casthompson

Amazon has always been one of my favorite affiliate programs and after recently getting into video, the timing couldn’t be better.

You can use videos that you already have or create brand new videos to promote the products you really love.

For my tester video, I used the couscous recipe video I posted a few days ago and incorporated Near East Instant Couscous as my product being that I sincerely plugged it anyway

The ultimate question is, as a customer, would you find this annoying, useful or do you have ad blindness?

Play the video and let me know.

Video shot with my Flip Mino

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So, I finally did my first video post. As most of you know, to stay healthy, I have been on a serious couscous kick.  It has gotten so serious that about a year ago I started a couscous recipe blog to document the recipes I have found online.

Although the site is monetized, the true goal is to help people open their eyes to other foods and cultures.  After getting tons of questions from curious friends, I decided to pull out my flip mino and start shooting.

What have I learned about adding video to the site in the past week?

Readers are much more engaged with video over static content.  Sometimes it’s easier to hit play and just listen in comparison to reading.   Video is also more exciting.   The more excited readers are, the more word will travel and the more traffic you will get on your site.

Video is also more socially spreadable the text.   Readers love interaction, even when it’s virtual.  Within an hour of posting, your video can be funneled through friendfeed, twitter, facebook or any of your other favorite social media sites.   Test it out, shoot a video today and your traffic will increase…   just try not to over do it.

By the way, check out my simple couscous recipe video

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• QWERTY keyboard


• 480×360 LCD


• Quad-band GSM/EDGE


• GPS


• Wi-Fi


• 3.2 megapixel camera


• 4.6 OS platform


• BES 5.0 support


• ArgonV processor

Does it look like A Curve replacement to you?

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I got a call today from Kyle over at Market Leverage. It was a typical publisher question and answer session which ended with him approving my application!

They have been receiving a heavy buzz from many top tier affiliates and I did not want to miss any opportunities to make additional money.

A while back ML sent John Chow a Nike bag with tons of goodies. I was a little jealous but hey, I dealt with it. Now they are giving away another bag over at John Chow dot Com.

You’re going to want to sign up for Market Leverage and if you comment on his post, you automatically enter to win the goody bag. Check out all of these freebies!

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I would like to announce our latest project, TryStuffForFree.com.

URL: http://www.trystuffforfree.com

TSFF is a member based, private freebie portal. We have partnered with several online and offline businesses to bring Products and Services for consumers to try before they buy.

We will also communicate existing product and service providers who are offering trials or free promo materials to increase market awareness. We will serve as the liason between the business and you, the free loader

Some of the product and service categories coming to you in the next 6 months are, electronics, t-shirts, health supplements, food products, pocket books, web tokens and then some!

If you are interested in Trying Free Stuff, you can sign up here.

If you are interested in tracking offers and getting contest info, you can follow us on Twitter.

If you are a business owner or blogger interested in reaching a larger target audience, you can contact us here.

As the economy softens, it’s good to know that we can still get some things for Free

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I have less than 1 week to appreciate my Dad!

Any “original” ideas on the table?   These don’t count!

What do you get the guy that already has it all?

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BG just dropped a pic of the Blackberry Thunder coming to Verizon Wireless.   I’m looking forward to this model and I’m very curious to see how it will be received by the public.  

It’s going to be the first touchscreen blackberry and more importantly, It will be released to Verizon Wireless exclusively.   Verizon Wireless is usually the last provider to get any device, so I would watch this closely.

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Still doubtful that you can make money online?  If you have a product that you believe in, then you can earn money online.

The case study started on May 26 (less than two weeks ago) and I challenged myself to make something out of nothing.  Would you like to make $20.88 (or more) in one day?

1.  Read and establish a niche.   I love electronics.  So everyday I read up on gadget news.  Not necessarily to buy websites, just for the love.  Your niche should always be something you love and have a passion for.   If it’s not then the whole process will seem like work (and work sucks!) –
Note – don’t pick ringtones, weight loss or dating.   These aren’t even niches anymore.  Be truly unique.

2.  Get ahead of your niche.  Whatever niche you roll with, be a chess playing, ninja style assassin.  Know the trends of your niche and then you’ll have a feel for whats coming next.

3.  Start a blog, a website, a twitter account, a myspace page, something…  or anything, just start.   The people who are afraid to start, out weigh the people that do it.   I started the flipmino site for $5.99.  Don’t complain about expenses, skip Starbucks for two days and put that money into an online investment.

4.  Hook up with Amazon.   Amazon is my favorite long term affiliate program.   When Ebay was rolling with CJ, I could count on some strong earnings but now Amazon really does it for me.  As seen in the image, all you have to do is drive a potential customer to the site.   It doesn’t matter what they buy, you will make a commission.

Note – Amazon was the perfect affiliate for the Case Study but depending on your niche, you might want to check out other programs

5.  Hustle, Hustle, Promote, Hustle, Promote, Promote

6.  Don’t give up.   By my own admission, I got lucky with this test site.   It doesn’t always go this smooth.  A matter of fact, I fail way more than I succeed.   I fail so much that I have a process that minimalizes failure.  The key is that I keep trying and my processes has gotten tighter over the past 6 years.  Another thing to keep in mind is that failure isn’t often glorified.   There aren’t too many sites where the author is displaying how many times he’s messed up.   All you see is the money he/she made promoting xyz product or getting seed money for his/her startup.

Have fun with it!  oh, and check out the Flip Mino

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The Flip Mino, a pint-sized but more powerful companion to the so-easy-your-grandma-will-be-a- YouTube-star Ultra, is now official. We already saw the $180 mini-cam in a fuzzy picture, but now we know that although it carries 2GB of on-board flash for 60 minutes of VGA-quality recording like the Ultra, it’s 40% smaller—a scant 4” x 2” x 0.6”. The Mino distances itself further by adding a Li-ion battery and a flat back-panel with touch-sensitive buttons (rather than the Ultra’s AAs and push buttons). Check back shortly for a full hands-on; meanwhile, there’s a spec-laden fact sheet and a gallery’s worth of more shots after the jump.

Flip Video Mino Camcorder Details:

• Amazingly thin, pocket-sized camcorder
• 40% smaller than Ultra Series. Dimensions : 4” x 2” x 0.6”. Weight: 3.3 oz.
• 2GB of on-board flash memory records up to 60 minutes of video
• Sealed, internal rechargeable lithium ion battery that recharges through built-in USB arm
• Flat back-panel with touch-sensitive buttons
• No Glare display screen (1.5”)
• TV quality video
• Instant playback, pause, fast forward/rewind, and delete features
• Available in black and white models
• Connects to TV for instant viewing
• Built-in high-speed software enables instant video sharing from any PC or Mac:
  o Save and organize videos on computer
  o Email videos and video greeting cards
  o Publish videos instantly on video sharing sites like YouTube, MySpace, and AOL
  o Capture still photos from video clips
  o Create custom movies with your own music
  o Make your own DVDs and have them shipped anywhere in the world

Nationwide at www.flipminos.com Available at additional retailers Fall 2008.

Suggested Retail Pricing:

60 minute model: $179.99

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Going from nothing to number one for a search term on a new domain is always something to be happy about.   Since this is more of a learning tool, we wont be popping out the champaign quite yet though.  This screen shot is for learning purposes only.  The first rule is…  never brag about being number one on google for a search term!

Bragging will only draw attention from other marketers and will create unwanted competition.   Don’t think that you can hold the spot forever if other people have caught on.

The second rule is, be ready for success.   Have you ever searched for something, clicked on the number one spot and it’s a wasted page?   Grrrr…    Without being too spammy, try to provide quality content related to your niche.   That’s the best way to hold your position.

I still have not spent anything for advertising and the test site got 75 hits yesterday.   Tomorrow is the 4th so we will see what Flip does with the Mino.

(fingers crossed)

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Here are three perspectives of the new BMW One Series. The One Series, in class, fits right between the Mini Cooper and Three Series.

The US version (in red) is a nice entry level Beamer for those who want afford ability but still want to feel the roar.

Sitting on 300 Horses, it’s definitely inspired by the M. $26,000 will put you in the drivers seat but put and extra two grand away for some wheels.

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What do you think?

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After 6 days from purchase my new test site is now listed on google.  This was done organically without using any blackhat techniques, paying a seo specialist or subscribing to a link swapping site.

Tip number one is to just simply ask google to be listed by submitting your url here.

Tip number two is to add google adsense to your page.   I could be totally wrong but my new domains that have adsense running always gets picked up faster than those that don’t.   The google spiders are quick to see whats going on on your page.

The flip mino is slated to drop in June, so this position puts me ahead of the curve.  I really want to be number one but getting listed is a start and anywhere on the first page is good.   Does anybody buy anything from the second page of a google search?  Rarely

Check the site out and in my next post I’ll speak about layout.   www.flipminos.com – an unofficial affiliate case study.

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Even though I really try to save this blog from falling in the category of a “make money online” site, making money online topics are what I get emailed about the most.

I’m not an expert and mostly everything I know about earning online income came from trial and error.

I recently got an email asking for an example of starting with nothing and turning it into something. I will track all expenses and income from one website that I’ve just created over the next six months.

The website is http://www.flipminos.com

Date purchased: 5/23/2008

Cost: $5.99 from 1and1

Why did I purchase it? The Flip is a very popular, low end, usb camcorder that has been used by many bloggers, tweens, teens, early adopters and video journalist over the past year. Two days ago, using twitter, I overheard that a slim version of the flip should be entering the market place early in June. The new cameras are rumored to be called Flip Minos. My chance of failure is 50/50 but that’s what domaining is all about. You see, this is just a rumor and what if the camera is called something else? ... FlipMinos.com will become dead space.

Before I do anything with a site, I site down and open up notepad and then I take project notes. I need to determine what I want out of the site. Do I want to make it a fan site for enthusiasts? Should I cover tips and tricks? Do I want a forum or a blog? How much time do I really have to devote on this one site?

These are all serious questions that shouldn’t be taken lightly. If this is your first site, I suggest going all in. The next set of questions I put out is, how will I monetize? For electronics I usually run with Google Adsense, Amazon Affiliates and Buy.com.

The next step is building up the site. I know that it’s old school but for a one page site (what I plan on using) I still use frontpage.

I aim for a lot of key words and clean crisp images.

After I publish, then I start marketing. My short term goal is to get to the first page of google using desired keywords.

I’ll be back in a bit to let you know how I’m doing.

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My biggest online money maker is clickbank. Often times when people see this check, they immediately ask for a step by step run down of how to make money with clickbank.

My job just got easier with CBPayDay.

CBPayDay was developed by Mike Hill and I am officially endorsing it as the Clickbank Blueprint.

Visit Clickbank Blog to read a full CBPayDay Review.

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or is there?  Hot Improv

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Today marks the eighth part in my Becoming A US Citizen Series.  The whole process took 90 minutes.  15 minutes through security, 60 minutes of nothing but waiting and 15 minutes of interview time.

The questions mirrored everything on the N400 application.   If you have an interview coming up, the best thing to do is try and not be nervous.  The second thing to do is study your Citizenship Questions.   As promised earlier on the twitter account, here is a list of the questions that were asked of me.

1.  What is the supreme law of the land?

2.  What is the legislative branch of government?

3.  Name two senators from your state.

4.  Who is the chief justice of the Supreme Court?

5.  What is the main belief of the Declaration of Indepencence?

6.  Who wrote the Star Spangled Banner?

7.  What did the Emancipation  Declaration do?

8.  What year was the constitution written?

9.  Where is the White House (it’s funny how she hit me with the hard questions up front)

10.  In what month is the President inaugurated?
Not as easy as it looks huh?   Here are the Citizenship Quiz Answers.

Want to be a citizen?  Click here for your Immigration Forms

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1. Download the newest version

2. Extract it

3. Back up your wp-config.php to a safe location (it’s the most important file)

4. Upload your newly extracted files to your current Wordpress location

*Note – I personally only overwrite the root folder, the wp-admin folder and the wp-includes folder. I don’t upload anything to my wp-content folder. That folder has your themes and plugins.

5. After you have copied everything, then point your browser here

http://www.yoursite.com/wp-admin/upgrade.php

6. The rest is magic

casthompson.com takes no responsibility if you screw up your blog! but seriously, it’s so easy a 5th grader can do it.

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Do your homework first

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Moving right along…    I finally got a letter with an appointment for my interview.   I started on Jan 14th and I’m very surprised at the speed of the whole process.   Keep your fingers crossed.  The sooner I get my passport situated, the sooner I can post more travel pics!

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