The title says it all - add Adwords credits as a payment option for Adsense simply to keep more of our money.  Currently, many people (myself included) have Adsense on our websites but buy ads on Adwords so why not make things simple for everyone by having Adwords credits as reward for our Adsense dollars?

What’s In It for Google

For Google to decide doing this, there must be a reason for action. Here are a couple reasons for Google to think about:

Creates a Higher Demand for Ads
Once it becomes an option, more people will be willing to try this form of advertising which is only a good thing for Google. On top of that, people like me who already advertises with Google will probably be more encouraged to use it since the credits are already in our Adwords account!

Higher Ad Prices
One side benefit of having more demand is that each ad will naturally have a higher ad price! More ads with each ad having a higher price, isn’t this Google’s dream?

Keep Money From Leaving Google
Are there any other stronger reason? If I transfer $500 worth of credits from my Adsense account to Adwords, Google is guaranteed that they won’t have to pay me $500!

What’s In It for Us

Why am I pushing this? Here’s why:

Tax
Google’s legal department can probably come up with a workaround so the US folks don’t have to pay taxes for the Adwords credits they earn, so there will be some benefit for those that are US residents.  Sure, when we buy an ad, we can deduct the taxes right back but our tax accountant really doesn’t care too much about the extra paperwork, especially when there are 100 Adwords payments to deal with whenever she gets our expenses history.

Freedom
I want more freedom and having choices give us that. Whether many people will adopt this or not remains to be seen but the more control we have, the better!

Incentives
Since it makes so much sense for Google, I’m hoping that they will give an incentive for Adsense publishers that adopt this payment method. This could be an added bonus, gift, or something else which will benefit us.

It Would Be Cool
Not all reasons are for everyone. If Google actually adds this because of my post, wouldn’t it be cool?

My wife, Emma, has become an expert affiliate marketer without even knowing (or trying). I just got off the phone with her and once again, she convinced me to do something that I normally wouldn’t do.  I realized that if I can just learn what she already does so well, I can make a ton of money online.

Here are 7 things that makes her great at affiliate marketing.  If you are looking for ways to improve your tactics, then this article is for you.

1. Be an Expert - One of the main reasons why I listen to my wife is because of her expertise in the area.  She is amazing at cooking, and when she recommends using a certain tool or an ingredient, I listen.  In affiliate marketing, showing your expertise is important to get visitors to listen to your advice and buy that product you are pitching.  Without the perceived expertise in that area, no one will ever buy a product you recommend because you have no credibility.
2. Call to Immediate Action - I see the “call to action” advice everywhere, but not many people actually advises for immediate action.  I know that I tend to forget things when I don’t do it right away, so getting the reader to buy or submit their email address immediately is very important.  If they wait too long, it might be some other site’s cookie that gets the credit when your pitch actually made the sale!
3. Reminders - It normally takes a few reminders for someone to take action.  My wife would talk to me over the phone, email me and sometimes follow up with another call just to make sure I followed through on my promise.  In order to get visitors to take action, setup different places to remind people about the product you are pitching.  Write about the product you would like to pitch, then follow it up with a banner ad and perhaps another article telling your readers your experience with the product.
4. Show Confidence - My wife is extremely confident and it shows because when she speaks, people listen.  Show it in your tone when you write about the product you are recommending.  The last thing you want is to sound like you aren’t really sure whether they should buy or not.
5. Build Trust Way Before You Need to Call for Action - People buy a product from a trusted source, especially when its done online because there are too many scams out there.  Build that trust with your articles regularly and your readers will naturally follow your advice on products you pitch.  Otherwise, you will have to rely on an amazing one time pitch to accomplish the same task.  It’s the difference between a cold call and telling your friend about a new product.
6. Write Your Article For Your Readers - My wife will never try to convince me to buy a wallet because she knows I’m just not interested!  If your readers come to your blog because they love food, then don’t try to pitch a digital camera.  Focus your affiliate marketing on products and services that serve the needs of your readers.
7. Show By Example - Once your build trust, then letting your readers know about your experience and how you use the product is a great selling tool.  Write a review, talk about what you like and dislike about it and your readers will be intrigued and want more.
8. Don’t be Pushy - Give your readers every reason to take action but at the end of the day, let them decide.  There will be lots of people who just aren’t interested so don’t try to push them into making a decision!  Let them know how great the product is but if they choose to miss out, then let them be.  The worst thing you can do is be pushy and turn the readers off.  I know my wife would never push me too hard and us being happily married is a testimonial of that!

Thanks Emma!  I think all of us will become better affiliate marketers by following what you do so well!

July’s been a pretty good month for blog income.  I’m excited to report that I spoke with boss about transitioning myself out of my current position so I can pursue my online presence full time.  This means that I will have much more time to devote to this side of the business which will only mean great things about my blog income.

So far, the biggest part of my blog income is with private ads and it will probably stay that way for a while.  I’ve been trying to diversify my income stream the last month and have found some places that shows promise.  As I familiar myself with these new methods, I’m sure good things will happen!

During the last 4 days of the month, I also started playing around with affiliate marketing and it is a very exciting as I generated $50.05 in a couple days alone!  In the coming months, I will definitely be starting to focus more on this area and see where it will take me.

Enough rambling on.  Here’s the breakdown for July:

• Private Ads - $1908.36
• Text Link Ads - $830.23
• Link Worth - $546.25
• Adsense - $179.39
• Affiliate Marketing - $50.05
• Ebay Network Partners - $12.24
• Amazon - $1.84
• Total - $3528.36

Not earth shattering numbers but I enjoy what I do.  I didn’t start long ago so as I put more time and focus into this, I am sure the income will grow!  I will keep you updated!