Creating your own content can be a challenge if you publish your own online newsletter or eZine.

However, regardless of any topic you are publishing on, types of contents can be generally divided into four categories, namely factual content, short tips, mini stories and case studies.

Other than writing your own content, you can get your own unique content the quick and easy way by organizing an interview with an expert or leader in the topic.

Very often, this can be done for free and since the interviewee is writing out most of the content, there is nothing else for you to do other than giving the interviewee something valuable in exchange (maybe a meal!).

Now if you have money to spare, you can hire a ghostwriter to write your content for you without taking any credit. Recommended professional marketplaces where you can seek ghostwriters include http://www.elance.com/ and http://www.rentacoder.com/.

Another little known and underused method in getting your own content is via public domains. If you are not familiar with the term “public domain”, “public domain” simply means anything that is NOT protected under US copyright law.

This includes ALL works published before 1923 and, under certain conditions, works published up to 1978. And in this case, we are referring ìworksî to written materials such as reports, articles and books.

Republishing and repackaging public domain information can help you save time and effort from creating new ideas and content as they are readily available. On top of that, you do not have to pay royalties or copyright fees on that work.

If you fancy the idea of publishing content without any writing on your part, this method is for you.

Can I have your Attention Please!

That’s pretty much what internet marketer and coach James Brown calls out after the following paragraphs:

If you aren’t using video to promote you products then you are completely missing the boat. Video is the best way to promote your products and if you aren’t using it then you are literally allowing money to slip through your hands and into the pockets of someone else who is using video.

Put another way, if you aren’t using video then you are still living in 2001, still trying to sell like it’s 2001, but everyone who’s buying is years beyond that.

He is so right! I have been in the Film Biz for 18+ years and have help sell you all Verizon Phone’s (Can you hear me now?) Budweiser, Pepsi, Hotels, Food, Soap, Apple Computers (and Microsoft. . .). I have also helped introduce you to new music via the music video. Or should I say sell you music by the likes of Aerosmith, Cher, Elton John, Celine Dion, Def Leppard, No Doubt and a whole lot more. How? The power of video. Only then it was over the TV. Nothing has changed, only the delivery method. That is why Hollywood is scrambling. They are trying to figure out how to leverage the power of the internet to unleash their considerable marketing skills. You know why the haven’t figured it out? They are still using an old model that used to work on television. For their old, tired model to work, they need to reach millions (good luck with the fragmented internet audience, with literally millions of choices). You, on the other hand, need only reach hundreds or thousands. The idea here is to keep your costs down.

The low end of cost of a national TV commercial produced for a major advertiser is around $100,000! And that’s for 30 seconds! I know this, because this is my business. You on the other hand can produce your own video virtuallly for free (if you’re clever).

So what are you waiting for? Shoot some video, post it online, and use some good keywords in the description and the title. Remember, you are selling something but keep it fun. The idea here is to use the video to help you improve your search ranking and drive new [potential] customers to your site. . .

So, like James Brown (the internet marketer, not the Godfather of Soul) says, “Stop living in the past”.

There are a bunch of social media websites that you can become a part of today like Myspace and Twitter, and they all have their good and bad. The best way to choose a community to become a part of is to evaluate the people who are members. In my opinion, Facebook is one of the best internet meeting places for networking - both personally and professionally. I also use Linked In and Myspace. Of all the social networks, Facebook is the best website when it comes to all around marketing and networking.

I have been using Facebook for the past two years, and it is an outstanding tool to add to your marketing arsenal. Following are 10 steps you can use on Facebook to introduce new people to your for FREE!

1. Build an Excellent Profile: This is absolutely the FIRST thing that you must do to make an impact on Facebook . Think of your Facebook profile as part of your branding strategy. A effective profile will include a picture of you. Don’t use the one of you doing shots at the local bar, unless that’s what your selling. Make sure your new Facebook profile is complete. You should include your contact information, your website address (this is very important), education, work history and your personal interests. A complete profile is the only way to go.

2. Add Friends: This is what sets Facebook apart - the ability meet new people, build relationships and sustain them. The more friends you have, the more profitable your marketing efforts will be. You can use Facebook’s own tools to find friends that already belong to Facebook. Once you add your friends, you can search for kindred spirits. Make their acquaintance, become their friend, build a relationship. One unique feature on Facebook is that you can see friends of your friends. This will help you build a monstrous network in no time.

3. Join Groups: You can join online groups on Facebook that are associated with what you do. There are groups for filmmakers, musicians, and experts of all kinds. Almost every supposable kind of professional service provider has some kind of group on Facebook. I belong to many Facebook groups and have made tons of new contacts this way.

4. Create your Own Facebook Group: Can’t find a group that really fits? Create your own! You can add members, publish articles, initiate some great discussions, and surely find quite a few new people. And even if you find good group to belong to, start your own. This gives you the chance to be the trendsetter!

5. Syndicate your Blog Using RSS: You can syndicate your own blog on your personal profile page. This essentially means that every time you make a post, it will automatically show up on your profile page. More Exposure = More Readers = More Leads = More Business. And the bonus is the back links to your site. I syndicate headlines from three of my blogs on Facebook.

6. Comment on Other Peoples Profiles: Are you a follower or admirer of someone’s work? Reach out to them on Facebook! Lots of my business contacts check their Facebook messages more repeatedly than their email. They are also more likely to respond to Facebook messages. Don’t feel quite right sending out a message to someone you don’t know? Don’t worry! Leave them a “just saying hi!” or “Your cool!” comment on their wall. All profiles come with “virtual walls” where visitors can leave a comment. The more messages you leave on your friend’s Facebook profiles the more exposure you get!

7. List your Events: Launching a New Service? Create an events page and invite everyone you want. You can even see who RSVPed and get feedback from your guests. Marketing doesn’t get much simpler (or cheaper!) than this.

8. Send Virtual Gifts: Want to show your appreciation for someone? Send them a virtual gift. You can choose from a bunch of Flowers to a potted plant that actually sits on the your friends profile and grows over time (plus hundreds of others). With all the third party applications for gift giving available, what are you waiting for. This is a proven way to build strong relationships!

9. Use Some Cool Apps: Facebook has literally tons of applications that were built just for the site. Event planners, testimonial gatherers, News and more. When you use an application, you get to invite your friends to use these interesting mini applications (Apps). So just like number 8 above, this allows you another way to interact with your friends on Facebook. Again, this helps you build strong relationships.

10. Create a Community: More than likely Facebook’s greatest benefit is that it allows you to build a community. It intoduces you to a group of people who are constantly connected to you, and your Facebook friends are open to hearing your message. Write on people’s walls, give them feedback, and introduce them to each other. Start building your brand and leveraging Facebook for business building!

Facebook is a wonderful place to introduce yourself to a bunch of new people who may also become customers and/or clients. Just remember one thing: don’t get too carried away and spend all your time there. Facebook is a tool, part of your business strategy. Use the tips above, use them wisely and have a little fun at the same time.

Finally an article in the mainstream press that gets it. In today’s Los Angeles Times there is (was, if your reading this another day) a very goood article about Facebook. The article, titled: Heads are turning to Facebook really does a great job of explaining the position that Faceboook finds itself in today.

As The Article explains, Facebook started in a Harvard University dorm room less than four years ago, and first spread like wildfire among college students. Last year, it opened membership to the world, and the wildfire is still raging. Facebook now has more than 54 million users, second among social networking sites behind only Beverly Hills-based MySpace. And it’s sucking up Web traffic and Silicon Valley engineering talent.

Facebook is taking some of the attention away from Silicon Valley darling Google. And why is it gettting all this attention? The social networking site’s rocketing growth, cheeky business strategies and staggering valuation. Speaking of valuation, Facebook’s 23-year-old co-founder and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, suddenly finds himself in a position to one day replace Google co-founder Sergey Brin as the technology industry’s youngest self-made billionaire. This thanks a $15 billion market valuation.

Pretty amazing stuff considering that not long ago everyone sat slack-jawed at the $500 million+ pricetag that MySpace commanded.

Read the LA Times Article here.

Drop shadows were all the rage in the early 90s print world and have now extended into the web space to become a staple in the Web 2.0 style. . . So says this great article on Metafluence.

Now there are quite a few new design conventions available to web designers in this new 2.0 era.

Gradients, 45° angled lines, glossy buttons, wet floor reflections, and bright colors are all traits common to the Web 2.0.

This article posed a lot of good questions and I believe that they are worth asking. With all the slick new tools available for designers I look forward to a brand new era of design.

Colors are brighter, button have become glossy and the new Web 2.0 sites are not show about using strong colors.

Like the Metafluence article states, I too believe that Apple was really the trendsetter in the aesthetic journey that we see in Web 2.0. Come on. . . Ever since Apple’s aqua interface hit the scene, web asthetic has never been the same.

Read the whole article here

When choosing a topic to publish your eZine on, you must consider some important success factors that can determine the flow and goal of your eZine.

You are encouraged to write non-time sensitive contents such as short tips, mini stories and interviews. Doing so enables you to create content in advance so that you can conveniently dispense to your subscribers at a later schedule.

Topic-wise, you will do well to cater to a starving market that will always be on demand for the kind of content you offer. And by this, I mean that you should zero in onto a demand that has been, is and will always be there.

Relationships and dating are niches that have been on Earth long before the World Wide Web came up, for example. The food niche will always be there as long as there are chefs cooking for anyone with a stomach to fill.

Having said that, you also want to have a steady stream of products or services of your own or an affiliate for you can endorse to your mailing list and make even more money.

This is also the reason why the Internet Marketing niche will remain one of the hottest niches there is, as products and services are created almost around the clock. As long as there Internet Businesses cropping out, there will always be needs to be fulfilled.

I found a pretty great article entitled “Promoting Your Product with Organic Search“, by Michael Fleischner

It goes right along with what I am always telling my clients - You can go broke using paid advertising to drive traffic to your site.  You will be much more successful using a handful of techniques beyond the garden variety SEO to get visitors.

Many small business owners do not have the resources needed to effectively manage online marketing or the experience to implement productive pay-per-click advertising campaigns. This really does take expert level knowledge.  But with a few tips and tricks from the best internet marketers in the world scaled down for the real world you can achieve a level of success that will rise far above the online success of the typical small business.

Inbound links and compelling content are 2 of the factors that will greatly increase the amount of “organic” trafic you receive.  These factores will increase page rank and search engine ranking.

Like Michael says in the article, “A great place to start your off-page optimization effort is through link building. Find other websites who are willing to exchange links with you, place a one-way link on their site to yours, or perhaps provide a link to unique content or tools you offer. By getting other websites to point to your website, you are well on your way towards enhancing organic search results.”

I will add to this the importance of good and riveting content that will get the visitor hooked and coming back for more, thus increasing you chances of conversion. . .

As with any other types of businesses, publishing your own online newsletter a.k.a. eZine has its share of drawbacks, in spite of the several benefits it offer.

The purpose of this article is not to scare you away with the disadvantages of publishing your own eZine, as the benefits are often more attractive. However, I will also show you how you can easily tackle the cons.

One obvious challenge most beginning eZine publishers face is the creation of eZine content. Creating your own content can be tiresome, especially if you are not a gifted writer and that you run out of ideas every so often that your publishing schedule is threatening you.

A way of taking care of this problem is to create your content in advance. You can compile 30 days worth of content in one day, for example. If you are not blessed with writing skills, you can broker the writing task to capable freelance writers which you can find at places such as http://www.elance.com/ or http://www.rentacoder.com/. While you need to pay for such services, you are at liberty to take the credit for written articles.

Alternatively, you can republish articles from article directories such as http://ezinearticles.com/. This is a free method you can use in making content, provided you include the resource box of the original author and that the article has republishing rights conveyed.

In conclusion, you can easily tackle the content creation challenge using the mentioned methods that do not require writing on your part, free or paid.

Google may have just come out of nowhere and checkmated Facebook in the social networking power struggle. Oh really. . .

MySpace and Six Apart will announce that they are joining Google’s OpenSocial initiative. Silicon Alley Insider reported the MySpace rumor earlier today. We’ve confirmed that from an independent source, as well as the fact that Six Apart is joining. Per the update below, Google has also confirmed Bebo is joining.

This according to Tech Crunch

Facebook is publicly saying they have not officially talked to Google about OpenSocial. Although sources say that that Facebook and Google have been talking about OpenSocial…including today. So pleading ignorance won’t last as a strategy for dealing with the OpenSocial movement.

You gotta love it. . . intrigue running rampant. Personally, I think it’s so cool that Google is developing this platform! Remember my previous post and my theory about Google’s bid attempt (?) for that coveted piece of Facebook. . .

I’m gonna have to learn how to build apps!

Part of me loves a renegade until they hack into my servers and create an email bomb. . . bastards.

Just ran across this great blog: Tech Crunch and a great article written by Michael Arrington

Today there is a story about a developer who goes by the alias “theharmonyguy” and describes himself as “just an amateur” who evidently hacked into the RockYou OpenSocial application on Plaxo called emote.

At this stage I think it is pretty good to discover vulnerability in these apps. Better now than later!

I really like the idea of OpenSocial. I think the cross platform ability of these apps to perform is a pretty nifty idea. This gets me thinking. . . Google didn’t conceive of this idea after losing a bid against Microsoft to acquire a bit of Facebook, methinks. . . Maybe they just forced up the price increasing the (pre) value of Maka Maka. . .

Ah. . . I deviate. . . Oh yes, OpenSocial hackers. . .

Read the story from Tech Crunch here

There are several advantages publishing your own eZine can offer to you. Thus if the pros appeal to you, then publishing your own paperless newsletter can be ideal for you.

The most obvious reason publishing an eZine can be the most ideal business to you is that it is so easy to start that any individual can do. There is no need to invest in starting a brick and mortar business or even staff and heavy machines for that matter.

In fact, you can do this from the comfort of your home as the most important thing you will need is an auto responder equipped with broadcast feature. Auto responders such as GetResponse.com and aWeber.com are highly recommended when it comes to publishing your own eZine.

In spite of the low start up cost and monthly fees, you can make money from several profit centers within the spaces of your eZine issues. You can make money from selling advertising space, just to name one.

Most importantly, you get to build your own personal media and spread your marketing influence, making you more valuable to product and service owners thus do not be surprised if you receive Joint Venture proposals every so often.

Given some of the best reasons in the world of Internet Marketing, publishing your own periodical eZine can one of the best money vehicles you will ever acquire or even build.