LinkedTube™ is a Flash widget that adds link and sharing options to YouTube videos. With this you can transform any YouTube video into a useful viral promotion tool. Unlike standard YouTube players it links directly back to your URL, for example you can create video product listings linking direct to your shopping cart, music video links to the iTunes store or just link back to your website or blog. Plus, when others share your video they all link back to your own URL.

When you’re done filling out the form on their website to create your links, just click the up arrow in the lower right corner of the video frame to get your Flash widget or the link to the video on LinkedTube’s website.  Try it by clicking on the up arrow above and you’ll see my info.  Your URL is attached to the button in the upper right corner.  Hover over it to see more info you can put in the form.  If you click it, you’ll get taken to the URL you put in the form.  Click my button and see where it takes you.

I think you’ll love this approach to marketing your wares, and best of all, IT’S FREE!!!

Don’t worry,  it’s truly a free service with no strings attached and no OTO’s.

We all know that everyone is conscious about their environment these days.  Heck, everywhere you turn people need information about how to live the green lifestyle.  From organic to solar, people want to know how they can live with a low carbon footprint.

Well this is Profit Masters after all and we believe in passing along as many freebies as we can.  I found this one and want to pass it along to you for use in your blogs, newsletters, or membership sites to help you Master your Profits!  Run the video and then click the “Free Green Content” button to get the goodies.  And, yes, they’re FREE!

If you just want to get the freebie green content, then just click the button.  I hope you take the time to watch the video.  You can never get enough information.

When you are planning your newsletter, you need to decide how often your ezine or newsletter will be sent out to your subscribers. Basically, you need to create a schedule and stick with it. But how often should you publish? How much is too much and how often is not enough? When it comes to frequency, the usual choices are daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.

Daily – that means 365 newsletters a year. You could wear out your welcome even with your most devoted members.

Weekly – that is still a lot of work…52 letters a year…a little over 4 a month. Would your members appreciate that much mail from you?

Bi-weekly – Publishing an e-zine twice a month is just often enough to keep you fresh in your subscribers’ minds but not so often that they become annoyed with you.

Monthly – doesn’t seem often enough. Your members may forget about you and where your website lives on the Internet.

No matter what interval you choose, stick to it. People like consistancy. Just make sure that the interval you choose fits the message or service you’re providing to your membership.

We’re running a series on our Profit Masters Blog about Membership Sites. If you haven’t had the opportunity, please go to the beginning and start reading from there. Now on Profit Masters we’ve started talking about membership sites, niches, themes, and so forth. The next big question is how do I implement one? By implement I mean just how do I get the software, get it installed, and test it properly. There are alternatives.

For starters, you’ll need web space. You’ll have to have a web hosting account and, in most cases Linux server hosting is preferable. A large number of Web Hosts are using Apache web servers to handle their web service needs. Fortunately, most membership site scripts need or like to work on the Apache web server anyway.

Most of the scripts out there use Perl or other CGI scripting languages to build the membership site. If you don’t know what “Perl” or “CGI” is, no worries. You don’t really have to. You will have to know which version of “Perl” your software requires, if the membership software is written in Perl.

If you are using some other software package you’ll need to know the particulars regarding the scripting language it uses. You should also know what version of MySQL your Web Host is running. After all, you have to put all that information you collect somewhere. Check with the software provider. Some membership site scripts use text databases instead of MySQL.

I know this sounds daunting to a newbie Internet entrepreneur. But believe me you’ll muddle your way through it. Just remember the rewards from running a good membership site are worth a little bit of a learning curve. Most of the information you need is already at your fingertips. You pay your Web Host for providing you web space. They should, most do, provide every bit of info you need to install and implement your membership site. There is probably a FAQ page or HELP page with all this spelled out for you. You just have to farm a little bit of knowledge from them. If it isn’t in plain sight, then utilize their help desk. You’re their customer remember?

You can spend a bundle on membership software. It’s not uncommon to find packages that run over $2000! There are less expensive solutions. It depends on your needs. There is a free membership site package called Locked Area Lite. Many folks use it and it comes well documented. It’s a free download covered by the GNU General Public License. I’ve installed it on my Web Host’s server and it went pretty well. It’s written in Perl. Remember my mentioning Perl previously?

Perl is often referred to as the “duct tape of the Internet”.
from Locked-Area.com website

They also have a solution called Open Crypt, which has tons of features, BUT it’ll cost you a little money. The ticket price on this puppy is $1119 plus or minus a few cents. But that’s the full meal deal. You can get it for less by picking only the plugins you need. The base price is about $236 without any plugins.

Another alternative is a good CMS package. CMS stands for Content Management Site. There are a number of them out there. One package is Joomla. Another package is CMS Made Simple. There are many others out there. These two are free downloads and relatively easy to use. Here again installation is pretty straightforward. I’ve installed both at one time or another. The installation was script oriented and all I needed to do was to plug in the information required and I was set.

Most CMS packages are PHP based, so you’ll need to know which version of PHP your Web Host is running and which version of MySQL they provide. Also you’ll need to set up a MySQL database to hold the data used by the CMS program. This doesn’t take any MySQL skills. You just set up the database in your Web Hosts Cpanel. Some hosts don’t use Cpanel. Mine doesn’t. They provide another option, but it usually isn’t a chore to get the database cranked up. If you have questions then go visit their help system for answers.

Your CMS site will come with templates for presentation purposes. Again these can be found for free. Many times the home site for the software will point you to free template sites. You don’t HAVE to download any templates, though. The CMS program will have some bundled in the download. Most can be customized to your specific need. You don’t have to have any HTML or PHP skills to use the software, but it never hurts to learn a little to tweak your templates.

There are other CMS downloads on the Internet. There are also sites that would love to sell you their CMS and customize it for you. These places will cost you for the services and software. Remember; start out with the least expensive software (FREE) as possible. You can always go with a more complex solution later if you have a need that calls for it.

Any way you look at it you need to do your homework. That’s what the Internet’s good for, isn’t it? Who knows, you might just find the little software gem that fills your bill without spending an arm and a leg. Also remember this, there’s nothing written in stone that says you’re stuck with any particular software package. Just keep good backups and you’ll be able to migrate or upgrade your membership site as the need arises.

If you still feel daunted by the thought of trying a membership site install or you’ve tried and something just doesn’t seem to work the way you think it should, you can always find a nerd or two who’ll do it for a fee. Most of the home sites for these packages have an install service available. But please, give it a try first. It most always works right the first time. And it you do have a problem; use their help desk or forum. Most all of these software providers, free or not, have an active forum. Join up and learn something.

We’ve been plowing through the basics of membership sites. Now we start to get a bit more specific. Still there’s a few more general concepts to discover. Enjoy….

Basically, a free membership site is a site where the user is not charged a membership fee to use the site but is required to supply their e-mail address, choose a user name and password to enter the site, participate in the discussions and activities. Sometimes free memberships are limited to less useful information or access while paid memberships have full access.

A large entity like MSN, for example, allows members to access most things on their sites without the need for any sign in procedure at all but, in order to join a group, you must supply your email address, choose a user name and a password. The use of the site is still free. However, to use MSN as your ISP or to gain enhanced email resources you will be required to pay for it.

In the same way, an individual might start a free membership website. There would be no charge at all to access the site. To gain access to limited information would require supplying an email address, choosing a user name and a password. To gain full access to the site would most likely require payment if the information they are providing merits a fee. Some sites never charge a membership fee and rely solely on selling their own product or promoting products produced by others as a source of income.

Free membership sites very rarely, if ever, supply information that you couldn’t easily acquire on the Internet yourself. An individual who sets up a free membership site doesn’t do it for free so they will be planning to make an income in some way. Usually free membership sites are for the purpose of selling a product or service. Some information will be provided but supplying information is not the main objective.

Stay tuned for Article #7 “Starting a Paid Membership Site”

Want to get regular updates on this series? Then fill in the form below and I’ll nudge you when I post it:

So now you know what membership sites are and their different models, if you’ve been following this series. If you haven’t, then shame on you! You can easily find the previous posts and catch up. Here is our fifth posting in this series of articles. Email an interested buddy and share this series with them.

When you are deciding on the theme for your membership site, it is best if you can choose a theme that concerns something you are really interested in…even passionate about. Remember that you will be spending a lot of time keeping your membership informed, keeping your website interesting and keeping relevant and timely content on your website and in your ezine that you send out regularly.

If you choose to start a membership site about…say….dogs. Just dogs in general won’t attract many members. You will need to choose a specific breed….and possibly even narrow it down further. Instead of Poodles, your theme should be; Tiny Toy Poodles, Miniature Poodles, or Standard Poodles, for example. Millions of people are dog lovers and the theme of a specific breed of dog should do well.

If you are really into video or computer games, start a membership site devoted to one specific game… not just video games or computer games in general. People all over the world and from every walk of life get really involved with a specific video or computer game and love to talk to others about the game and give each other hints.

There are thousands…maybe millions…of people who love certain crafts and hobbies. However, those who love to quilt aren’t interested in wood working so your membership site should be about a specific craft or hobby.

Professionals like to talk to other professionals in the same field. Each professional field speaks their own language and find the same things to be interesting, informative or funny. So if you start a membership site for professionals, you should get a good response.

A membership website with the theme, ‘Resell Rights’, should do well, also. This kind of site will need to be kept updated on a regular basis.

Stay tuned for Article #6 “Starting a Free Membership Site”

Want to get regular updates on this series? Then fill in the form below and I’ll nudge you when I post it:

Here’s where you get a handle on what types of membership sites work for the internet marketer. This is the fourth of fifteen articles we’ll be publishing in our Membership Site series. If you have found it useful, please refer a friend. Sharing is fun.

So let’s get started on membership models. The model you decide upon for your membership site is of the utmost importance and the one you choose depends upon your objectives. There are basically two types of membership sites. There are free sites and there are paid for sites. The two types of membership sites have one thing is common. Their memberships are made up of people who share a common need or have a common interest.

You can, of course, buy a domain, set up a website and not charge for memberships but choose who to admit and who not to admit. Or you can just set up a site on an already established network. Two examples of free membership sites are Group sites on MSN and groups on Yahoo. It costs nothing to set these sites up and there is no charge at all for a person to join.

There are no paid administrators or moderators. Each site sets its own rules for how to join and the code of conduct for the site. The site topics are many and varied. There are many “support” sites for those with health problems or concerns and for those who have suffered the loss of loved ones. There are sites for those who are passionate about crafts like quilting or wood working. There are sites for those who love to travel. There are sites for different age groups from teens to seniors. The sites include chat software and a limited amount of space for posting pictures, documents and links per member. The free sites do not have such things as access to specialized data or lists. They don’t give access to such things as music lessons.

Paid for membership sites are set up by businesses or individuals with the objective of making money by supplying hard to find information, access to specialized data or lists, or instruction in various fields. Membership sites are owned and operated by people who either own the sites or who are hired by the site owners to monitor and administer them. The topics for paid for membership sites are even more varied than the free sites and certainly more specialized.

Stay tuned for Article #5 “Suggested Membership Site Themes”

Want to get regular updates on this series? Then fill in the form below and I’ll nudge you when I post it:

Here’s a quick note of interest. Mike Filsaime’s Traffic Fusion launched a few days ago. He still has some spots left AND he’s condesended to offer a 4 Pay Plan for the package. So if you visited the Traffic Fusion site and loved the product but thought it was our of your pocket book, then take another look. Here’s the link to Traffic Fusion’s 4 Pay Plan.

As promised here’s yet another post on membership sites in general. But in this post we’ll be a tad more specific. In the next article, we’ll discuss membership models and the right one for your needs. Stay tuned…..

There are basically two types of membership sites. There are free sites and there are paid for sites. The two types of membership sites have one thing is common. Their memberships are made up of people who share a common interest or have a common need.

You can, of course, buy a domain, set up a website and not charge for memberships but choose who to admit and who not to admit. This is done when the profit is intended to come from sales to members after they join the site. There are free network sites that might be used for your purposes. Two examples of free membership sites are Group sites on MSN and groups on Yahoo. It costs nothing to set these sites up and there is no charge at all for a person to join. There are no paid administrators or moderators.

Each site sets its own rules for how to join and the code of conduct for the site. The site topics are many and varied. There are many “support” sites for those with health problems or concerns and for those who have suffered the loss of loved ones. There are sites for those who are passionate about crafts like quilting or woodworking. There are sites for those who love to travel. There are sites for different age groups from teens to seniors. The sites include chat software and a limited amount of space for posting pictures, documents and links per member. The free sites do not have such things as access to specialized data or lists. They don’t give access to such things as music lessons.

Paid for membership sites are set up by businesses or individuals with the objective of making money by supplying hard to find information, access to specialized data or lists, or instruction in various fields. Membership sites are owned and operated by people who either own the sites or who are hired by the site owners to monitor and administer them. The topics for paid for membership sites are even more varied than the free sites and certainly more specialized.

Stay tuned for Article #4 “Deciding on Your Membership Model”

Want to get regular updates on this series? Then fill in the form below and I’ll nudge you when I post it:

As I promised, here is installment 2 of the Membership Site Series. Please share it with your friends and associates. Heads up… we’ll be covering the different types of membership sites in the upcoming post. Also, just as a reminder, Mike Filsaime’s TrafficFusion debuts tomorrow, 16 September,2008. If you haven’t gone to his site and watched the video, then shame on you! It’s definately worth the time! Here’s the link to TrafficFusion and the superb video presentation.

Now for the Membership Site post I promised…..

Here’s a cold, hard fact.. People are willing to pay for online content. In fact, the “Online Publishers Association” said that pay-for content is emerging as a hot revenue model. Business content, personals/match making, and entertainment are the hottest niches. But even smaller niches, like DVD authoring, sports coaching, marketing services, and dieting are producing profits.

You can sell subscriptions for online content with your own membership site? Selling online content by way of a password protected website has become big business. Not only is it fast to set up, but the start-up and running costs are minimal. Work from home entrepreneurs and big businesses alike are tapping into this new-found revenue source.

Less than nine percent of online users currently pay for online content. This means the market is wide open for the savvy entrepreneur. Paying for content in 2005 was more than 5 times what it was in 2004. That’s a whopping 500% growth! Those who capture the market first in their niche will have the obvious advantage and it’s an international market, so anyone can play.

One of the great things about starting a membership site is you can take your hobby, specialized knowledge or profession and turn it into a profitable business. Your challenge will be finding exclusive content. You can start it part time but it will likely develop into a full time business.

Planning for and setting your site up for auto-responders, automated sign-ups, credit card processing, automated cancellations, etc is all part of a successful membership website. Starting and running a membership site can be a lot of fun and very exciting, however you need to know what’s involved in setting one up, and then managing it effectively.

This whole process can seem a bit daunting. However, as complex as this seems, many companies offer a low cost, easy-to-use software solution. This makes it possible for almost anyone to start and market a membership site at a very low cost.

Stay tuned for Article #3 “The Different Types of Membership Sites”

Want to get regular updates on this series? Then fill in the form below and I’ll nudge you when I post it:

Click on this link so you won’t forget to head over to the TrafficFusion website and check out their killer video!

Now I know that I owe you the next installment of my Membership Site series. It’ll be on the way shortly. But I just HAD to pass this goodie on to all y’all! I got a quick look at Mike Filsaime’s newest product. It rocks! So I just had to share…

I just spent some time looking over Mike newest product. It ain’t out yet, as a matter of fact. It will be hitting the web on the Sixteenth of September,2008. Pardon the hyperbole, but this one will blow you away! Features, features, and more features. If you do affiliate marketing or product marketing, you’ll need to try this puppy. At least check out the killer video that demo’s the product.

Mike’s calling it TrafficFusion and the software that power’s it is called Hyperjava. Now how does this help me, you say? Well for starters it helps with organizing your campaigns and the work that goes with that. The bottom line is that it also helps you move more product. Let me say this again, it helps you MOVE MORE PRODUCT!

Now, I’m not about to give away all the poop on Mike’s new offering. I couldn’t do it any justice anyway. That’s more writing than I want to do at one time. My suggestion is to go see Mike’s New Video. Take the time and check out the big bundle of helpful and profitable features in the product. Mike Filsaime’s Video explains it all!

If for no other reason than general curiosity, I’d head on over there. You’ll actually learn a few tricks just watching the Video.