite of the promises and the testimonials and even the copies of the huge paydays...if they claim you will 'get rich quick'...run, as fast as you can...the other way!

How often have we all seen these kinds of diagrams? You know the ones...you are there at the top and all you need to do is 'get two people' (the two circles directly below 'you') and they each get two...and so on.
It looks good on paper...and a really good 'salesman' can convince you that it works...I've heard it actually has for a 'few' people.
I've even signed up for a couple. I thought the product was exceptional, though a bit on the pricey side...and the plan looked 'do-able'...though, as it turned out, not for me. I have turned more friends into 'distant acquaintances' as a result.
But, it's my personality to believe that there is something out there that will do more than eek me a living and I'm bound and determined to find it.
There's no 'get rich quick schemes' - for real! But, I believe there are programs that will work with hard work and perserverance! I'll be previewing a few that I've recently run across, for you to check out in the coming days and weeks.

Pepperjam...the Next and Newest Generation

2009-01-31T23:04:00.000-06:00

Pepperjam is one of the newest affiliate programs partnering with such big brand merchants as Baby Phat, Sean Jean, Blockbuster just to name a very few, with new merchants signing on often.

They have a 'Pepperjam Store Builder' for some of their participating merchants. See this example, from one of my own 'Pepperjam' merchant partners. I have inserted one of mine into the side bar of this blog...be sure to check it out!

Even though I am still relatively new to the business of affiliate marketing, I am signing on with new merchants everyday. The more quality merchants (like those found on Pepperjam) that I partner with, the greater the chances to make a full time living with my new career in, affiliate marketing.

10 Steps Necessary for Affiliate Success

2009-01-30T18:29:00.000-06:00

10 Steps Necessary for Affiliate Success

1. Set Goals. -- This is important and really needs to be done first. I wasted weeks because I didn't do this FIRST. It's hard to if you've reached your destination, if you don't know where you're going. Keep a notebook...'get it in writing'. You're going to get 'information overload', even if you pay for a top program...the information comes pretty fast and furious...and you might get lost if you don't write it down.

2. Start out with 'small expectations'. If you go too 'great' you might get discouraged and give up on your goals. So, if you set a goal..to earn $200 or $300 a month, with your affiliate marketing, Adsense, etc...you've given yourself a workable place to start. You can increase your expectations as you learn and refine your knowledge and experience in affiliate marketing.

3. Discover your niche(s). What are you 'good' at, interested in, passionate about...? What is the one thing that others seek advice from you on? If you just can't find something from doing a little self-examination, go visit Clickbank and search their marketplace. You don't have to join to see what different products they offer, maybe something will strike your fancy there.

4.Get familiar with Google AdWords and Wordtracker and refine your keywords.

5. Take your niche and build a website around it. You can start with a blog, then expand it to build a Squidoo lens, do a little article marketing and then set up a website. This is where the keywords come into play.

6. Join an affiliate program, or two, or more. You will get 'automatic approval' from some of the merchants in the programs but, other merchants (with the exception of Clickbank) may want to review your sites before they give their approval. Once you've been approved, start putting the links in your blog, lens and on your website.

7. Start getting yourself 'out there'. Participate in forums, join social networks, visit other blogs and leave comments. It's time to start 'mining for gold'..and quality links that lead back to your sites are as good as gold.

8. Set a schedule. So that you don't overwhelmed or distracted by 'too much information', set a schedule. How much time daily/ weekly are you going to devote to your affiliate marketing? Don't go 'overboard' or 'underboard'..be fair to yourself and be fair to your new 'venture'.

9. Once you have one or two niches going, the blog, the lens, the website are all set up..start all over again and build more niche sites. You increase your odds and you increase the possibility of making a decent income.

10. Keep learning. But, don't sign up for every 'get rich quick' program that comes along. Chances are better that you'll make a lot more money on the programs that don't make the 'get rich' promises. I'll be listing some of those programs here soon..so you can check them out and decide for yourselves.

Share A Sale

2009-01-29T23:28:00.000-06:00

Share A Sale is another affiliate program that I have joined. They have features that are unique and easy for their affiliates to work with.

See the page I was able to put together, featuring one of their merchants. It's waaay down at the bottom of this post...I just could not figure out how to fit it. But, I left it in anyway...just so you could see what different features they had.

Land Before Time 100 Piece Puzzle	Elmo Molded Handle Folding Umbrella	Curious George Loot Bags - 8 Per Pack
Caillou Party Hats - 8 Per Package	Cars Decorative Wall Hook	Mickey and Friends Holiday Cards (10 pack w/ envelopes)
Tinker Bell Magic Gloves	Caillou Placemat	Backyardigans Luncheon Napkins
Blue's Clues Night Light	Caillou 9 Inch Plates - 8 Per Package	Backyardigans 3 Foot Puzzle - 46 Pieces

LinkShare

2009-01-28T16:27:00.000-06:00

LinkShare is an affiliate company that I joined.

Their program categories include;
auto
business and career
clothing and accessories
computer and electronics
department store
entertainment
food and drink
games and toys
hobbies and collectibles...

well, you see where I'm going here.

They have programs that fit in well with whatever niche you want to market.

Here's one of the merchants I am marketing, I love their easy to use promotional materials. It's so easy to advertise when the companies provide easily accessible promotional material that comes complete with your own affiliate ID number embedded.

Clickbank

2009-01-27T23:27:00.000-06:00

Clickbank is one of the easiest affiliate programs and the one that most of the affiliates with whom I have communicated, start with. Their products are digital and immediately accessible, upon receipt of payment, to the purchaser.

From products like Commission Blueprint, to Earth 4 Energy, to Secrets to Dog Training...and more.

It's pretty simple. You sign up with Clickbank, select the product(s) you want to promote and do pretty much what I'm doing...a little 'bum blogging and bum marketing'.

My goals and Reality.

2009-01-26T22:04:00.000-06:00

"...these are the goals I've set up for myself..to date!
1. Have five 'bum marketing' sites up and operational..by the beginning of next week.
2. Set up five brand new 'bum marketing' sites every 7 days.
3. Write 1 'how-to' eBook every week, that I will offer as my own product."

These WERE the goals I set up for myself...and to be honest....it didn't happen!

Perhaps I was a bit too enthusiastic and wanted to 'do it all'...right out of the gate...but, being realistic..this is what I actually DID accomplish.

I wrote a lens on 'How to Promote Your Business For Free' , which I will work on how to monetize, at some point..

I signed up to write articles for Ezine articles and Hub pages.

I joined Pepperjam, Linkshare and Share A Sale affiliate programs.

I added affiliate links to my 'Idol Chat and More' blog.

I wrote a number of articles and outlined several 'campaigns' that I plan to 'launch' one at a time over the next few weeks.

Read my 'reviews' on Pepperjam, Linkshare, Share A Sale and Clickbank in the coming days.
I feel that each of these programs has a lot to offer and each deserve a separate post of their own.

I signed up for "Wealthy Affiliate" and this is my review!

2009-01-24T19:40:00.000-06:00

(UPDATE) May 1, 2009
I wanted to be honest in the writing of this blog. So, this update is just to let you know that "yes, I did sign up for Wealthy Affiliate. I went through the two month program...followed all of the lessons...visited the Forum and asked questions. Then...I unsubscribed."
I don't have anything negative to say against Wealthy Affiliate. It may just be that "I didn't 'get' it." I took notes, followed step by step...and ended up more confused than I was when I started. I know the 'boys' are in 'it' to make money...but, I did get a little 'off-put' that several of the things I wanted more information on, cost more money.
Since I was trying to learn how to make money on the internet...and wasn't....I certainly did not have anything extra to spare.
I really needed more information than I received, to be able to...
1. Set up a website there. So I looked elsewhere.
2. Find low-cost or free methods to do my affiliate marketing.
3. Find a 'support-system' to help me by guiding, answering questions, etc.

A lot of the folks on Wealthy Affiliate seem to have found all of the above....unfortunately, I did not. I did find them elsewhere though. The links to 'where' I found what I was looking for .... are included in the above 3 examples.

I 'had' to do it! I recently signed up for "Wealthy Affiliate and have written a review about the program for you.

My original quest was to...find no cost (or low cost) programs that would 'teach' me the most effective ways to 'make money online'.

I ended up with 'head spin'...really! I tried this and that...and the majority of the time..hit a dead end..unless I wanted to 'buy into the programs'. To be honest..I couldn't afford it!

What I found though, on this quest, was that everyone who was talking about 'Wealthy Affiliate' had nothing but POSITIVE things to say! So, I purposely went out looking for 'negatives'. I mean, really...is there a program out there that isn't just 'taking your money' and giving only half the information? I'm sure there are...I just couldn't find any of them...except for the 'Wealthy Affiliate' program.

Honestly, I could NOT find anything comparable, for the value of what comes in this program.

With the 'head spin' that I was in...what this program is doing for me is, it is helping me set goals and focus on the 'right' ways to start making money right away.

The cost of the monthly membership is minimal in comparison to what I've received from the program...all kinds of tools that will help make my job so much easier.
Time is money...right? Well, the tools in this program are already helping me know...all about keywords and adwords....how to write the very best articles...how to market products 'for free'...or almost free!
I've got tools that tell me which programs to promote...and which, to probably stay away from.

There are so many tools...and a great forum with even more 'tools' that will help me make money online!

After joining, these are the goals I've set for myself..to date!

1. Have five 'bum marketing' sites up and operational..by the beginning of next week.
2. Set up five brand new 'bum marketing' sites every 7 days.
3. Write 1 'how to' ebook every week, that I will offer as my own product.

Since, I've only been a member a short time, I'm still learning...but, I also wanted to give myself the opportunity to start making more money...while I'm learning!

If you've been searching, as I've been, for that ONE program that you think will turn things around for you, and put you on the path to actually making money online, take a look at the Wealthy Affiliate Program and see what you think!

We can all learn from "Game Show In My Head"

2009-01-22T19:04:00.000-06:00

I don't know if the show will catch on or not...but, really... the very first time I tuned into this show there is a guy...'sitting in a Port-a-Potty' and to win $5,000 he has a specified amount of time (maybe 5 minutes, if that) to get someone to...give him some reading material...give him some tissue..and talk to him for 1 minute.
Oh my gosh, I thought this was just too funny....the kicker is...he WON the $5,000! REALLY!

I think if we 'borrowed' a few things from this show...and applied it to 'Work at Home' programs...we would 'succeed more than we fail'.

Imagine, we have one week to come up with xxxx amount of dollars...we might not have to sit in a 'port-a-potty' to make those funds...but, if we go after it..with the same amount of 'gusto'...and 'put ourselves out there a little more' we might just do it!

I have to add that...I've yet to see any of the contestants...win ALL of the challenges...but, all of the contestants (I've seen) have won most of them.
This is how I have begun to approach my own online 'work at home' programs...set up a number of 'challenges' so that I can increase my own odds of 'winning' at least SOME of them!

Keywords are Vital to your Internet Marketing

2009-01-20T18:45:00.000-06:00

I'm sure you already know, but I'll say it again, "keywords are vital to your internet marketing" venture.
It doesn't matter if you are trying to market a product/service of your own, or if you are promoting the products/ services of others, I'll repeat it again...'keywords are vital to your internet marketing'. If you don't have the right keywords, how will anyone find you?
The biggest problem I have encountered, in trying to market my own products, is having keywords that are too broad.
In other words, what I didn't do was my, research!
I sell original paintings and prints on several sites and have for almost five years now. Luckily, for me, people have managed to 'stumble across them' and I've been selling the entire time.
Who knows what would have happened, if I had known 'anything at all' about internet marketing when I first started. (Unfortunately, now that I've finally 'figured it out', we find ourselves in the middle of a recession.)
Anyway, before you market ANYTHING do a little research first.

We'll use my own case in point, I have marketed my paintings and sites using the following keywords....I have listed my 'competition' beside each keyword.

1. Original art --- 34,600,000
2. Original paintings --- 2,990,000
3. Original paintings for sale --- 501,000

You see...I was getting 'closer' to having a shot at 'exposure' each time I 'refined' my keywords. But, a half a million others are using the keywords 'original paintings for sale'....and I really thought I could be found....REALLY!

But, I didn't know whit about marketing...and so this is how I've marketed my art for almost five years.

Now...these are my keywords.

"original dark art paintings and prints" and I am listed First on Google.
In "original dark art paintings and prints for sale" I am listed Fifth. But still on the first page.

I eliminated the broad keywords I was using and narrowed it down to the 'type of art I am doing on this site' AFTER doing the research.

Have you ever heard of 'Bum Blogging'?

2009-01-18T17:49:00.000-06:00

Have you ever heard of 'bum blogging'? Well, I hadn't, so I did a little research into it and, here's what I found.

In a nutshell, from my understanding...(to date, I haven't really found the information I was hoping to find on it)..'bum blogging' is blogging as an affiliate marketing site, more or less.

First, you find a product that you want to promote...via Clickbank , LinkShare or from one of a number of Affliliate programs that you might be interested in.

Second, you research the product and write a good article about it.

Third, you set up a blog, about that product.

Fourth, you publish the well written article in one of the article submission sites, with a link back to the blog you've just set up.

Fifth, you hop back over to your blog and lay it out so that it is, well written, with good content, personality and a 'call to action'. In short, you tell people

1. what your product is...

2. how it can "improve your life" (lose weight, improve health of pet, make money...whatever this 'improvement' is)..

3. give a 'testimonial' or product review...

4. issue a 'call to action'...tell them to 'get it now'....(you want them to order this product, so the call to action needs to have a little 'urgency' to it.)

5. Make sure you have inserted your affiliate link for this product in your wording at the beginning, somewhere within the product description, and in the closing of your blog post.

6. Insert an image, if possible, of a screenshot of the product you are promoting.

The 'bum blogging' part comes in when you begin to repeat these actions for various products you are promoting. Your odds are greatly improved when you have 10-50-100 of these little 'mini-sites' than to put all of your hope on just 1 'bum blog'.

I'm in the process of setting up several of these...and I'll write more about how this is going..with links...in the near future!

So many programs...so little time.

2009-01-16T17:43:00.000-06:00

There are so many programs that advertise, 'Make money overnight'..'I made $1000 while I slept'...you know what I'm talking about.
It's enough to make one's head spin several times...round and round.
So..what am I doing?
Well, I'm trying to 'wade through as many as possible', so I can pass along anything that seems like it might be a good idea, here in this blog.

I've got a couple of programs that I am doing, extensive research on...and one that I have pretty much decided I'm going to spend a little money and sign up.

I'll have some new posts...with what I hope is...very useful information, in just a few days.
I'm also going to 'launch a campaign', during that same time period, that I will lead you through, each step of the way.

Internet Attention Deficit Disorder

2009-01-15T01:29:00.000-06:00

There really is such a thing as, 'Internet Attention Deficit Disorder'!

I wrote a few 'information' posts, for while I'm away...on my 'Internet Free Working Vacation'...so I can be 'distraction free' to draft my definitive 'Plan of Action'.

Here are a few ways you can 'spot and eradicate' it!.

1. Detect Your Time Wasters. (Monitor your browsing habits and discover those things that are keeping you from doing what you need to do to have a successful online presence.)

2. Take a day...or more...to go 'Internet Free'. (Like I'm doing 'as we speak'.)

3. Separate 'online' hours from 'offline' hours. Give yourself a time frame for both.

4. Get 'Back to Work'. Give yourself a little 'browsing' leeway. But, limit it to a specific timeframe. Once you've 'strayed' from the work you intended to do...give yourself 5 - 30 - 90 minutes (the time allotted is strickly 'up to you') to 'go ahead and browse'...when the time is
up...'get back to work'.

5. Read the article about 'Internet Attention Deficit Disorder' that I researched for this post to learn more.

Draft a Plan of Action

2009-01-13T23:36:00.000-06:00

Draft a 'plan of action'...

that's what I'm going to take the

next few days to do.

And I'm going

'commando'

...no internet..

just the notes

I've accumulated in

'My Documents'.

I don't want to be

distracted...

honestly..I think I have

I.A.D.D.

(Internet Attention Deficit Disorder)

I find myself...continually...someplace other

than where I need to be.

I type in something like..

What are the best ways to Market Online?'

I'll find a pretty good source

of information on this topic..

but....

and this is my 'downfall'...

they have something on the site

that piques my interest...

like..

"I Need Hits"

which is a site submission service

that the very basics can be used for free...

and then I notice..

"G Boost"

which promotes the 'Secret to Fast Google Listing'

for $25.00 a month...

(does anyone really sign up for this?)

Anyway...you see where I'm going with this...

I can get sooo easily distracted...that it

often takes me three days to do

what should have only taken a maximum

of three hours...usually more like

thirty minutes.

With this much "I.A.D.D."

I have failed to form a

"Plan of Action"

for my intent to

'make more money online'...

so..

I'm taking an

"Internet Free"..working vacation..

for a few days,

so I can come back..

with an 'intention' in mind.

I have several things

I would like to share with you...

but I don't want to do so

until I have my own

'plan of action'

in place.

Things I've Learned!

2009-01-12T22:30:00.000-06:00

I'm glad I decided to do this blog...I'll admit I thought

it was a little 'ballsy' of me, since this blog is

about 'how to make money online', using methods

I haven't used before.

In my 'quest' to do this, I have run across

some of the best information to help me to know

what I should do...and what I should NOT do.

I wrote a 'warning' post yesterday, about a site I

found through an email I received. I might not have

researched the site...until it was too late...had it not

been for the information I've found while looking
for resources for my blog posts and for some 'minor' charges

that came back to "bite me", though, thankfully, not for an amount

that would make or break me.

To recap what I've

presented thus far...

oDesk...a work at home job source.

(To date...it has now been a couple of months since signing...

I have not only NOT worked one job,

I haven't even received an invite to interview for a job.

*I did receive one invite...it seemed a bit odd though...as I had

not yet taken the tests that were required for me to

be considered a candidate for any position.*

Since, taking the tests and applying for numerous positions,

I have yet to get an interview.)

oDesk is not high on my list of valid

'work-at-home-opportunities'.

I signed up with Associated Content

to write articles for them.

I have written 6 articles,

this is the only article for which I received

upfront payment---though not a lot...it was something!

I am accumlating 'pennies' on my other

articles, depending upon how many people 'find' my

articles.

This is my most 'popular' article..for hits...

and I've made almost as much for this piece as I did

for my 'paid' piece. Just a few more hits should do it.

I'm surprised at how much I've made, just letting

people find the articles without any promotion..

I'm about to begin promoting...

we'll see what kind of hits I get

as a result.

Another 'opportunity' I'm reluctant to pursue is..

'Project Payday'.

I'm just too 'sketched-out' by anything

that I have to give a credit card number to..

and then,

I have to remember to 'cancel my order/ subscription/ etc'

before I am charged for something I really don't want.

I know the people who belong to the site

do seem to like it, I just have a problem with the

way it works.

Now..about Clickbank.

I signed up in October...

I've only 'promoted' two of their products

to date..and..my earnings are 0.

True, I don't 'promote' like those

that are really 'into' Clickbank and write

all kinds of blogs, lenses...etc..

to promote each different product. I'm considering

finding a product that I'm really 'in' to...and see

if I can be more aggressive in promoting..I'll

let you know how that works out.

I've received a little payout from one of

the survey sites that I've tried.

But, I've done about 35 surveys to make $5.00...

I'd probably get more 'pay' if I would

complete those that 'credit card is required'

but, I WON'T do those..Just not going to

take any chances with my

fragile finances.

I'll be getting my payment from Zazzle

any day now. They show they've sent it but,

it takes about 7 to 10 days to appear in my

PayPal.

This was the first time...in the 4 years I've belonged..

that I've made a 'performance' bonus..which boosted

my payout by almost 25%.

My Etsy sales were pretty good at year's end..

with the New Year though...things

have plummeted...

I'm currently looking for

new ways to market these sites...

I need the sales.

Homeworkers. Beware this scam.

2009-01-11T22:03:00.000-06:00

I got an email today...

Hello..(my name)..
Recently you have indicated a desire to work at home... Based upon this we have hand picked you for this work at home job.
Click Here To Start
We would like to congratulate you for making the right decision in working with us. You have a 48 hour window to claim your position before we fill it with the next in que
Click Here To Claim Your Position
Regards,
Charles Wellmore
Work at Home Group

*PLEASE NOTE---I REMOVED THE DIRECT LINKS FROM THIS EMAIL, SO YOU WOULDN'T ACCIDENTALLY CLICK THROUGH. Otherwise, the email is presented as I received it...I just copied and pasted.

I thought it might have been something I had 'researched' for this blog, so I clicked through. I immediately recognized it as a 'pre-sell page' and had the presence of mind to do further checking via Google.
I can tell you....Do NOT sign up with this company...it really is a SCAM! ... read how others were ripped off...

This is an 'article writing program' that boasts larger earnings for each article you write. However, there is a registration fee and then, once you give your credit card authorization, you find that they take an additional $47.00 that they didn't bother to tell you about.
There are many...many...many article writing sites that PAY YOU for your articles..and you don't have to pay anything to sign up...stick with those.
So, as with any program, it is wise to do a little 'detective' work before signing up for anything that requires you give over your credit card number or paypal payment.

Post Script--Just thought I'd let you know...I never did "make any decision to work with them" as stated in their email. In fact...I'd never heard of them before.

Niche List

2009-01-09T20:45:00.000-06:00

Having trouble deciding on a Niche? Here are a few suggestions!

acne medication

advertising

amazon

as seen on tv

audio books

automotive

baby products

banks

business loan

beauty products

bill consolidation loan

black lights

broadband

phone business

finance business opportunity

car accessory

car insurance

car rental

cat food

religious products

cell phone

ceramics

chess

dog food

I have a much longer list...but you can find several by just searching for 'niche lists' in Google. I am only trying to point out that...niches are everywhere! Just look around the room and you'll find numerous examples.

In my living room, where I am sitting and typing this on my laptop, I can look around and I see...

My pottery collection. (I found six or seven pottery affiliates by typing 'affiliate programs for pottery..in Google.)

Old Globe Lamps. (Okay...this one's going to take further 'digging' to find out if there are any affiliate programs...however, I can certainly research the subject and offer the information in the form of ebooks...or appraiser (if I can become expert enough.)

Art - Original and Print. (All Posters has an affiliate program that you can earn some pretty good commissions...same with Zazzle...and I don't have to provide anything except a little work, a site, some links to the products and good marketing.)

I think you see how niches can be built. It's almost as simple as, "finding a need and filling it". And from the 'organic pet products' example...try to keep that 'need' as specific as possible.

And....if these suggestions..or looking around your room...don't get you excited about a particular niche..you might search Google Trends or eBay Pulse.

Expand on Your Efforts

2009-01-07T20:13:00.000-06:00

Once you have provided a way for 'dog lovers' to find organic products for dogs, you need to go to the next step...and expand your efforts.
If dog lovers want to find these products, you can be assured that cat lovers are no less passionate about their pets.
Using the same procedures given in the inital example of niche/ sub-niche marketing, do the same thing for cats.

You may find it necessary to use some of your original affiliate product programs...if they provide products for cats too...but, you need to focus your marketing efforts toward the 'lover of cats'.

This establishes yourself as, 'something of an expert', in the field of 'organic products for pets'...and you can link your sites, to give a further boost to your Google search rankings. And don't just stop with, cats and dogs....are there other pets that need 'organic products' for their well-being?

Then...you may want to go a bit deeper and...sub/niche your sub/niches. By that I mean, focus a new site just on 'Organic Dog Foods'....another new site just on....'Organic Cat Foods'...and yet another on just 'Organic Pet Grooming Products'.

You see where I'm going with this....I'm sure.

This is the true 'secret' of Niche Marketing. You don't get just one niche...sub/niche and expect to 'grow' that...it will surely 'flat line' in time....but, if you cover ALL Aspects of 'Organic Products for Pets'...generally, at first...and then 'in-depth'....you'll almost certainly have a 'winning niche' on your hands...if you work at it.

You may have changed your main niche from...Dog Owners to Pet Owners....but, it might bring you in a very nice little income in the long run. Who knows, once you've done all this learning on the subject, you might have enough material to write and sell your own books on the subject...that's kind of how this niche thing works out.

Get The Traffic Moving!

2009-01-06T19:04:00.000-06:00

Now that you've got your niche...and your sub-niche...you've set up your affiliate product programs and you have your site all ready to go....you're wondering 'how to get the traffic moving?'

Here are some important things to keep in mind:

Make sure the content on your (site, blog, lens) is helpful to your visitors.

Give them Quality; don't use information that is copied and pasted from some other site.

Give your visitors the information they are looking for. If you are promoting 'organic dog shampoo'...make sure they know why they need it...and where they can get it. Create the links they need, with your affiliate codes in place.

Create fresh content at least once a week. If you found a new program with some really great 'organic dog food' or a new blog with helpful tips for raising your pet the organic way.

Improve your search engine ranking and your content on keywords related to your topic. But, be sure not to 'over do it'...too many keywords and you'll get dinged for keyword spamming.

You want the customers to find you as quickly as possible...this is why we focused on a sub-niche with so few providers. With the right amount of keyword placement, fresh content, a useful product and good information...you stand a really good chance of being in the top ten searches on Google (for "organic products for dogs".)

As long as your sub-niche is as 'focused' as the one in my example, this should work for whatever product you are promoting.
Improve your odds.

Instead of waiting for the customers to come to you...go to them.

Again, using my sub-niche example, I typed 'forums for pet lovers' in the Google search, and this is what I found.

Be cool about it though...don't join a bunch of forums and start 'spamming' them with links to your 'organic products for pets' site(s).

Join in ongoing discussions, start discussions...focus on pet lovers who maybe don't know about all of the 'organic products' that are available for pets. Then, once you have their interest, direct them to your site(s). It's kind of the 'wait to be invited' approach.

With all of the new sites being built...every single day...on the internet, you can no longer use the approach of "if you build it, they will come." Certainly, they may 'get there' one day, by accident perhaps, but if you seriously want to build a real income from the internet...it's going to take a bit of work on your behalf. Now you have to learn to 'market effectively'.

What is Niche Affiliate Marketing?

2009-01-05T17:43:00.000-06:00

What is a niche? A niche is a certain segment of the population that you intend to focus on.

In this example, the targeted niche I am 'focusing on' is...dog owners...specifically, owners that are so 'in love with their dogs' that they want to be sure they have the 'best of everything'.

I have selected organic products for dogs as my marketing niche...in this example, 'Dog Aromatherapy Products'...yes, this niche does exist...and there are products you can provide to those owners who are looking for ways to 'extend the lives of their beloved pets'.

(I'm not actually going to set up a marketing niche for this product...I'm just using it as an example...of 'niche marketing'.)

So---pick your targeted niche = dog owners.

Select your 'sub-niche' = organic products for dogs.

Find affiliate programs that are available in this niche/ sub-niche = Green Affiliate Programs.network/ pet supplies.

Select the products you want to promote = Pet Alive

Happy Tails

Herb Trader

All of these products have affiliate programs that you can join, in order to receive commissions on the promotion of their products.

I've checked on Google and there are 108 sites that you can find for 'Organic Products for Dogs', and three paid advertisements (meaning someone is paying to get their products found) -- according to what I've learned about affiliate niche marketing...it means there are customers looking for these products and very few sites offering them.
You might not 'get rich' with this targeted niche market but, it appears to have some possibilities with a little work and some promotion.

You'll need to do just a bit of research (about 30 minutes worth)...unless you're already an expert...to get your facts and put together a good promotional article.

Once you have all of your information, your products, etc all worked out...place it on your website, blog or Squidoo Lens.
There are more places you can get started..but, I'm not trying to overload you with
information...I want to give you someplace to start, so you can proceed, step by step with the niche/ sub-niche you have selected.

(One of the most dangerous roadblocks on this type of journey is...'information overload'....you find yourself so worried about gathering all of the information you can possibly get your hands on...and you never get around to doing anything with it.)

I'm going to work on my own niche/ sub-niche program...in the meantime...and I'll let you know my experiences along the way.

A change in direction.

2009-01-04T16:36:00.000-06:00

I have decided that I'm going to change directions,
in my '30 Day Work at Home Experiment'.

My 30 day work at home programs experiment.
I am going to follow the FREE steps given for
FOUR 'make money online' Programs.

A. PotPieGirl Programs
B. Bum Marketing
C. Long Tail Treasure
D. Niche Marketing Websites

I discovered, after really looking into these programs,
that they are mostly affiliate niche marketing
programs. So, rather than 're-hash' programs that
are somewhat similar...I'll just go into my approach to
'affiliate niche' marketing and give examples from these
programs.

It's important to have a 'direction'...which in this
case is..niche marketing with affiliate programs..
and even more important..is how to 'make it work'.

I think 'making it work' is more the direction that
we need to learn...so that's the direction we'll be taking
as this experiement progresses.

Before you leap...

2009-01-02T16:04:00.000-06:00

I have several things going,

simutaneously,

that contribute to my

online income.

I'm making money from all of them,

but not quite enough to pay the bills.

And, they all take countless hours

of work.

As I've searched for new sources

of online income, I've seen more

than my fair share...

of questionable opportunities.

Already I've spent more than I intended to.

I read opportunities that sound

very promising and intriguing...and often discover..

if I really want to get the 'whole story'

it's going to cost me money.

While I am somewhat skeptical....

(I've been 'burned' too many times to count,)

I confess that I have spent a few

dollars to 'find out more'.

So far, it's been a little disappointing.

I've had to cancel one

subscription, because the subscribed program

I downloaded just didn't work

as I thought it was going to.

So..before you leap into a program

that sounds really good...because

that's most of them, to folks who need to

make more money...see if there's anyway

you can "try it out" first.

I will subscribe to a program

that sounds promising,

if there's no other way

to 'try it out' first.

If it does work,

I keep the subscription.

If it doesn't, and I can't afford to

wait 'indefinitely', I cancel my subscription

and move on.

What is Your New Year's Resolution?

2008-12-30T15:51:00.000-06:00

As the ball drops

and the seconds count down to the New Year,

do you know what you

New Year's Resolutions are?

It is said,

'how you prepare to ring

in the New Year,

sets the tone for the whole year'.

My resolution is

'to become better organized'

so that I can get

more done...

and thus..

make more money!

Here's a pretty good

article...that fits well with my

plans.

Weekly Update

2008-12-26T21:52:00.000-06:00

I wanted to give a quick update on the projects I have

already started and let you know the latest results.

1. Odesk -- Still have yet to get an interview from the jobs I've applied and am well qualified to do. I have a feeling that, unless I lower my hourly wage, I probably won't get any interviews through this outlet. Since I don't want to commit to writing 100 articles for $25.00, (or something equally as obscene) I'm not going to lower my minimum hourly.

2. Surveys -- I have received about a survey a day from Vindale and have only made $2.00 in the past two weeks. Had I been willing to do surveys "credit card required" I had the opportunity, in that same time period, to do about $75.00 worth of surveys. I was just reluctant to get any charges that would have been difficult to reverse.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T06:50:00.000-06:00

I think this is brilliant marketing

2008-12-24T06:45:00.000-06:00

Niche Marketing

2008-12-23T06:07:00.000-06:00

And...part 4 of my experiment...Niche Marketing.

Long Tailed Treasure

2008-12-22T06:04:00.000-06:00

I am posting the only video I could find on Part 3, "Long Tailed Treasure", of my experiment.

Bum Marketing

2008-12-21T05:56:00.000-06:00

Part 2 of my Experiment is

"Bum Marketing"

Here is a brief overview via

You Tube.

One Week Marketing

2008-12-20T05:50:00.000-06:00

I don't know if any of you will find this

You Tube video for

"One Week Marketing'

of any help or not.

It is a program put together by

Pot Pie Girl

so I thought I'd share it

in the conclusion of

Part 1 of my Experiment.

How is Part 1 of the Experiment Going?

2008-12-19T10:10:00.000-06:00

I've received several emails

to complete surveys, but only one

that was an actual cash offer, with no credit card required.

As I said...I personally steer clear of any that

require a credit card, because I don't want

to have to do an 'offer' that takes my

credit card information...that I have to cancel

within the trial period.

Something might come up...I might forget...

after the 'Project Payday' sign-up...

I just don't "go there".

The other offers were points toward cash and prizes...

again...I can't afford to give up 30 minutes

for points that just never seem to 'add' up.

To date....I have made $2.00 on Part 1 of my experiment.

I was supposed to get $2.00 for filling out my personal

information...but, that has never shown up.

I will continue to do the surveys...that meet my guidelines...

and we'll see if I ever meet the payout amount.

I have done a new Squidoo lens...I'll now do all

of the steps suggested to see how it goes.

I'll start on part 2 of my Experiment

after Christmas...I hope.