With popularity of online video sites growing rapidly, it is also creating a breeding ground for online predators searching for innocent victims. When you make your own online video and upload it to sites such as YouTube or Google Video (just to name a few) it has the potential to viewed by thousands of people all over the world! While that may sound very cool, it also comes with risks.

If you’re thinking of becoming a part of this popular trend, there are some important things that you need to keep in mind.  One of those important things is your safety.   Many people like to create personal videos, and some Internet users innocently provide information about themselves or may inadvertently mention it while telling a funny story. While this may make for an interesting video, for safety reasons, you need to be careful as to what you are recording and sharing with other online viewers.

One of the reasons these online video sites are so popular is that you can create a video on just about anything you want.  However most of the popular video websites will have rules and restrictions on the content that is allowed, and with good reason.  These rules and restrictions will normally prohibit videos that contain threats or pornographic materials.  However even with these restrictions in place, there are still a wide variety of different videos that you can create, but just use good judgment and take precautions when doing so.

Since you have no idea who will be watching your video, you also have no idea what kind of person they are or if they are mentally disturbed.  When creating your online video, think about how much information you would give out when talking to a stranger as it amounts to the same thing.

If decide to make a homemade video with a personal touch, more than likely your face will be the center of the video.  While it’s usually fine to show your own face, it’s a whole different story to provide your personal information as well.  If you feel you need to introduce yourself, you should use your first name only or even use a pen name.

You also never give your address, and that includes your city and state. If certain people with motive and means, should view your online video, they could easily obtain your full address just by knowing the city or the state in which you live in.  This also would apply to your phone number, as they could also locate you with that information.

Even with the risks we’ve mentioned with including personal information there are still some who will do it. Normally they do it because they are looking for someone to date or be friends with. If you are looking to meet someone online this should be done on online dating sites as most of them will have security measures in place to help keep you safe.

If you keep these safety points in mind, you should be able to use and enjoy online video websites without any problems.

Tags: Online Video, online videos, video websites, web video, youtube

This article is the latest update to the unfortunate story of how our family store was robbed at gunpoint. DNA is an amazing tool and not just used for homicides anymore!   See the YouTube robbery video here.

One of the fastest and easiest ways to make money online is to participate in an affiliate program.  It's also one of the laziest ways to earn cash because once you've gotten the ball rolling, you generally don’t need to do anything more.  These days, internet marketers have stepped up the game by using affiliate videos to attract customers. With affiliate videos, it has become much easier to promote products or services to more audiences by harnessing visual and aural appeal.

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The advantage of affiliate videos is that it can present a product visually and sell its features all at the same time.  Potential customers no longer have to read through text and view a two-dimensional picture to learn how they can use the product.  Besides, using an affiliate video is a lot more interesting for its entertainment value.

So how can you make money with affiliate videos?  Is there an effective way to monetize visual content and open up a reliable income stream?  Here are a few ways to do it right:

Show a web video on your website
If you're selling products and/or service, this is a no-brainer.  Anyone who visits your site will find your video and be exposed to what you sell.  Keep their interests by using visually compelling and relevant images, great copy and appropriate music.  Provide a link using your company logo or text during the entire time the video plays so viewers don’t have to wait until the video ends before they can buy your product.  Make it easy for them to go from one page to the next.

Include affiliate links
If you're a member of an affiliate program, make sure your video has an affiliate link in it.  Imagine being able to catch the attention of viewers only to have them performing a separate task of getting re-directed just to buy the products.  Make it more convenient by giving them the opportunity to go directly to your affiliate partner. 

For example, if you're promoting a new book release on massage therapy, provide a link to the affiliate online bookstore.  If it's an all-in vacation package to an island in the Mediterranean, let them click on a link included on the video.  Once a link is in place, it will be much easier for you to convince your viewers of the quality and value of the product you are selling because they have instant access. 

Use niche marketing with your affiliate videos
Creating a niche may not be your top most concern when you're trying to reach a general audience, but you might want to know that niches have untapped potential that internet marketers are still discovering.  It is also much easier to market to them because you already have a good idea of what they want.

Try to create affiliate videos that appeal to a certain group – teens, yuppies, single parents, seniors, retirees, military, those in the legal profession, etc.  Don’t ignore certain segments of the market at any time during your promotion period.  You'll never know when the perfect time to sell comes up.

Choose your keywords well
No matter how well-designed and executed your affiliate video is, it will lose half of its selling potential if you don’t use the right keywords.  Try to keep away from redundant, familiar phrases and avoid hype as much as possible.  Your viewers have a good idea of how the internet operates.  You have better chances of earning their trust (and their business) if you show them honesty.

On that note, keep your video short, preferably not more than 2-3 minutes.  There are two reasons for this: 1) you don’t want to bore your viewers with a single video that seems to go on forever and 2) you have to take care of your bandwidth allocation.  Imagine having a thousand internet surfers clicking on your video at the same time.  The number is promising, but you won't keep their attention for long if the system crashes.

Create an opt-in list
Once you come in contact with a viewer, take that opportunity and offer an opt-in list.  It will not only give you a good indication of the kind of market you have but it will also be a future reference and client list you can use if you're selling a new product later. 

Use syndication
You can take advantage of syndication if the content of your video is one-of-a-kind and specialized.  Many site owners whose site content is related in subject matter to your video may offer to pay for the right to show your work from their site.  Depending on your agreement, you can earn a monthly or yearly fee.

Using affiliate videos to make money online is still in its early stages but already, it has shown a lot of promise for internet marketers.  As consumer needs and technology change, marketing also adapts by using better and more attractive tools to generate business.  Use affiliate videos well to your advantage and you'll reap the rewards in no time.

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