Youtube is a website that allows individuals to upload videos and share them with other users on the internet. What is unique about youtube is that it also gives users the opportunity to make money by becoming partners. There are numerous individuals looking to make extra money on the internet and may therefore want to become YouTube partners. However, how does one go about becoming a youtube partner?

Requirements

• Computer

• Internet connection

• The ability to develop useful videos

Step

• To become a Youtube partner, it is important that one that one resides in a country where the partnership program is available. While youtube is available in numerous countries around the world, the partner program is only available in a few countries such as the US, UK, France, Canada, Brazil and Germany. In addition, for one’s application to be duly processed a legitimate emailing address is required.

• Subsequently, one should apply for and activate an adsense account. The account makes it possible for webmasters to obtain traffic for personal products and also monetize their websites.

• Fill out an application form. For this one requires a Youtube and Google account for purposes of filling out the provided forms. If the application is successful, a review that is subject to approval commences.

• In order to proceed, one is required to agree to the Terms of Service. It is crucial that individuals thoroughly reads and understand the terms of service before accepting the terms. Individuals are advised to seek clarification on terms that are not clear.

• Individuals become Youtube partners once they accept the terms of service. Partners are allowed to upload their personal videos. Only original videos and those without copyright liabilities may be uploaded. In addition, only videos that are capable of gathering strong traffic may be uploaded. To avoid tagging and/or the termination of the account, partners are advised to adhere to set guidelines.

With the boom of the internet there were millions of jobs that became available that did not previously exist. One of the most prestigious jobs dealing with the internet is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialist. This job involves the process of making a website rank higher in the results on a search engine. The reason why it is so prestigious is because learning proper SEO techniques and putting them to practice takes a great deal of skill.

Getting into this field is also very unique because most employers will hire you without a degree because most colleges do not offer this type of training yet. You can still find some schools that will give you the training you need but there is no better training than on the job experience. If you can show your employer what you have accomplished in SEO then that speaks louder than any degree because you have produced results. The best way to learn the field is by joining webmaster related forums and reading and asking questions. After that you need to practice by applying what you have learned.

What you will need to learn.

On Page Optimization – This deals with properly setting up a website so that search engines can easily access all the information on your website. It also includes using the proper HTML tags in accordance to what search engines like to see.

Link Building – One of the major factors in SEO has to deal with how many, and the quality of websites has a link to your website. This is just has to deal with popularity. If you think about it, the more websites are telling their visitors to go to your website to learn more about the subject then search engines will tend to think your website is great. Remember the purpose of search engines is to get their visitors to the website that will contain the information that they are looking for.

The salary for this job is nothing to laugh at either. This will range greatly depending on your skill level but it is not uncommon to see a full time job over $100,000. In order to land a job like that you must be very talented in this field and already have proven results. Employers are less likely to hire you will a large starting salary because you say that you can do it.

Freelance SEO is also another route you can take if you wanted to work for yourself. Companies don’t really understand SEO enough to have a full time position so they tend to look for outside help. Normally they will seek SEO Companies and do a contract job but if they would like to save money then they can look directly for someone who is offering this as a freelance service.

There are many of internet related jobs that will never die out and SEO is one of them. The SEO field is still in its youth and has yet begun to be a normal position at any company. With that being said there are tons of more positions that will be created in the years to come. Getting into this field now will guarantee job security until you retire. As long as there are search engines like Google, there will always be a need for companies to try to manipulate the search engines in order for them to get more customers.

There are many varied types of writers out there, particularly on the internet. You may be a fiction writer, a copywriter, freelance writer, a journalist, or any other wielder of the written word. Regardless of your choice of genre, there is one thing that you need to focus on to make your work looked upon with respect and to boost your sales, and that is building a good solid reputation. Before we go into a few of the more effective manners in which to achieve this end, you need to be aware that it is not an overnight process. You will not leave the gate as a professional writer, regardless of your education or general knowledge regarding your genre.

Starting out, build your reputation through your work. For example, if you are an article writer, and you have been assigned an article that you aren’t completely familiar with but know enough to write it without doing any research, do the research anyway. Find aspects that you did not know, as these will likely be the points the editor will be looking for. They won’t be appealing to common knowledge, but will be seeking the information that the average individual, like you, will not know. Always take a little more time when producing your work to add a bit more punch and power to it. This will show the client that you will go the extra mile to produce good quality content.

Moving on, we have the concept of self-image. Believe in yourself. When you have a one on one interview, look the part of the professional writer. The same holds true for speaking on the phone or on the internet with potential clients/customers. If you don’t’ think of yourself as a professional, then no one else will either. A good example of this concept is dressing the part in one on one interviews and meetings. If you show up to a meeting with a big corporate CEO for an interview and you are dressed in ragged old blue jeans and a t-shirt with your hair sticking up because you forgot to brush it, then you absolutely do not stand a chance at getting the job. Dress like a professional. A good tip here is to consider how the person you are meeting with would dress. If you are meeting with a CEO, dress how you think the CEO would dress. Spend at least a couple of hours getting ready for any meeting, online or off.

Lastly, build a good supply of solid contacts. If you have a contact book of professional contacts in your particular industry of writing, then you will have a good shot at being considered a professional. There are many ways in which to go about this, but early on the best route is that of social networking. Social networking encompasses the many social sites on the web, such as Facebook, Myspace, or Digg. These sites make it possible for anyone to make contacts in a less-than professional manner. You see, when you make a contact on Facebook, you can treat this person as a new friend. Once you have broken down the wall of the actual first connection, you can work your way, carefully, into letting them know that you are a professional writer. Once you build up a large quantity of professional contacts through this outlet, you will find that your name will be spread amongst them, bringing you jobs, and eventually leading to your name being thrown around to contacts that you don’t know yet.

Being a professional is largely based upon self-esteem. You have to believe in yourself. When you start out in your personal literary industry, take a good look at yourself. What are your positive traits as a writer? Did you go to college? Have you been published before? How respected are you in the community? Always try to look at yourself as a professional before you expect someone else to.

Regardless if you want to secure a job as a freelance article writer or on a salary for a particular publication or website, there are a few select points that you need to know starting out. If you are a veteran writer, then you may actually already be aware of some of these tips, but there is always room for improvement, so please read on.

Initially, we have the basics. Every editor/publisher/client that is looking to hire a writer expects a certain level of writing. If your grammar isn’t up to par, then perhaps being a writer is not for you. Granted, not every writer has to have a college degree in English, but if you do not, at least make sure that your grammatical skills are as good as they need to be to impress the client and please the readers. The better your writing, the more money you can expect to make.

Next, we have the aspect of knowing what style to write in. Of course, there are thousands of styles, each one with its’ own particular attraction, but even if your client doesn’t realize it, he or she expects a certain style from you. Ask them if you are writing for professionals, a certain genre of individuals, the average person, etc. You’ll want to know who your readers are before you write for them. Does the reader like a laid back comfortable and personal style of article or does he/she want something that reads like a newspaper? Style matters!

Moving on, you will need to understand the concept of power words. No one wants to read an article that is droll and boring, that reads like an instruction manual. The secret to avoiding this is power words. For example, let us say that you are writing a travel article has a sentence that says, “West Palm Beach Florida has plenty of hotels to choose from.” Of course, there is nothing wrong with this sentence. It is grammatically correct in every way. However, there is nothing all that attractive about it. It doesn’t really sell the reader on the concept of visiting West Palm Beach. However, if you add a few words and replace a word or two, you can make it very appealing. Try it like this, “Scenic West Palm Beach in central Florida has an abundance of lavish, yet affordable, accommodations to choose from.” You see, with this sentence you actually develop a mental picture of the luxurious beaches, palm trees, and quality hotels. It is all in the wording.

Lastly, though you likely hear this a lot, there is the issue of researching your content. We are writers. That is what we do. As writers, we are expected to know everything about the content that we put on paper. Nevertheless, starting out, we don’t. Let’s say that a client wants you to write about the automotive industry. Of course, during your writing or English class, there was no mention of the automotive world. So, you are going into this project blind. You can try to fake your way through it, but trust me, the client will know. It is the industry that he knows about. You have got to do the research if you want to succeed as a writer. Get into the habit of placing a schedule on your writing. For your project, allow yourself two to four hours of time, start to finish, for a 500 word article. Spend half to three quarters of that time digging up the facts. This has two great end results. Initially, you have a good article to hand over to the client. Also, you are now armed with knowledge that you did not possess before. Later on down the road, you will eventually be able to use this knowledge for another client or another article.

If you want your article to sell, as well as to be hired for future projects, make it a point to be detailed on all these subjects, and, lastly, make sure that you know precisely what the client expects from you.

The world of the freelance writer, particularly of the beginning freelancer, can be a very difficult and confusing one. You start out with the want and/or need to see your words in print or online, and then what? How do you get your start? Where are the clients? Where do you even begin to search for jobs? There are billions, even trillions, of websites that are writer related on the web. Where do you go? Welcome to our literary maze. Normally, many writers begin by stumbling around the internet for months, finding freelance jobs that offer very little pay and even some that offer none at all. For many writers, this is the end of the freelance road. They drop their dreams and walk away. This, however, does not have to be the end. There are plenty of possibilities for finding freelance writing jobs, if you only know where to look.

Starting out, as a beginning writer, be prepared to look for the job. When a client wants a writer, he/she wants them right away. There is no time to speak with them, spend a couple of days creating a resume’ that you think will suit them, and getting back to the client. After two days you can bet that the job will be filled. Be prepared right out of the gate. Have a resume’ that is universal, showing a good variety of past experience and education. If your resume’ is targeting one single audience, then you’ll likely get a lot less work.

Now that you have a concise and general resume’ prepared, begin the hunt. There are many options for finding jobs. One of the most utilized is that of writer’s jobs sites. This can be a rough area to go with, unless you know your destination ahead of time. You see, there are many “automatic” writers’ job sites out there. These sites have a system that automatically grabs job listings off the entire web and posts them on the site. The problem here is that there is no human factor to pick out the real deals as opposed to the scams and lesser paying jobs. Go straight for the sites that offer decent paying jobs. The two most prominent are Freelance Writing Gigs (http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/) and eWriters ( http://ewriters.synthasite.com/ ). These sites have real human beings searching for well-paying jobs. These people spend hours searching through the thousands of online freelance writing jobs, hand picking the current authentic writing jobs. Once you log onto these sites, you will also find that they have pages that list other useful freelance writing job sites.

The next, and lesser chosen, option is site surfing. The truly experienced writer will occasionally surf the net looking at sites that contain content that he or she is knowledgeable about and interested in. Once they find these sites, they will look at the content and judge the quality of it. If the content is below their personal standards, they will then write one article that pertains to the content and email it to the site owner/editor with a resume’ and an offer to write for them. Sometimes the editor/owner will read the work, be impressed, and hire the writer. This is a hit and miss technique and should not be used as a constant manner in which to find a job. Just use it when you can afford to use up a little extra time.

Of course, there is always the option of putting up a website with your credentials posted on it. This is a good thing, even a necessity at some point, but in beginning, you need to focus on building a reputation resulting from your works. You need references before you can put up an online resume’ that anyone will look at. Even then, you will have to market your site. As a beginner, focus on getting the work. Then, when you get a little time between jobs, build a good website with lots of high-profile references and market it. Early on, simply find the jobs and build your career.

There is much more to being a successful freelance writer than simply writing. You have to have someone that wants you to write before you can even begin to make a living in this particular career. You have to get the word out there that you are writing, and that you are a successful professional writer. Without a good reputation, you are simply shooting in the dark. You might find a few basic jobs here and there, but you will never truly get a good reputation without being able to market yourself. Fortunately, the process of self-marketing is a fairly simple one as long as you have a few insights into what to do.

Initially, you are going to need samples. You will have to have a few articles that you have written in the past. If these articles have been published, then this will only improve your chances of getting future jobs. With that in mind, sometimes we, as writers, have to bite the bullet, particularly in the beginning of our careers, and write a few free articles for various online publications. Even if you aren’t getting paid for an article, it has still been published and will improve your resume’ and provide you with a few references.

Once you have a few articles published, begin your marketing with a website. It doesn’t have to be anything spectacular or even anything that you have to pay for. There are many sites out there that provide free websites. When searching for these, look for ones that do not have ads on the page. The ads will only distract potential clients. Yola.Com is one of these, as is WordPress.Org. Once you have acquired your site, put your resume’ on it with links to your publications, your educational background, your goal for the future as a writer, and any other literary related aspect of your life, such as awards. Be sure and put a way in which the client can contact you. This is only the beginning stage of your marketing, so don’t think for a minute that you are finished.

Next, get accounts with various social networking sites, such as Facebook, Myspace, and Orkut. These sites will allow you make connections with other writers, readers, and prospective clients. Check these accounts once per day, being careful not to waste too much of your writing time there. When you have a new article published, post a link on these sites. Be sure and add as many friends as you can to them, as well as joining as many groups within these social sites. The more friends you add, the more your writing will be noticed and your reputation will grow.

Moving on, we have the prospect of building a local reputation. Regardless of whether you life in a massive city or a small town, building a reputation within your community is an excellent form of self-marketing. Find your local paper with the largest distribution area and start sending an occasional well-written letter to the editor in regards to local events. Most papers have sections for these letters and most are guaranteed to be published. Also, run a small ad in the local classifieds entitled, “Professional Freelance Writer for Hire.” You might get only a few jobs off of this, but every penny helps and each job is a spot on your resume’.

Finally, we have the aspect of time investment. As a writer, time can be an extremely valuable concept. Time is money for a freelancer. You need to set aside a particular amount of time every single working day for marketing yourself. As a beginner, I strongly suggest that you invest a minimum of two to three hours every day in this. As the jobs begin to pick up, ease off a bit. However, do not ever stop marketing yourself. You will never reach a point in your career where marketing will not benefit you. Once you reach your goal in the amount of work coming in on a daily basis, continue to invest about an hour per day in getting the word out on your work.

In ending, let me just say that you are as much of a writer as you see yourself as. If you believe in yourself enough to put the word out there on the internet, as well as locally, then you will eventually find yourself with plenty of work at your fingertips.

As a freelance writer, you are already aware that a true writer writes due to a love for the written word and a passion for being read. Nevertheless, there still exists a financial side of the writing realm. As much enjoyment and pleasure that we get out of seeing our words in print or on the internet, we still have bills that have to be paid. So, with that in mind, we have to be aware that there is a middle point to writing and making a living, a financial intersection, if you will. To succeed as a freelance writer, you have to know where this intersection is and now how to approach it.

Initially, let us take a look at the evolution of the financial side of freelance writing. The written word has come quite a distance in a relatively short period of time, entirely due to the culmination of the World Wide Web. The internet has brought the craft of freelance writing to a level never seen before. Freelance writers originally had to buy magazines and then submit potential articles with the knowledge that these articles might not be accepted. Originally, there was a constant financial investment and no guarantee that a paycheck would ever be written. In these times, you can find plenty of writers’ jobs online and know for a fact that you will get paid before you actually begin the writing process.

As freelancers, we also saw a great leap in writing opportunities directly after the online revolution that crossed us over into the web 2.0 eras. Prior to this point, most internet marketing was performed via emails. Now, due to search engine optimization and back links, we find that the opportunity to make a living through internet writing has expanded exponentially. There are plenty of jobs out there that pay a decent amount, but you have to know how to write a keyword rich article to make a living at it.

Now, armed with the knowledge of the past, let’s take a look at your present as a writer. Starting out, don’t expect to get rich. You have to make a name for yourself. This is a process that you will get through in time. Regardless, in beginning, you have to set a few financial guidelines to go by. For the amateur writer, or the beginner, don’t set those expectations too high, or too low for that matter. There are writers out there that produce 500 word articles every single day for 1 or 2 dollars per article. There is absolutely no reason for you to go this low. You simply cannot survive at that rate. Also, clients that are looking for good writers will automatically assume that those who charge that much will produce low-grade articles. For the beginner, there are two separate ways to that you should adhere in setting your rates.

The first option is that of “by word” writing. This means that you set a certain level that you will not go beneath. Most beginning writers will charge around one or two cents per word for their works. It is not a get rich quick rate, but one that will pay your bills and put some cash on the table. If you run across a job request that goes below this rate, no matter if you know about the subject, don’t take it. You have to stick to your financial guidelines. Once you drop below those guidelines, you will find yourself doing it more and more often. Your words are worth at least a penny or two each.

The other option, and one more often chosen by beginning writers, is the flat rate. The majority of beginners will generally want to get around five to ten dollars per article, regardless of the length. Of course, this is within reason, as you wouldn’t want to write a 10,000 word article for five dollars. The length is generally between five hundred to one thousand words.

Use your best judgment when considering what your financial gain must be. Factor in how many hours per day you will be writing, how much your monthly allowance for bills, food, and other aspects will be, and then break it all down into basic ideas on how much you need to survive. Write for that, and no less. You are a writer, and in that, you are a fairly rare commodity in these times. If you believe you are worth being hired, then you are worth being paid decently for. Stick to your guns and never underestimate your financial worth.

If you are a newbie, you want to check out the writing basics at our previous article how to become a writer.

Webster’s dictionary defines the word professional as an adjective that is “characterized by or conforming to the technical and/or ethical standards of a profession.” In the case of the professional writer, this phrase opens an entire realm of possibilities in taking your career a step beyond where you currently stand. After all, one aspect that reveals a writer as a professional is his or her personal drive to better their abilities as a literary artist. Without further ado, let us delve into five proven applications that will take you a step further in your writing.

1. Do not base your quality of content upon your paycheck.

Of course, as a professional writer, you have a certain financial level that you must receive for your services. It is a safe bet, however, that you do not have a maximum level. In many cases the average writer will write better content for the higher paying clientele, and provide less impressive content for the lesser paying client. This saves time and effort in the short term for the writer, but in the long term, it can be harmful. Your career will improve if you provide high-quality content to every client that you work for. This will help you develop a solid reputation throughout the literary community, if by no other manner, than simple word of mouth marketing by your clients.

2. Open new doors of opportunity.

Writers write about what they know, and that is as it should be. Nevertheless, there is always room for growth. Never write about something you are unfamiliar with, but at the same time, delve into other realms. Look for new areas of writing that are foreign to you, yet seem to intrigue you. Spend a certain amount of time studying these subjects or genres. Inevitably, the same old topics that you write about every day will begin to bore you. This way, you will have different topics when that day comes.

3. Proper Time Management

Time management is vital to the successful writer. When considering your weekly schedule, you must take into account already present assignments, upcoming deadlines, and even the possibility of unforeseen assignments popping up. It can be quite a chaotic profession. Nevertheless, even with all these various possibilities, it is quite important to have a schedule. Set a certain time to start writing five days per week, and a certain time to stop. It’s okay to cross over that line by a short while, but never spend all your time on one thing. This will lead to writers block or writers burn-out, two very problematic issues for the professional writer. Writing is a job, like any other, and must be treated as such.

4. Don’t write only for everyone else.

It seems that most writers are constantly wielding words for clients, but never for themselves. If you really wish to gain a wider following of both clientele and readers, take a short bit of time every week and write for yourself. Write about being a writer, or your hobby, or anything that interests you. Then, take that writing and post it all over the internet, or at various article marketing sites. Make sure your subject is one you are passionate about. When a possible client reads it and takes note of that passion in your words, they will remember your name.

5. Create a home office.

It is so easy to get distracted writing at home. There is the television, kids yelling, phone ringing, and so much more average everyday things going on around you that you cannot possibly put together good content. Writing at the kitchen table or on the living room couch simply does not work well. Set aside one area in your home, preferably an entire room, as your home office. Treat this area as if it were a client’s office that you work in. Keep a professional feel to it, lightly decorated, with everything you will need from your computer to a file cabinet. As much as possible, keep all noise away from this room. This will give you an “at-work” sensation and make it far easier to focus on finishing your work.

In ending, I would just like to toss out one extra little tip to improve your career. Always keep an open mind for new things, new concepts, and the possibilities of improvement.