PayPerPost Direct Review

For those of you who are PayPerPost “Posties”, you may or may not have heard about their new blog marketing program, PayPerPost Direct. This service is very much related to other programs that are out there like ReviewMe or SponsoredReviews. I think it’s another great way to make money with your blog and the more opportunities to make money, the better, is what I always say. Two Reasons Why I Love PayPerPost Direct 1. The one thing that stands out in my mind and what ultimately differentiates PayPerPost Direct from other similar services is the amount of money you can earn. ReviewMe currently takes 50% from the post revenue and SponsoredReview takes 35%. PayPerPost takes only 10%. 2. As a blogger, you set your own price. Why Not Get Advertisers Yourself? There are many people who think, Well, why not just deal with advertisers directly? I thought the same thing, but then there’s the issue of trust. Can an advertiser trust you to write up the post after they’ve paid you? Or on the other hand, can you trust an advertiser to pay you after you’ve written up a post? I would hate to delete a post if an advertiser fails to pay. That would lead to broken links and can confuse readers. If you’re currently with PayPerPost, I’d love to hear your feedback about this new program. I’ll probably give it a shot and see how it goes…

The New Key Elements of a Web 2.0 Website

Times are changing here in web 2.0 land. I still come across many websites that look like they’re stuck in the 90’s. Full of text and generic graphics. Don’t get me wrong, though. There are companies who have very well-designed websites that provide a great deal of useful content via text articles. However, people have different modes of learning. Some simply just want to read. Then you have people who love to watch videos or listen to pod casts. Your customers need different options of getting information. So, are you providing it? I think it’s important to know what it is you need in order to be more appealing and keep customers and/or readers (if you operate a blog) coming back to your website. We’ve quickly become a multi-media world and there are different ways to get our messages across. It’s time to start adopting and integrating some of this media into your website. It’s all about being interactive! I came across an example of a website that utilizes these two different modes of communication: OEXOptions.com, a website dedicated to online stock trading. There are two key elements that this online trading website uses: 1. Video - The first thing you’ll notice on the homepage is a video introduction to the company. You get a message from the founder of the website and you get to know a little bit about him. People like to see who they’re doing business with! They want to know that there’s a real person behind the website ;) If you’re camera shy, you can still post videos that are related to your topic. You’ll see here at Online Business Resources that I have videos from YouTube about different aspects of online business. (In the right hand column) Google and Revver are also good video resources. 2. Podcasts - there are some people in this world who simply like to just listen instead of read. I read all day every day as part of my job, so sometimes I even just want to listen! Learn more about podcasts and how you can create your own podcast over at About.com Although video and podcasts are being used more and more, let’s remember that textual content is still king! The OEXOptions.com website provides a ton of articles where you can learn about ETFs, the S&Ps and all that fun stock market stuff. Even if you do integrate video and podcasts into your website, your articles will still weight heavy in terms of search engine optimization. Questions or comments? Leave them below! If you liked this article, then subscribe to the Online Business Resources blog feed! **Sponsored Post

Tyler Cruz: Add It to the Roll!

Here’s another resource to add to the blog reading list: Tyler Cruz’s blog. I know I’ve come across Tyler’s blog in the past, but I think it was before I really knew anything about RSS feeds, blog subscriptions, etc., therefore I never subscribed to his blog. (Mind you, I had my own blogs, but really had no idea! I can be slow at times…) However, all that has changed! Tyler Cruz is an internet entrepreneur who has a great deal to share. Just like you and me, he’s going on this major journey…the journey to riches…the journey to internet wealth. You just have to support someone who thinks big and goes for the gold -- while helping others in the process. Why I Like Tyler’s blog: Like I said, Tyler offers informative posts that helps others. Here’s a great example: he provides in-depth explanation of Canonical URLs and how they work. I would’ve never thought that typing in the “www” before a domain name would make a difference in PR rank. It’s something to think about if PR rank is important to you. Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with PR ranking, but I’ll save that for another post. Let’s focus on Tyler, shall we? Tyler likes to mix it up a little. We get to know him a personally. Some people may think that posting pictures of your condo may be a bit *yawn*, but this is his journey to wealth, right? It’s nice to know where person is coming from and see the changes that take place in his/her life. All business all the time is boring for me - connecting with others is just as important (I should talk, all I do is talk about business here!) Oh, and FYI, if you love making money through ad networks, one of Tyler’s websites is PublisherSpot.com, where you can find all kinds of ad network reviews.

Marketing and Making Money Online With YouTube

It was only last year that I discovered YouTube and now I actually spend more time watching videos there than actually watching TV. Until recently I never gave any thought about using YouTube as a way of marketing your product or website, but of course it makes sense... As more and more people hear about YouTube, the more of a chance that they could come across your video and learn more about your company. Last week I spent some time learning how to make movies to upload to YouTube. I thought it was going to be difficult, but I found it to be very easy...and free! I had no idea that my computer already had Microsoft Windows Movie Maker! Here is a tutorial I found on YouTube on how to make a video with Movie Maker... YouTube has become so popular that the company is now offering the big content producers a part of the ad revenue for the traffic that these producers bring in. Read more about it over at BusinessWeek.

Wanna Know How Much the Big Baller Bloggers Make?

Paula Neal Mooney has put together a list of the "big ballers" of blogging and what they make with their blogging ventures. I'm pretty impressed with the amounts and that only inspires me to keep going at it. Currently I'm in the four digit range, but I do have a goal of making at least 5x what I make next year at this time. However, I'm not too focused on the money. I really just want to have fun (ah, heck, who am I kidding - I want to make money!!) - but I really do want to inspire people to start their own business and create their own multiple streams of income. Regardless of whether or not Paula's list is accurate is besides the point. The idea here is that people are making some serious money with blogging. Don't you want to make money too? If you've just come across this blog, you may want to check out my March 2007 archives for many articles on how to make money with blogging...

Online Marketing Forums: A Great Place For Free Info!

If you’re just starting out on your online venture, it can be a little overwhelming with all the different products that are out there on internet marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). I can tell you right now that I have yet to spend one single dime on any book or product - only because there are literally millions of websites and forums out there that give away all that information for free! Here’s a great resource that I just discovered today: 9sem.com. This is an internet marketing forum that has tons of information about search engine optimization, SEO tools, webmaster tips and internet marketing. Some parts of the forum are in another language, but there is an “English Zone Talk”. However, before you can view any of the posts, you’ll need to register an account - but the “chat rules” are in another language. (I’m sure that if you are civil and don’t spam the other members, you’ll be ok). I spent some time hanging out and read a few posts…I’m diggin’ the Photoshop Tutorials! There’s even a place to pitch your link exchange. Looks like it’s a pretty new forum, so if you post now you’ll have more of a chance to be seen by new members. What online marketing forums do you hang out at?

Business Plan Contest and Information

Last week was Small Business Week, so in the spirit of helping businesses grow, Forbes.com is having a contest where you can win $100,000 to boost your business! For more information, visit the Forbes website. Also, if you're ready to pitch your business plan to future investors, the Bplans Blog has some tips to help you out! Related Post: Business Plan or No Business Plan? That Is The Question...

How Are You Managing Your Customers?

The heart of any business - whether online or offline - is how you relate and connect with your customers. As you may or may not know, customer service is something I’m deeply passionate about and blog about quite often. Every business should have some type of system to keep track of customers. In the business world we call it “customer relationship management”. No matter what you call it, some businesses who do have it don’t use it to as often as they should. If you’re like me, you’ve been using spreadsheets to keep records of my customers and leads, but as your online business grows and more customers visit your website, you might want to invest in software that helps you organize those leads. As a former real estate agent, I can tell you that customer relationship management software definitely came to the rescue during the busy season when I was constantly receiving emails from potential clients. I was reminded of the last time I spoke to a client, clients’ birthdays, which leads I didn’t follow-up on, etc. I’m interested in knowing how you manage all your customers! Leave a comment below… **Sponsored Post

Updates and New Resources

If you read this blog via an RSS reader, you may want to check out some new resources that I’ve added to this blog…. On the right sidebar are some YouTube videos including Google Adwords Basics for those of you who want to promote your website via Google. There’s a primer on how to sell your product through Clickbank…I’ll be adding more helpful videos as I come across them, so remember to visit the blog once in awhile! Also, I’ve added a list of blogging resources on the left sidebar which includes my favorite, Six Figure Blogging. I’m currently in the four figure range, but I’m working towards six! If you've just stumbled across this blog, feel free to browse through the archives for information on starting and running your own online business! Remember to subscribe to this blog so you don't miss out on upcoming news ;)