A few years back I posted about the Great Cloth Diaper Hunt, an online scavenger hunt. Several small businesses, especially work-at-home-mom companies, sponsor the event by hiding a GCDH icon somewhere on their site. Thousands of hunters look for the hidden icons on the various sites, hoping to win the grand prize or even smaller daily prizes.

While the name of the hunt focuses on cloth diapering, many of the sponsors have other types of businesses. I’ve seen soap makers, knitters, jewelry designers, and more in the past.

Theda K. Communications, my writing company, is a sponsor this year! Please show your support by registering for the hunt, which starts May 1 and ends May 31, 2012. You can register anytime before it ends. Make sure you tell them that Theda K. Communications sent you (I might win free ad space if I refer lots of folks).

The hunt is really fun, and you learn a lot about cloth diapering and other small businesses. I remember fondly how much I learned while my daughter was still a baby (seems like a lifetime ago). I hope you register and enjoy the hunt! And if you have a small business, consider becoming a sponsor when the next hunt starts.

If you missed out on International Freelancers Day in September, don’t fret. Until October 31, 2010, they have posted a few replays for free. If you like what you see, you can sign up to see the entire conference (also for free)! Just go to the International Freelancers Day replay page and get started. But hurry! It only lasts until October 31, 2010.

I did get a chance to see a few of the presentations, and they were simply wonderful. You certainly can’t beat the price. So what are you waiting for? Go check it out. But do let us know how you liked them. I can’t wait until next year!

So you’ve written riveting copy, your site is flashy and fun, and visitors flock to it from your numerous Tweets and Facebook updates. You’ve got a great product or service to sell, and people seem really interested. But people don’t always buy on their first visit. And unfortunately, it seems like many visitors never make it back to your site. Maybe they forgot, maybe they just got really busy, or maybe they found one of your competitors.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a tool that brings them back, without having to first get them to sign up for a newsletter?

I just found out about an intriguing concept called remarketing. Remarketing places your site’s ad in front of people who’ve already been to your site in the past. They’re already your target market (they did make it to your site in the first place, after all). This technique is basically retargeting the advertising, recapturing initial visitors.

So how do you remarket your website’s ads? Luckily, there are several retargeting companies that will take care of the logistics for you. One company, whose site I had a chance to review, is Recrue Media. Their site also explains the concept and methodology pretty well. It’s definitely worth taking a look. Bringing visitors back to your site is crucial for an online business.

How do you market to visitors that have left your site?

A quick follow-up to my post about the Rapid Video Blogging program. Gideon Shalwick recently did a webinar where he answered people’s burning questions. Check out the tell-all webinar here.

If you’re serious about getting started with video blogging, it may be wise to take Gideon’s course. After you see the webinar or read the report, head over to the signup page.

Sorry to get this out so late, but his course closes in less than 2 days.

Ready to get started? You can join the Rapid Video Blogging course as long as you act fast.

One of the common themes on Crayon Writer is making money online - something I do, but something I strive to do even better. Believe it or not, I had NO idea that I could make money with YouTube and video blogging. Maybe I’m just the last to know, but in case I’m not, let me tell you about my friend Gideon Shalwick who has it down to a science.

How many videos have you watched today? How about YouTube videos? If you do ANYTHING online, you cannot help but watch at least a few YouTube videos daily.

But did you know there’s a way to make money off of YouTube? And NO – you don’t need a channel with millions of views every month.

Gideon Shalwick, an online video expert, has it all figured out.

And he’s telling it ALL in a 92-page, easy-to-read, report he just put out for you and me: Rapid Video Blogging. I sure thought I’d heard it all before. But after reading Gideon’s hotly awaited report…I realize this is a Whole New Game!

After you download Gideon’s free Rapid Video Blogging report, also check out the video that comes up. Because I just bet it opens your eyes to how ANYONE can succeed online without having to bow down to gurus. In fact, doing it Your Way is the KEY to this system. Check out the report that got the industry buzzing
about it even before it got out!

PS. Gideon has fine-tuned his method over years of experimentation, and it’s all in there, at zero cost.
So if you’d rather ditch outdated methods of making money online, this is the place to be:

Rapid Video Blogging

Once you’re done reading the report and watching the first video, check out the second and third videos. Gideon cranks out cool videos pretty much as fast as he can think. In the second video, he takes us behind the scenes of his famed home studio setup, showing us everything from lighting to editing to ‘getting comfortable’ tips. In the third video he goes through a case study of an ordinary guy whose making decent money on the topic of acne.

You can find the report and all three videos here, at Rapid Video Blogging.

Will YOU be the next Rapid Video Blogging success story? You’ll have your chance very soon!

Being a freelance writer, I love my laptop dearly. It’s like a second child. I can take it almost anywhere, even though I did opt for a pretty heavy laptop. I wanted a 17-inch screen and a keyboard complete with a numeric keypad. I also have a thing for playing computer games and running multiple applications.

With all that power comes heat, and I burned through one laptop (thank goodness it was still under warranty).

Lesson learned. I now own a cooling pad for the laptop, one of my essential can’t-live-without-it laptop accessories.

Cooling pads come in several types. Some have one or more moving fans that serve to suck the heat away from the computer. This is the kind I have. Other fan systems blow air onto the laptop. Fan-based cooling pads generally use USB cords, from the laptop, for their power source.

Other kinds of cooling pads are passive. They use chemicals that turn to gel when heated, which moves the heat to the pad and away from the laptop. Other passive pads are angled so that natural airflow is maximized.

Whatever kind of cooling pad you get, make sure you get one. It extends the life of your laptop and saves precious information. While I did get a replacement laptop, I lost all my files and documents.

Another really important accessory is a laptop sleeve. Obviously, this isn’t essential if you keep your laptop solely at home, but if you take it anywhere, your laptop needs some protection.

You can always get a regular laptop case, which has some type of handle for carrying. A laptop sleeve, however, is valuable because you can omit the (usually) bulky case. Sleeves have padding, but they aren’t suitable if you think you’re going to drop your laptop a lot (is that in anyone’s plans?)

A snug-fitting sleeve adds little weight to your laptop, so you can carry it in a regular bag with other things. Or you may just want to carry it in your arms while still getting some protection from scratches or light drops.

I haven’t gotten a sleeve yet, but that’s because I’m happy with just carrying a case. I’m not lugging around books for school, and I have to have a shoulder strap to keep my hands free.

What are your must-have laptop accessories? Which ones can you do without?

Last year I bought a new (used) car, and though it’s a 2007, I’m beginning to think about what my next car should be. Having a child takes up quite a bit of space, especially if you intend to keep them in a carseat for a long time (like I do). On top of that, I realize I may have another child one day, so I have to think not only about safety but space. Using an online review site is definitely helpful for comparing cars.

Being somewhat frugal, one of my choices is the Toyota Yaris. I almost bought this small sedan a couple of years ago, but it seemed a bit on the small side. The Car Connection website rates it a 6 out of 10. The Hyundai Sonata is a nice-sized car that will soon offer a hybrid option (for the environmentally-conscious folks out there). It rates a 7.8 out of 10, and is similar to the Mercury Milan in style (and also has a hybrid option).

Finally, when I make a bit more money, I’ve always considered a luxury car, like the Lexus RX 350. Having a child, I like that it’s sort of like an SUV but not quite as large or clunky. I’m also not the neatest car person in the world, so I would need plenty of room for lots of “stuff.”

What types of vehicles are you considering? Will you use review sites or hit the pavement and visit lots of showrooms instead?

I started Tweeting almost one year ago. And boy, has it been an interesting journey! Twitter is a fascinating tool, and I’ve met cool people and learned new things. One of the things I love most about it is connecting with people in my local area. It’s also great for marketing your blog and, by default, your business.

There’s a lot of power to harness with Twitter, so if you haven’t yet given it a try, you’ve simply got to start! Here’s what you do. After you sign up, start following a few interesting people you know (like me), and take a look at who they’re following. Follow a few of them, and also start looking at some local people (like a local radio or news station). You’ll start getting followers as you start following. And be sure you actually Tweet too.

For more ideas, check out my first post on the subject of Twitter.

I also stumbled across the idea of using Twitter to make a modest amount of money. There are companies out there that know the power of Twitter, and they want to get their names out there. So they use Sponsored Tweets. It works by Tweeters agreeing to Tweet on behalf of an advertiser (with full disclosure). You get paid through Sponsored Tweets, and you can cash out once your account reaches $50. They’re the same company that does PayPerPost (IZEA).

If you’re not already following me on Twitter, go ahead and do so. There’s a link to my CrayonWriter account under my picture, and a link to Sponsored Tweets in my sidebar.

Do you use Twitter a lot? How do you use it?

Thanks to a good friend of mine I recently found out about Google Voice. And am I ever so glad I did!

Google Voice is a freelancer’s dream.

Here’s how it works. You choose a phone number you like. I chose one that’s local to my current home.

Say you don’t have long distance at home, like I don’t. But your cellphone reception is poor in your home, like mine is. If you’re online with your computer, type in the phone number you want to call. Like magic, your landline home phone rings! You pick it up, and your call is connected (for free) to the number you typed in.

Not in front of your computer? No problem. Pick up your landline and dial your Google Voice number. You’ll get an option to place a call. Anywhere in the U.S. and it’s free!

Even better, give your new Google Voice number to anyone, like clients. When they call you, you can set it up so that both your home and cellphone ring. So you’ll never miss an important client call, unless you want to. And they’ll have a professional, local number to call, and you can answer it wherever you are. If you’re staying out of town for a week, you can set it to ring the phone wherever you happen to be residing.

I also like that you can block certain numbers, and you can even set it to make the caller give their name first. If you want, you can send them to voicemail (and even listen to their voice message as they’re leaving it).

Anyway, I think it’s cool, and I like not having to give out my real number to people. Their caller ID shows my Google Voice number as well. And if I ever need to make a change then poof! No one has my real numbers anymore. But call blocking should take care of any annoyances too.

The only drawback is that you have to request an invitation from Google Voice, and then you have to wait patiently (I waited about a month) for your invitation. I have no idea how many they’re giving out, or if it’ll always be free. But for now it is, so head on over and put in your request. But choose your number wisely. It costs $10 to change it later. You can enter a word you’d like your number to correspond to, or search through for certain numbers in a sequence.

One more perk…If you have an Android cellphone (like I do), you can automatically make all of your outgoing cellphone calls using Google Voice. So your cellphone number is still protected from folks, and if you’re calling local clients they still get that local number.

Do you have Google Voice? Let us know if you do, or if you plan to get it soon.

Now that I’ve decided to make my freelance writing business really work, I realize it’s time to make some serious moves.

First thing’s first. I need powerful ammunition to stay on-task and motivated. The first book I read on freelance commercial writing was The Well-Fed Writer, by Peter Bowerman. His book laid out an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, and when I followed directions I really did make money. I had clients, a decent income, and I was on my way.

I do tend to get side-tracked (as you know), and Peter’s book was written mostly from his point-of-view. But he just published a new, updated, expanded edition. There are lots of anecdotes from other successful commercial writers, and I’m just so impressed with what he’s accomplished with this edition.

And his book came at just the right time. Right after I made my decision to get serious with my business, I got an email from him alerting me to his newest book. Serendipitous!

I’m also impressed with Peter’s willingness to answer questions. I’ve had several replies from him, though I’m careful not to overdo asking him stuff. Being personable has won me over as a fan. I’d buy and promote almost anything he writes since he takes the time to respond to inquiries.

Do you have dreams of becoming a successful commercial writer? Maybe we could start a writer’s group to motivate each other. Or if you already have a freelance writing business, maybe you need a good kick in the rear too.

Click on this link to check out the new edition of The Well-Fed Writer. You can buy it in ebook or hardcopy formats (or both), and there are a few other ebooks you should consider as well. I also got the Toolbox and Timeline, both of which are well-worth it.

When you buy it, let me know. I’d love to have others to discuss it with, and you can feel free to leave a mini-review in the comments.

What are you waiting for? Check out the 2009 The Well-Fed Writer and let me know if you’re as impressed with it as I am. His site also has a bunch of free things too, so if you’re even a little bit interested you should head over to The Well-Fed Writer.

Have you been bitten by the commercial writing bug?