There were 22 million owners of portable mp3 players in 2005.  29% of them had tried downloading and listening to podcasts at one point in time.  We’re talking about 6,380,000 people who were exposed to podcasts during a period when podcasting was just in its infancy.

These statistics alone will show you the vast potentials that can be found with the podcasting medium.  As an online marketer, you’ll be able to reach a lot of people with downloadable podcasts.  Not only this, but podcasting offers a slew of benefits that can only gain momentum in the coming months:

* People respond more to what they could hear rather than what they simply read.
* Podcasts offer a more exciting experience compared to conventional written works.
* Podcasts will attract prospects that you will normally fail to tap.
* Podcasts offer you more leeway in delivering your business message.
* Podcasts would give your business an instant boost in credibility, as people will get to listen to a real voice instead of having to read mere words.

The problem that many Internet marketers face when it comes to the prospect of creating podcasts is the seeming difficulty associated with their preparation.  This is borne from simple unfamiliarity, however.  The fact is, anyone – yes, ANYONE – can create their own podcasts without having to avail of special software programs for the same.  Just follow the steps below:

1. Choose a subject.
2. Choose an engaging aspect of that subject, one which your target market would be interested to know about.
3. Prepare an outline detailing the important points you wish to discuss about the said subject.
4. Do some research, if necessary.
5. Prepare index cards which should contain some summaries of your points.  You will refer to these to ensure uninterrupted recording that would streamline the process.
6. Attach a microphone to your computer.  This is the only hardware you will need, aside from the PC terminal itself, of course.
7. Set up the Sound Recorder program that is bundled with your Windows operating system.
8. Begin recording.
9. Once you have finished your podcast, review the same using the Media Player which should also be bundled with your Windows operating system.
10. Enhance your podcast with the free tools that can be found at www.odeo.com/inbox .
11. If you wish to earn from your podcast itself, enroll it with www.fruitcast.com .  They will include advertisements within your podcast, but you’ll get to earn a certain amount every time it is downloaded.
12. If everything sounds well, convert your file into .mp3 format.
13. Use Microsoft Front Page to upload the file to your web server.
14. Include your podcast link in website repositories like www.ipodder.com and www.podcastalley.com .

Just like that, you could have your own podcast ready to be downloaded.  You would want to limit the length of your podcasts to 10 minutes per episode, however, so that the file size can be kept at a minimum.  Additionally, you would want to serialize your podcasts into installments to capture the continuous interests of your listeners.  They will then become your leads for some marketing purposes.

You could create podcasts for any topic you want.  There is no limit, and each subject should command a healthy audience if the podcast is marketed correctly.  Submitting the same to the websites we have mentioned above would be a start, but try to look for more avenues where you could promote your podcasts and you’re bound to reach more people in the process.

Afterwards, you could sit back, relax, enjoy all the benefits that podcasting can offer, and realize that yes, indeed, podcasting is as easy as 1-2-3.

Freelancing refers to the process of offering your services for someone else on a per project basis. The best way to explain this is through an example.

Supposing you possess excellent writing skills. There are millions (and I’m not exaggerating) of webmasters and internet marketers out there who are in need of fresh content and new products on a daily basis. Their demand for digitally written works is so great that even if they are blessed with just as much writing prowess, they won’t have the time to come up with everything that they need. Hence, they resort to outsourcing.

And this is where you enter the picture.

As a freelancer offering your writing services for a fee, you could take in some projects they will give you. You will be paid per delivery, and once that’s done, you could take in more clients for consistent earnings.

But freelancing is not only limited to writing, or ghostwriting as it is technically known. There are other services that you could offer, depending on the area of proficiency you possess. Here are more examples:

* graphic creation and design
* web creation and design
* software development
* data encoding
* translation to specific languages
* marketing consultancy
* strategic placement consultancy

There are more, of course, ranging from something as complex as creating advanced scripts to something as seemingly trivial but as surprisingly effective as forum posting (yes, I kid you not! You’ll get paid per post you make!). The bottom line is, if you have some services to offer that can be delivered digitally, freelancing is always available for you.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this earning opportunity. Let’s take a look at the distinct benefits you can reap from this option.

* You can work anytime you want, from the comforts of your own home. Your only concern is to deliver high quality products on or before the deadline your client has set.

* Freelancing requires minimal investment, or none at all. Promoting your services can be done without spending a single cent. But as with everything else, the best advertising vehicles are often those which you have to pay for. Be that as it may, you won’t be promoting heavily, and any financial investment you will be forced to make will not cost you a fortune.

* You have the liberty to accept the projects that you want, and turn down the projects you’re not happy about. Orders will come from your clients, but you remain your own boss.

It’s not entirely a bed of roses for freelancing. Let’s take a look at the disadvantages of this trade.

* You will earn an amount equivalent to the work you have done. If you could only do so much in one day, you could only earn just as much. Surpassing that threshold is quite improbable.

* You will have to work, many hours on occasions. Freelancing may afford you certain liberties, but the same principle applies: no work, no pay.

* Expansion is also quite improbable. You’re only a single person. There is only so much you could do.

* Your orders would be dependent on how efficiently you market your services. There are other earning opportunities that promise more rewards for less work using the same marketing vehicles you will be forced to take.

If you want to dabble in freelancing, here are some splendid places where you could advertise your services and solicit some clients:

www.elance.com

www.rentacoder.com

www.scriptlance.com

www.guru.com

The choice is yours, my friend. If you’re looking for sure profit fast, then freelancing is a great option indeed. But if you want to plan long-term, I suggest that you explore additional earning opportunities as well.

We all know that content is king on the internet.  The maxim has been cited so many times that it has already become a cliché.  Well, it has become a cliché because it’s true.  The internet IS the information superhighway.  The processes in the World Wide Web are fueled by information.  Users search for it.  Web publishers provide it.  And when you could give the information that people want, then you’re in business.  Whether your online endeavor is based on Pay Per Click (PPC) programs or the sale of digital products, quality content will drive people to your pages.

Indeed, content is your best investment for your online enterprise.  But preparing unique, premium content is often not enough.  You must strive to regularly update your content so that the search engine spiders would constantly crawl through your pages and fetch them for every relevant query.  This is the key to good search engine placement.  It is very effective…

… but it is also very demanding.

Writing good content is taxing enough.  Having to write the same on a regular basis could be difficult.  Having to write the same on a regular basis for several websites could be hellish.  Surely, there must be an alternative or two which could spare you from having to write your own content to update your website and win the favor of the search engine spiders, right?

Well, here are five fantastic alternatives that not a lot of people are employing.  Knowing them alone could give you the edge over your competitors in the race for good search engine positioning.

1. Try RSS.  RSS, which stands for Real Simple Syndication, is a technology that was first used by news wire services online.  RSS allows users to display specific files every time they are uploaded on a source website.  If website A, for example, generates RSS feeds to announce new articles uploaded to its server, and websites B, C, D and E are subscribed to website A’s RSS feeds, they could display the said feeds on their desktop via an RSS aggregator.  For online marketing purposes, these RSS feeds can also be displayed on your web pages.  All you need is to download some programs that would enable you to do this.  Make sure that you get an RSS-to-HTML reader, so that the RSS feeds you will display on your pages can be readable for the search engine spiders.  Afterwards, all you have to do is to subscribe to an appropriate RSS feed, and every time the source website would post new content, you’ll be able to display the same on your own website.

2. Create your own forum.  Online users normally gravitate towards forums that are dedicated to their own passions.  If your website has an attached forum, you’d be able to invite your visitors to sign up with the same.  They’ll be left to their own devices.  They’ll create threads about matters they are interested with.  They will pots messages to their hearts’ liking.  And you will have a virtual well of constantly updating content, without having to type a single word!

3. Integrate a feedback manager.  If you’re posting articles as content, then you might want to include a feedback system for the same.  This would enable your readers to leave their comments below the said article.  Basically, your article would serve as the catalyst for content that will continuously be added by interested readers who want to share their piece of mind on what you have posted.

4. Run a contest.  Offering a prize for the visitor who submits the most engaging article relevant to the subject of your website, for example, would encourage a lot of people to submit entries that you could use as your own content.  Just remember that your contest rules should include a term which states that submitted entries can be published on your website as a condition to their inclusion in the contest proper.

5. Run a mini-article directory.  Try to visit www.ezinearticles.com or www.goarticles.com .  See how these websites ensure for themselves an abundant supply of great content?  Simply follow their model, and implement the same on your website, even if it would be on a downgraded level.  You’d be able to guarantee for yourself a good flow of new content!

If you have embarked on some online moneymaking venture through the channels made possible by eBay, the virtual world’s most popular marketplace, then you’re sure to be on a constant crusade for some techniques that would help boost the profitability of your trade. Well, I have two words that would help you when it comes to such:

Drop shipping.

Drop shipping involves a contact with a wholesaler, known as a drop shipper. The drop shipper would offer some items for wholesale prices (i.e. big, big discounts). The clincher? There are a couple of them, actually:

1. You’d get to purchase these items at wholesale prices even if you’re going to get them per piece.

2. The drop shipper will take care of shipping the item to the designated location.

Immediately, you will see the potentials for profitability with this setup. You won’t have to buy items for resale. You won’t have to create items for your offers. You just need a relationship with a drop shipper, select from his selection of products, and market the same at eBay. You could place your own markup. And you wouldn’t have to worry about storage space or shipping. Better yet, you wouldn’t be too pressured to make a sale, as your items aren’t technically in stock, rather, they’re with the drop shipper who will be awaiting your word as when to deliver the same to the winning bidder.

Now, here’s what is of the essence. Where could you find drop shippers?

Here’s an important piece of advice: forget about offers that promise to provide a list of drop shippers. More often than not, these lists contain outdated information, dead links and even fabricated entities. This is a fact that has been confirmed by eBay itself.

Here’s another important piece of advice: forget about searching for “drop shipping” or “dropshipping” at Google. The term has been exploited beyond belief that it has almost lost its essence in many content sites.

Here’s a fact that you should know: 80% of manufacturers would be more than happy to do some drop shipping for you. Whereas a couple of years ago, drop shipping was a novel approach to selling items online, nowadays, manufacturers have realized that drop shipping can be an effective evolution of the direct selling model. It’s easier to look for drop shippers today than it was a couple of years ago.

The first thing you have to learn is how to focus. What do you want to sell, exactly? Have you researched the market for it? Is it a profitable market?

The second step should entail researching appropriate products for the market you have chosen. What are available for the same? What, among these choices, do you want to sell?

Subsequent steps would be easy. All that remains to be done is to pinpoint specific manufacturers based from the list you have prepared, and contacting them individually. Ask them if drop shipping is among the services they could offer for willing partners. Chances are, you will get an affirmative reply.

Of course, there are ways to streamline the process. The people at www.worldwidebrands.com offer a comprehensive directory of manufacturers that do drop shipping. Unlike the lists that have sprouted all over the internet, this website is very well known for its credibility as well as the equally credible information they offer. Each entry is verified to ensured accuracy. Their service isn’t free, however, but for a serious seller who wishes to make the most out of drop shipping, it would prove to be a good investment.

There are also some dedicated people maintaining websites about their experiences with drop shippers. Take www.webpuffs.com for example. The webmaster offers reviews of the drop shipping manufacturers he encounters, and the information he provides for free is immediately worth a lot.

The bottom line is this: drop shipping can make your eBay business more profitable and more convenient. And finding drop shippers is not as difficult as advertised, if you know how to proceed with the same.

Well, now, you’re in a better position than your competitors.

You can often find lots of really neat items right in your own back yard… To learn how you can find LOTS of neat stuff to sell on eBay, go HERE!

Visit Dave’s eBay store HERE

Almost every online business follows a basic model.  This is a tried and tested system that would allow you to effectively sell your products in the World Wide Web.  It is an automated system that could act as your sales agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even when you’re offline.  Have you followed this basic model so far?

Let’s have a checklist:

* Have you pinpointed your target market?
* Have you come up with a product to sell?
* Have you created a search engine-optimized website?
* Have you promoted your website well, through article marketing, forum marketing, blogs, and outside links?
* Have you come up with a sales page for your product?
* Are you garnering enough traffic for your sales page?
* Have you integrated a follow-up system in your website?
* Have you determined a price for your product?

If you have done all these things, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t rake in some substantial earnings.

The only concern left that we have to tackle is how to sustain your profit.  Surely, if you’d gather a stable stream of visitors for your web page, you’d be able to generate some sales.  But you should always aim for more.

And this can be done through cross-selling and back selling.

Cross-selling involves the sale of products related to the main products you are selling.  For example, you are selling an eBook on dog grooming.  You could offer supportive products like dog grooming kits, dog instructional videos, and the likes.  You don’t have to come up with these products yourself.  You could simply look for other online businesses offering these items, and you could sign up as their affiliate.  As an affiliate, you just have to refer people to the other business’ sales page, and when the visitors you have referred would decide to make some purchases, you’ll get a commission for every sale!

Back selling is slightly more complicated.  It involves offering your other products at the exact points of sale.  Points of sale are those moments during the instruction when your customers are most willing to purchase something.  By offering them other products during these times, there is a higher likelihood that they’d buy from you!  These points of sale can be broken down into:

* That moment when your customer clicks on the order button.  He will be diverted to a new page for his payment details.  You could include a pop-up for this page advertising your other products.  Better yet, the pop-ups could even employ urgency marketing to better your chances of bagging more sales.

* That moment when your customer has just purchased a product from you.  Normally, he’ll be redirected to a Thank You page.  In the Thank You page, you could advertise other offers as well.

When automating your online business, do keep these in mind.  If you manage to integrate cross-selling and back selling tactics in specific points of your website, you’d be able to rake in more profit!  It’s as simple as that!

Do you need some products to cross promote of to offer at the backend of every deal?  You could check out the many affiliate programs online.  For sure, there is one which is relevant to the subject your business is servicing.  Simply choose the products that complement what you’re offering, or at the very least, target the same audience your own products are aiming for.  This would provide for you the greatest chance of success when it comes to the aforementioned supplements for your online sales.