Bum marketing is so called because even a bum can make money using this method. You need no outlay and can start with nothing. Absolutely zilch!

I had absolutely zilch because I had maxed out 7 credit cards. I used to laugh when I read about others doing that with just two, but I did it myself in spades! My only word to you would be very careful how you use PPC programs like Adwords because I wasnt. But thats another story.

I discovered bum marketing because if there is one thing I am good at, it is writing. Bum marketing involves finding a profitable niche, or one that could be profitable. It has to be something with a reasonable large following, and a reasonable number of topics attached to it. Like fly fishing or quilting, or something similar. Something that is followed by people you would expect to have money. You dont want people flinching at paying $97 for a product related to their hobby or interest.

You then have to find some decent keywords. For bum marketing it doesnt matter too much if there is competition for them, but not too general. Not quilting but perhaps hand quilting machines or deep throat quilters. Then get a website set up. You can get a cheap functional site for under $5 a month and then set up a website. A sales page for a product and a few pages with some content. If you can get it, register a domain name that is the same as, or relates to, one of the keywords you have chosen.

Write a few articles on the topic of your website, and use one for each of the web pages. Bum marketing is all about article writing. You should have one web page for each keyword you are using relating to your website. Find a few products to sell. If you have your own then great, but if not sell affiliate products.

Then write a few more articles and submit them to article directories. Each directory will allow you what is known as an Authors Resource Box in which you can say a little about yourself and provide a URL for people to click on for more information. The URL should lead to a page that relates to the topic of the article, and should ideally be a text link with the keyword or phrase that is the title of your web page. The text link should be hyperlinked to the page; what is termed an active link.

If the directory does not specifically provide a Resource Box, you can add that information after your article. It has to be included and will go with your article whenever it is copied and used. The article will not only bring you traffic, but also valuable links back to your web pages.

It is important that you continue to write and keep pumping out new articles. I like to write two every week and send them off to the top 25 directories. Thats all I have to do because most of the top 25 provide material to other directories, and before you know it your articles are all over the internet. Thats bum marketing.

As I said, even a bum with no money can do it. I know, because I was that bum at one time. I am no longer!

Higher the traffic better the sales
It is a proven fact that among the billions of pages that are searched by search engines only a few make it to the top and these top 30 websites make the most business. Type in digital camera software for instance and you will understand what I mean. Do you remember how many times have you gone beyond the 3-4th page of your search page results? I would expect the same behavior from 99.9% of the Internet surfers as no one has the time to go beyond the top 30 listed pages. I am exaggerating when I say top 30 because mostly the top 10 get 75% of the hits. So if you are not at the top you are losing on a huge chunk of sales, unless you are advertising locally and are limited to a local business.

Google adwords is worth a mention at this point as millions use them and know their importance. The users of google adwords know that they will get listed at the top page (sponsored listing) for the specified keywords. However, they do not estimate the sales that they will make. They can easily do it in a month and then change their bid amount to be paying less in advertising on google. Being listed in the top page does not mean that you will end up with guaranteed sales. You need to have a real good sales page that will make the “buyer” feel the need to buy it. Remember it is all about making him feel that he needs it.

Search engine optimization will propel your page to the top 10 without having to pay for the adwords campaign that is a pay per click campaign and you might end up paying far more than your sales. Having said this if you choose the niche keywords for your campaign and have a good sales copy you are bound to make a lot out of the campaign. Out of thousands who click to your page at least 50 should buy your product.

The million-dollar question
How will you benefit from SEO? How much should you spend?
If you have a good product and at a reasonable price compared to competition and feel that you can garner enough sales once your website receives traffic SEO will benefit you by providing you with exposure for the chosen keywords ( a proper keyword analysis for searches per month for that chosen keyword) will be conducted by the SEO expert. Depending on the competition you have for those keywords the plan will be chalked out by him. Sometimes only on-page SEO may take you to the top however, nowadays SEO has become a popular career with many top websites spending huge amounts on SEO to be listed in the top.

Your expense should depend on how much sale you are bound to make. A proper estimation of this can be drawn after the first month that you are listed in the top 10. Your expense can range from any where between $250-$2500 depending on the competition you face.

Be careful while choosing an SEO firm or person as they can use spammed techniques that can get you banned from search engines.

We’re going to discuss how you can make money from these freebie seekers by not selling them any products.

You’re going to send these people to companies which will pay you for each lead you send them.

These pay per lead companies will pay you each time you send them a visitor who does one of a few things:

1.) Fills out a form to request a free sample
2.) Downloads a free software program
3.) Signs up for a newsletter

What’s important to know is that these people will not be handing over any money to the company. Yet, you can still generate an income by sending visitors to these companies.

That’s because these companies know that they will make back the money they invest in paying for the leads.

Here is a reputable company which will bring you quality pay per lead offers: http://www.azoogleads.com

There are many others in various niches. You can find them through Google.

You’ve found the lead companies. Now you need to find the freebie seekers and do some match making. Have a look at any of the various keyword research tools on the market. You’ll find tons of people searching free stuff.

These freebie seekers don’t stop at just one freebie. When they’re on a roll, they’ll practically run over anybody that gets in their way to find more free offers.

There’s another similar market that you could even tackle. That’s the coupon market. People who are searching for all sorts of coupons and rebates for products online.

There are enough companies using Adwords to advertise their sites that you could set up a content site and make money by placing Adsense ads on your sites.

I used to wonder how these sites were making money when their focus was on free stuff. Now using pay per lead programs and Adsense, I can see how much money there is flowing in this niche.