Video Your Vote: YouTube Wants to Peek

REMINDER: Only 2 more days until Monty’s Trick or Treat (10/31/08). It’s going to be 100% free.

Isn't this election over yet? That's what everyone in America seems to be wondering.

Unfortunately, we still have a couple of weeks to go before one of the most hyped up elections in history. Now, YouTube wants to put you and your voting experience in the spotlight with Video Your Vote.

The YouTube team, in partnership with PBS, is asking you to submit videos of your voting experiences to the Video Your Vote channel. Hanging chads, voter intimidation, longer-than-expected lines, YouTube wants to see it all. Just be sure that your state allows you to document your vote before you head out with your camera in hand.

OK, now that we've broken down how this thing is going to work, let's talk about how you can bank some coin with it.

Head out on Election Day with your camera and document your vote. Then, make sure you are signed up with Convert2Media. If you're not, go click on that link and sign up now.

Once you are signed up with Convert2Media, scroll through their e-mail submits and find the "Obama vs. McCain" campaign. Create a text link to this e-mail submit.

Now, go buy a simple, election-based domain name (ie: whodidyouvotefor.com, or something similar), then point that domain to your Convert2Media affiliate link. You can either do a 301 redirect through your hosting company or just insert the code for an html or php redirect.

OK, let's tie it all together. Before you upload your election video to YouTube's Video Your Vote page, watermark it with your new domain name. The easiest software to use for this is VideoWatermarkFactory. It runs about $49 but there is a free demo, I believe. I don't know how good the demo is, I like it so much I just bought the thing. This has to be the easiest program I've ever used for this.

So now you upload your election footage. Everyone who sees your clip will also see the domain name at the bottom and, because humans are a curious lot, they will enter that domain name. They will see your e-mail submit offer prompting them to "cast their vote" and you will bank at about $1.50 a pop. It doesn't sound like much but it adds up quickly.

Just another free tip from Uncle Monty. Why I don't charge for this stuff I don't know...lol.

Now, stop reading. Start making money.

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