No firm has done more to enable the monetization of the Internet than Google. Its AdSense system has gone through a lot of changes since it launched in 2003, but it's still the backbone of my online business, the channel around which much of my content is built. Continue Reading

Sitting down to have a conversation with someone who is an expert in your niche or field of interest makes for a great blog post or article for your site. Not only are you exposing your readers to this knowledgeable person they may not know about, but you are also giving yourself the opportunity to learn things you didn't know and possibly to even find a mentor for you and your business. But don't just... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Chris Harper) Several weeks ago, we posted an article about the new YouTube Show & Tell channel that highlighted some of the more creative uses of the video giant's site. And now, after watching some of those examples and finding ourselves in need of a new angle to promote our newest iPhone app, I present to you the Sergeant Gun YouTube experience. It's not just a video, it really is an... Continue Reading

I've created a bunch of different products during my career. Not all of them have been giant successes. But many have been, and there's a theme that runs through many of the most successful items I've made. Continue Reading

When big companies first picked up on Twitter, many got it wrong. They used the company logo as their avatar, broadcast their ads and offers, ignored the people replying to them and didn't follow anyone who wasn't part of the company. They acted like giant firms using Twitter as a giant billboard. Continue Reading

I meet two kinds of entrepreneurs at conferences. The first are the people hoping to get rich quick. They listen to the speakers and they make notes but what they're really hoping is that someone will let slip a giant secret that will enable them to make a huge sack of cash. Their aim is to retire within a year and spend the rest of their life on the beach. Those are the people who... Continue Reading

A lot of people were surprised when I brought out iFart. Until then, I was best known as an AdSense expert. I'd written a book that explained how to make money out of content by putting Google's ads next to them. It was serious stuff with serious results, but it took serious effort to make it work. So I follow that up with... an electronic whoopee cushion? Continue Reading

This is a fantastic time. I know it might not feel that way. If you're stuck in a job you hate, if you're scared you'll get a call from a boss holding a pink slip, if you're worried about your pension, college fees, or even paying the mortgage on a house that's now worth only a fraction of what you paid for it three years ago, this doesn't feel like a fantastic time. But it... Continue Reading

The first time I heard the term white paper, I have to admit I wasn't thinking it was a powerful marketing tool. Instead I was thinking of the boring, snooze-worthy reports I had to read in my college Geology course. Only after I had heard the term a few more times with increasing frequency did I finally bother finding out what the buzz was all about. Turns out, white papers aren't just bare bones... Continue Reading

Twitter is simple stuff. It's powerful stuff, but it's not complicated. Just tell people what you're doing or thinking, keep them informed and a part of your life and your business, be you, and you should find that you're building both a following and a community. Continue Reading

When I created my first website, I had no idea where it was going to take me. I really did believe that it was possible to create a regular income online - even without any programming skills - but I didn't have an end goal. I wasn't planning to sell out within a few years, swap my sites for a big bag of cash and head off to Hawaii for the rest of my life... Continue Reading

I seem to spend a lot of time on the road these days. I've been up and down the country, backwards and forwards, and from state to state. I've even been to the other side of the world and back. It's hard work, with lots of jet-lag and too much time away from my family. That always hurts. But I enjoy it. I like speaking. The people I meet at events and conferences tend to... Continue Reading

Big changes don't usually happen overnight. There are usually a few quiet moves first -- little tweaks and adjustments that no one really notices. And then suddenly, one more little change makes a huge difference, pushes it over the tipping point and forces everyone to pay attention. Continue Reading

What do users really want? It's a question that publishers ask themselves all the time. We look at the comments our articles receive. We review our stats. We check the popularity of keywords. We ask for ideas on Twitter. And we do all sorts of other things that try to second-guess what's going through our users' minds so that we can deliver content that interests them most. But maybe we're asking the wrong question. Continue Reading