How to Generate Income Online

I will describe some methods to generate passive income streams on the world wide web.  It all begins with content.  I am familiar with two kinds. 

1.    Written
2.     Artistic

Then you have to get some eyeballs on your stuff.  There are several methods for this:

• Search Engine Optimization
•  Press Releases
•  Free URL Submissions
•  Bookmarking Sites

The only way I have found to actually put coins in my pocket from my content creation activities is on sites such as AssociatedContent, Bukisa, eHow and Squidoo.  On AssociatedContent and Bukisa you can actually generate mini movies or slideshows which you can use to display the art you create.  These same displays could also be hosted on YouTube.

AssociatedContent, Bukisa, eHow and Squidoo all allow you to display the written content you display.   One of the more beneficial things you can do is for instance create some original copy on eHow and then cross post that copy on AccociatedContent and Bukisa.  This allows you to make money off the same content more than once. Be careful with this procedure.  If you create something on AssociatedContent Exclusively, then you may not post it elsehwere.  Squidoo and HubPages discourage duplicate content so avoid to stay out of trouble.

Search Engine Optimization or SEO is one of the primary means to make certain that Internet users know how to find your content. The concept here is to use words which users will search for. The art and science can be some what subtle.

For example, much of my art involves bright colors. So it is natural to describe my abstract art as having a rainbow effect. I looked at various means of  describing my works and decided that a sort of middle ground was the term Cyber Rainbow. I though that I could use Cyber Rainbow as a unique way of talking about my art. Since my blogger WordPress allows me to create a sort of blogging sub-domain, I created a sub-domain called Cyber Rainbow. I  also created individual blog pages and called them Cyber Rainbow. In addition I created web pages and called them Cyber Rainbow. I wrote articles and created art on HubPages, Squidoo, Thoughts, AssociatedContent,eHow, and Bukisa and called them Cyber Rainbow. When possible I linked my Cyber Rainbow pages to one another. Eventually I took over all the top spots on Google that searched for Cyber Rainbow.

A couple of concepts to think about here are: You need to create unque content and don't just copy your stuff from one page to another. Google is likely to disregard your hard work if you aren't creative. This method is not for slackers.

Notice that I did not try to take over the single word "Cyber" or the single word "Rainbow." Single words are notoriously difficult to commandeer. I would not know where to begin unless I used an obscure word or made up a new word.

Finally, notice that I would still have have to make Cyber Rainbow famous in some way. I will discuss marketing more in later posts.

One way to generate traffic is to give away some of your products for free. I have a link to one of my sites on which I am sharing my poetry and art for free. Now I also have books and T-shirts I want to sell but the "free samples" allow folks to see what they would be getting and to judge for themselves if it's worthwhile. In addition, I host the poems and artwork on sites that pay me for hits so it's a win win situation. I have heard that others have contests, raffles and such, but it all comes down to people have to believe that you are enriching their lives in some way. If not, why should they spend their precious time on you.

Don't forget the classics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Use keywords. I suggest Google's Adword keyword tool. Try press releases. Bookmark your site with the various bookmarking tools such as StumpUpon. By the way, if someone site gave you extraoridinary value, bookmark their site. It might be the best thing you can do for them. Don't forget to list your web site with the free URL submission sites like Google and Yahoo. I believe SubmitExpress allows you to submit to some 40 Search Engines Simultaneously.

And if you have friends or acquaintances who fancy free short poems, or free artwork gallaries, point them in my direction. Must obliged.