Yesterday, I posted an article about how to make money writing poker articles. At the end I asked for other suggestions from veteran poker affiliates, and my buddy Dealer Dan came through like a champ! He submitted an entire article that has a lot of great advice that compliments my post nicely. Be sure to visit his free poker affiliate guide for more great advice!
By Dealer Dan, PokerAffiliateBible.com
As Kevin's first step in making money with online poker is writing content for other poker affiliates and webmasters, I thought I should offer advice on how to make this your forté, having outsourced poker content writing in the past.
The goal when writing poker content, is that you do such a great job that the webmasters will return to you again and again for future content, as well as always recommending you via word of mouth to other poker affiliates that are looking to buy poker content. Here are just five methods you can use that will ensure this will happen:
- Write About What You Know: If you don't know the subject, don't write about it. If the topic is an easy topic to write about, for example a review of a poker room you have never played at, you can ask the webmaster for a few days until you research the subject matter more. If it is something more detailed, explain to them you aren't knowledgeable about that subject yet and can't write it. Whatever you do - don't try and write about something you have no idea about. We will notice this, and if anyone ever asks for feedback on your writing, could provide a negative review.
- Follow the Theme of the Site: For whatever site you are writing for, read their content. Try and understand who their market is, and also pay attention to the common writing style the current writer(s) at the site have, and stick with that theme so your article fits in well with the site.
- Do a Little Bit Extra: If I commission you to do a review of a poker room with 500 words in it, do 550 or 600. I'll notice you went to that extra effort, and I'll remember that in the future.
- Show Demonstrations of your Work: A lot of writers are worried about showing their articles before they are sold, in case anyone steals it. There are ways you can make that harder for people(ie: putting it in a PDF, or only showing half the article). If you're an unknown writer though, it's important that you get your work out there to everyone, and show them that you can do a good job.
- Ask Questions: So many times I've paid for articles, and the writer has went off and written them without asking me any questions at all. I appreciate it a lot more when you write to me, asking me if there is any particular points you want in the article, or asking who my target audience is, or any keywords to focus on. It shows that you take your work seriously, and want to impress the webmaster as much as possible.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
How to Make Money Selling Poker Content
As I previously mentioned in my post about ways to make money with poker, a good way to jump-start your poker affiliate business is to write and sell content to other poker affiliates. In this post, I'll tell you about my first experience selling content, plus give you some tips about making money with your own quality poker content.
My original plan was to write some poker content and advertise it on Poker Affiliate Programs forums. So, I started writing some quality poker articles to sell. I also started looking at the way other affiliates sell their content on PAP. While I was browsing the forums, I saw a new post from a fellow affiliate who wanted to buy blog posts for two sites. His offer stood out because the sites were about HORSE poker and 7 Card Stud, both of which I play regularly. So I sent him a private message asking for the job.
Now mind you, I've never spoken with him one-on-one before. So I was surprised when he asked for my Paypal id so he could transfer the payment in advance. Not only was he offering a good price per article, but he also forwarded payment before receiving the first article.
I believe that all of your customers should be appreciated; however, ones like this should be cherished. It was a pleasure to work for this affiliate and I hope he'll keep me in mind if he needs more content in the future.
Writing and selling your own poker articles
If you can write good content, there's no reason you can't get $.04-$.05 per word for poker articles. That's $20-$25 for a 500-word article. Here are some tips for making money with your own content.
Do you have any questions about making money by selling poker articles? If you successfully sell your own poker content, please share your personal tips for becoming a poker freelance writer.
My original plan was to write some poker content and advertise it on Poker Affiliate Programs forums. So, I started writing some quality poker articles to sell. I also started looking at the way other affiliates sell their content on PAP. While I was browsing the forums, I saw a new post from a fellow affiliate who wanted to buy blog posts for two sites. His offer stood out because the sites were about HORSE poker and 7 Card Stud, both of which I play regularly. So I sent him a private message asking for the job.
Now mind you, I've never spoken with him one-on-one before. So I was surprised when he asked for my Paypal id so he could transfer the payment in advance. Not only was he offering a good price per article, but he also forwarded payment before receiving the first article.
I believe that all of your customers should be appreciated; however, ones like this should be cherished. It was a pleasure to work for this affiliate and I hope he'll keep me in mind if he needs more content in the future.
Writing and selling your own poker articles
If you can write good content, there's no reason you can't get $.04-$.05 per word for poker articles. That's $20-$25 for a 500-word article. Here are some tips for making money with your own content.
- Join industry related forums like PAP - If you haven't joined and started posting you need to ASAP if you're going to sell anything. Other members are weary of someone who has 1 or 2 posts and then tries to sell content, advertising, software or anything else. Start building your reputation before trying to sell poker articles.
- Have accounts at Paypal, Full Tilt Poker, and Pokerstars - Most poker affiliates have several methods by which they can transfer funds. Paypal is a dedicated payment processor that is attached to your bank account. Having real-money accounts at a couple of large poker sites works as a backup if your customer doesn't use Paypal.
- Use poker books and/or authority websites for ideas - Don't make the mistake of thinking you have to be a great poker player to write great poker content. I like to dive into my extensive library of poker books for poker strategy articles. I'll take a concept and then put my own unique spin on it, including personal examples that help reinforce the idea. For poker news, I check authority sites like PokerNews, Card Player, and PokerListings for ideas.
- Generally, you make more with custom orders than with selling your own articles - This is a trend I've noticed while browsing the PAP forums. Poker affiliates who are looking for very specific articles are usually willing to pay top prices to get them ASAP. On the other hand, people looking at your thread about "Great Poker Strategy Content for Sale" are probably not in immediate need for content. They may just be looking for some affordable content to add to their site(s).
- Make it easy to hire you - Make it a point to understand what's required and aim to exceed those expectations. For my first freelance job, I was required to write six blog posts that were 400-500 words. I could have chosen to try to write articles so that they barely met the 400-word requirement. However, I tried to get most of them closer to 500 words (some actually went over).
Also, I use Office 2007, which saves articles in a new .docx format. Many folks still use older versions of Office and can't open the new format. Instead of assuming, he could open the files or asking him to email me if he couldn’t; I decided the best thing would be go into each article and save the files in the old format. Sometimes-small things can make a difference for your customers whether they know it or not. Making it easy for them to hire and work with you will help you generate that all-important repeat business.
Do you have any questions about making money by selling poker articles? If you successfully sell your own poker content, please share your personal tips for becoming a poker freelance writer.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Making Money with Poker Part-Time
Because many of you have full-time jobs, and since I have many other sites I work on, I'm going to show you how to make money with poker part-time.
When I first started playing poker I was able to make around $4,000 in two weeks playing 2-4 hours a day.
When I started as an affiliate I quit my day job and jumped in headfirst. It hasn't been as easy to make money promoting online poker. So I strongly suggest you start slow, read/join Poker Affiliate Forums, follow my own journey, and then do what works for others.
I want to develop a plan that almost anyone can follow and make money with poker. Once my income gets in the neighborhood of $1,000 per month I'll start focusing a big part of my day on taking this to the next level.
In the next couple of days I'm going to work on some good poker content to sell to other affiliates. I look forward to posting an update ASAP.
When I first started playing poker I was able to make around $4,000 in two weeks playing 2-4 hours a day.
When I started as an affiliate I quit my day job and jumped in headfirst. It hasn't been as easy to make money promoting online poker. So I strongly suggest you start slow, read/join Poker Affiliate Forums, follow my own journey, and then do what works for others.
I want to develop a plan that almost anyone can follow and make money with poker. Once my income gets in the neighborhood of $1,000 per month I'll start focusing a big part of my day on taking this to the next level.
In the next couple of days I'm going to work on some good poker content to sell to other affiliates. I look forward to posting an update ASAP.
Publish Post
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Ways to Make Money with Online Poker
There are so many ways that you can make money online. And online poker is especially profitable.
For most, a six figure income per year sounds like a solid income. In the poker business, there are several poker affiliates who make high six figures PER MONTH. It takes a lot of work to get that far, but anyone with enough dedication and knowledge can build a substantial income promoting poker.
And even those who don't choose to promote poker can make a decent income playing poker.
In this article, I'll break down a few ways I know to make money playing and promoting poker. I hope that this list will help you understand most of your options for making money with online poker.
1. Write content for poker webmasters
If you are a competent writer, this is a good way to jump-start your poker business. Many Internet Marketers hate writing content. They would much rather pay someone to write quality content for them. Writing poker content is one way I plan to raise money for my million-dollar project.
2. Buy and sell poker domains
Once you understand what makes a domain valuable, you can apply that knowledge to the poker industry. If you can find and register a quality, keyword rich domain or a short brandable domain, you can easily get 100% or more ROI (return-on-investment).
A friend of mine from the Poker Affiliate Program forums started with $20 and is trying to make $1000 with poker domains in two months. I hope you'll also follow his journey to make money buying and selling poker domains.
3. Play online poker
Becoming an excellent poker player is difficult. Just like building a profitable poker website, you have to put in the work to beat the game. I feel confident beating lower stakes Hold'em, Omaha, and HORSE games. So, I'll use my existing skills at poker to help build my business bankroll.
4. Get poker rakeback
Rakeback is a growing phenomenon in the poker community. Rakeback sites get, let's say, 35% of your generated rake when you sign up through their site. Then, they give you back maybe 33% of that directly to your player account each month. This is a great way to make money at poker whether you are good at it or not. If you're interested in being paid to play poker (as I am), go to PokerDayJob.com and make money with online poker rakeback.
5. Maximize poker bonuses
Another easy way to build a bankroll for poker or a business is to maximize poker bonuses. Online poker rooms offer large incentives to players so that they'll try their poker room. So don't miss all the free poker money out there.
6. Build niche poker websites
Instead of building a generic poker website, build a niche one. Niches may include game variations like Hold'em, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, Razz, HORSE, Badugi, and more. You can base your niche on a local area, or an entire country. Or you may want to come out with something fun and original that will grab readers' attention. Whatever you do, aim to stand out among the competition.
7. Have poker sub-affiliates
One of the cool aspects of poker affiliating is that you can have people sign up under you as a sub-affiliate. The other cool part is that it doesn't hurt your commission to sign up as a sub affiliate. I've signed up to be a sub in exchange for links. Many people swap subs with other affiliate friends, and some will sub under someone just to be generous.
Many times new affiliates will have the opportunity to sub for a veteran affiliate in exchange for mentorship. Dan from Poker Affiliate Bible has created a nice resource for new affiliates and offers many goodies to those who sub for him. He offers premium content, his mentorship, free links, and more. Eventually, I hope to build a similar program for new affiliates.
The point is, whenever possible; look for opportunities to sub for others in exchange for links, other subs, or just to be a giving person. And on the flip side, if you can build a quality resource, give away links, or mentor others, you can generate a number of sub-affiliates of your own.
8. Sell advertising/links to other poker websites
This is a longer-term strategy that established poker sites with traffic could utilize to create an extra income stream. The way most links are valuated is by the site's Google PageRank (PR) and where the link is located. The higher the PR, the more the link is worth. Links that are anchored and in content are the most valuable, site-wide sidebar and footer links are also good, and links from a separate link page are the least valuable.
9. Create software for poker players
Software like PokerTracker and Sharkscope once had humble beginnings, but are now icons of online poker. If you have an idea to create value for online poker players, by either building or outsourcing the project, you can make a lot of money.
10. Sell poker website templates and/or a complete Content Management System
Another area where you can make good money is by selling templates or Content Management Systems to poker webmasters. Many marketers (like me) know just enough web design and coding to get by. If you have the ability to create custom poker templates, there are plenty of customers available.
11. Create and sell your own poker eBook or course
Are you a great (or at least good) poker player who wants to become an Internet Marketer? If you have solid information that can't be found in the usual poker books or on a website, you can create your own eBook or course to teach others how to duplicate your success. Both 6-Max and Heads-up poker are areas where I believe someone could do extremely well with an eBook or course.
12. Sell poker-related images, headers, and icons
Those who are talented in Photoshop can use that ability to sell poker images to other affiliates. Just like with writing content, some poker affiliates can't stand editing images for their sites. Sometimes, they would much rather pay someone $100 for a good-looking header as opposed to spending 4 hours working on their own hacked up version.
13. Start a poker forum/community
Even with presence of huge poker communities like 2+2, Flop Turn River, and Pocket Fives, there is still plenty of room for unique niche poker communities. You can develop a forum based on a specific poker game or a location. Local poker niches are becoming more and more popular. Be sure to consider poker forums as long-term investments in your poker empire. Communities take an enormous amount of work to gain momentum. I tried starting one myself, but quickly felt discouraged that people weren't flocking to my site to post.
14. Become a popular poker blogger
If you have a talent for connecting with readers through entertaining and engaging content, chances are you can make money as a poker blogger. Popular poker bloggers come in all forms. Obviously, popular poker pros like Daniel Negreanu who write blogs have the ability to develop a large readership. Then there's Bill Rini who writes great informative content on his poker blog and gains readers that way. Wicked Chops Poker uses humor and half-naked women to get attention. And my buddy Mark uses humor on his poker blog Melted Felt. Whatever you do, be yourself. People can sense when you're being genuine or not.
Are you as motivated as I am to make some money? Can you think of any other ways to make money in the poker industry?
For most, a six figure income per year sounds like a solid income. In the poker business, there are several poker affiliates who make high six figures PER MONTH. It takes a lot of work to get that far, but anyone with enough dedication and knowledge can build a substantial income promoting poker.
And even those who don't choose to promote poker can make a decent income playing poker.
In this article, I'll break down a few ways I know to make money playing and promoting poker. I hope that this list will help you understand most of your options for making money with online poker.
1. Write content for poker webmasters
If you are a competent writer, this is a good way to jump-start your poker business. Many Internet Marketers hate writing content. They would much rather pay someone to write quality content for them. Writing poker content is one way I plan to raise money for my million-dollar project.
2. Buy and sell poker domains
Once you understand what makes a domain valuable, you can apply that knowledge to the poker industry. If you can find and register a quality, keyword rich domain or a short brandable domain, you can easily get 100% or more ROI (return-on-investment).
A friend of mine from the Poker Affiliate Program forums started with $20 and is trying to make $1000 with poker domains in two months. I hope you'll also follow his journey to make money buying and selling poker domains.
3. Play online poker
Becoming an excellent poker player is difficult. Just like building a profitable poker website, you have to put in the work to beat the game. I feel confident beating lower stakes Hold'em, Omaha, and HORSE games. So, I'll use my existing skills at poker to help build my business bankroll.
4. Get poker rakeback
Rakeback is a growing phenomenon in the poker community. Rakeback sites get, let's say, 35% of your generated rake when you sign up through their site. Then, they give you back maybe 33% of that directly to your player account each month. This is a great way to make money at poker whether you are good at it or not. If you're interested in being paid to play poker (as I am), go to PokerDayJob.com and make money with online poker rakeback.
5. Maximize poker bonuses
Another easy way to build a bankroll for poker or a business is to maximize poker bonuses. Online poker rooms offer large incentives to players so that they'll try their poker room. So don't miss all the free poker money out there.
6. Build niche poker websites
Instead of building a generic poker website, build a niche one. Niches may include game variations like Hold'em, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, Razz, HORSE, Badugi, and more. You can base your niche on a local area, or an entire country. Or you may want to come out with something fun and original that will grab readers' attention. Whatever you do, aim to stand out among the competition.
7. Have poker sub-affiliates
One of the cool aspects of poker affiliating is that you can have people sign up under you as a sub-affiliate. The other cool part is that it doesn't hurt your commission to sign up as a sub affiliate. I've signed up to be a sub in exchange for links. Many people swap subs with other affiliate friends, and some will sub under someone just to be generous.
Many times new affiliates will have the opportunity to sub for a veteran affiliate in exchange for mentorship. Dan from Poker Affiliate Bible has created a nice resource for new affiliates and offers many goodies to those who sub for him. He offers premium content, his mentorship, free links, and more. Eventually, I hope to build a similar program for new affiliates.
The point is, whenever possible; look for opportunities to sub for others in exchange for links, other subs, or just to be a giving person. And on the flip side, if you can build a quality resource, give away links, or mentor others, you can generate a number of sub-affiliates of your own.
8. Sell advertising/links to other poker websites
This is a longer-term strategy that established poker sites with traffic could utilize to create an extra income stream. The way most links are valuated is by the site's Google PageRank (PR) and where the link is located. The higher the PR, the more the link is worth. Links that are anchored and in content are the most valuable, site-wide sidebar and footer links are also good, and links from a separate link page are the least valuable.
9. Create software for poker players
Software like PokerTracker and Sharkscope once had humble beginnings, but are now icons of online poker. If you have an idea to create value for online poker players, by either building or outsourcing the project, you can make a lot of money.
10. Sell poker website templates and/or a complete Content Management System
Another area where you can make good money is by selling templates or Content Management Systems to poker webmasters. Many marketers (like me) know just enough web design and coding to get by. If you have the ability to create custom poker templates, there are plenty of customers available.
11. Create and sell your own poker eBook or course
Are you a great (or at least good) poker player who wants to become an Internet Marketer? If you have solid information that can't be found in the usual poker books or on a website, you can create your own eBook or course to teach others how to duplicate your success. Both 6-Max and Heads-up poker are areas where I believe someone could do extremely well with an eBook or course.
12. Sell poker-related images, headers, and icons
Those who are talented in Photoshop can use that ability to sell poker images to other affiliates. Just like with writing content, some poker affiliates can't stand editing images for their sites. Sometimes, they would much rather pay someone $100 for a good-looking header as opposed to spending 4 hours working on their own hacked up version.
13. Start a poker forum/community
Even with presence of huge poker communities like 2+2, Flop Turn River, and Pocket Fives, there is still plenty of room for unique niche poker communities. You can develop a forum based on a specific poker game or a location. Local poker niches are becoming more and more popular. Be sure to consider poker forums as long-term investments in your poker empire. Communities take an enormous amount of work to gain momentum. I tried starting one myself, but quickly felt discouraged that people weren't flocking to my site to post.
14. Become a popular poker blogger
If you have a talent for connecting with readers through entertaining and engaging content, chances are you can make money as a poker blogger. Popular poker bloggers come in all forms. Obviously, popular poker pros like Daniel Negreanu who write blogs have the ability to develop a large readership. Then there's Bill Rini who writes great informative content on his poker blog and gains readers that way. Wicked Chops Poker uses humor and half-naked women to get attention. And my buddy Mark uses humor on his poker blog Melted Felt. Whatever you do, be yourself. People can sense when you're being genuine or not.
Are you as motivated as I am to make some money? Can you think of any other ways to make money in the poker industry?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
My Goal to Make Money with Online Poker
First I'll give you a little background. I've played poker live and online since 2004. I have read a few poker books and made a little money, however I haven't given poker enough attention to make any real cash. I've also been into promoting online poker as an affiliate for the past year or so with mixed results.
So as a fun experiment I thought I'd start from the ground up with the ultimate goal of making one million dollars from poker. Along the way I hope to expand my internet marketing & SEO expertise. I also hope to provide a valuable guide for new poker enthusiasts who want to make a living from poker.
The Rules
So now the fun begins! I look forward your feedback as I try to accomplish the unimaginable.
So as a fun experiment I thought I'd start from the ground up with the ultimate goal of making one million dollars from poker. Along the way I hope to expand my internet marketing & SEO expertise. I also hope to provide a valuable guide for new poker enthusiasts who want to make a living from poker.
The Rules
- I will not use any of my own income from poker or existing affiliate accounts
- If I promote one of my existing affiliate programs I'll use a unique id to separate any income from existing sites
- I will not use my existing web hosting account. I'll only use free sites until I make the money to get another hosting account.
So now the fun begins! I look forward your feedback as I try to accomplish the unimaginable.
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