Net Hustlin'

Youtube started a new program this month where you can make money when you upload your videos. The program, called the "partner program," will give you a share of the money from ads that are featured on your video.

The reason Youtube is doing this is because they're legally not allowed to put advertising on copyrighted-content. To put ads on a video they first have to get permission from the copyright holder. Therefore, by entering the partner program, you give them permission to put ads on your video and they will give you a share of the money that's made.

Here is an example of the ads that appear on partner videos (its the text at the bottom):




















Since Youtube videos have the potential to reach millions of viewers this can be very lucrative for the big names on Youtube. It may also be a good reason to take out your camera and start using Youtube if you haven't already.

Here are the requirements for the program:

• You must own the copyrights and distribution rights for all videos you upload.
  
• You must regularly upload videos that are viewed by thousands of Youtube users.
• You must live in the US or Canada.

If you meet these requirements, you can apply now and start making money off your videos. If you live outside of North America, keep your eyes open because they will probably be expanding the program in the near future.

John Cow is giving away a $250 Amazon gift card in his new blog contest. The contest ends tomorrow (i'm a little late to the game) but there's still time to enter if you act soon.

The contest being sponsored by Adtoll, a relatively new internet advertising network. Adtoll has great click-through-rates and competitive rates. They also have affiliate ads with up to 20% commission. I will definitely be looking into their service in the future.

To join the contest just head over to John Cow's blog after you follow the contest rules.

The rules are pretty simple:

1. You must write about the contest and link to the contest and the sponsor. The post must be at least 200 words

2. Stumble Upon (with a review) John Cow's blog, Adtoll, and your blog post

3. Take a screenshot of your Stumble Profile with all 3 stumble reviews

4. Leave a comment with a link to the screenshot

This contest is in perfect timing because we all need a little extra cash around the holiday season. There are a few gifts I can think to buy with the extra money it would give me. It would also be the easiest $250 I ever made if I won. :)

You can get paid to tutor students online on Tutor.com.

You can become a tutor if you have graduated from a college or are currently enrolled in a college. This is good because it's a way for college students to earn an extra income while they're in school. You can work right in the major your studying in - by tutoring kids in math, history, English, etc.

The tutoring is one-on-one and is done through an instant-messaging program which has an interactive white-board and a file-sharing program built right in. The students range in age from 4th grade level up to the college level.

They pay by the hour and send a check out every month. They don't say how much they pay on the site, but you can find out more about their wages after you fill out an application. If you want to know more check out the FAQ which will answer a lot of your questions.



Update:  I have a new post about online tutor jobs. Please check it out!


Online Tutor Jobs (Part II)

If you are into crafts, you can sell your do-it-yourself projects on the site Etsy. This site is pretty big and has a lot of great items for sale. There are handmade books and zines, toys, drawings, clothing, and more.

If you Google "sell handmade products," you will see other craft sites where you can sell your items, but they seem to have little traffic. Etsy is great because it actually has a lot of traffic and a large user base, all of whom are interested in buying hand-made crafts.


















I came across this site when I was looking for sites where you can sell drawings online. I was surprised to see the high of quality art and other crafts they have here. This looks like a great way to make money and possibly turn a hobby into a career.

Many first time eBay sellers have one thing in common – they fail. Many sellers will fail again and again, without understanding what they did wrong. They will do hours of research looking for the perfect item, set the auction up, and wait for the bidding to begin. Days will go by without one bid being placed, or if a bid is placed it is very low. Finally when the auction ends they make a fraction of the cost of the item. There is a lot of competition on e-bay so if you don’t want this to happen to you, you have to do specific things to keep up with the competition, and learn why most auctions fail.

There are a lot of reasons why most auctions fail, the most common reason being that the item is not in high demand. Before you list an item on e-bay, consider how many times it is already listed. Research the item and see what the other sellers are making off of it. You may also want to Google the item and see if any forums or blogs are mentioning this item. The research may take a great deal of time – but in the end, you will find that it is time well spent.

Another reason for eBay failure is pricing. No matter what your selling or what your reserve price may be, your opening bid should never be over $50. This will attract more bidders to your auction, because if you set the price to high, potential buyers won’t even click the link to read your description. You want to draw them in first to your auction with a low price, and let the bidding naturally go higher. Another problem related to pricing is lack of research. Before you set your price, make sure your item is really worth the money you want for it. Also look at other auctions and see what the final bids are at those auctions.

Once you have avoided the mistakes mentioned above, one of the most important things you want to do is to write your description carefully. Your eBay auction page is a free advertisement for your item – you want to make it alluring and interesting to the potential bidders. Don’t misspell words and post a quality picture that will draw people in. This essentially your “sales copy,” so make it good.

Finally, getting great customer feedback will speak for you more than anything else you can do. If you have a great description of an item up for bid, a 100% positive feedback score will give that buyer trust in your description and seal the deal. Always give the best customer service you can offer, and don't be afraid to ask your customers to mention your excellent service in their feedback. If you do have a problem and get a negative score, eBay allows buyers and sellers to retract their negative scores, so you should work fast to resolve the issue with the buyer.

If you follow these simple steps you can make money online selling items through eBay. Many people have been successful on eBay – all it takes avoiding common mistakes and being creative.