Like a fun way to earn extra cash? Write articles for cash. Writing is one of several work at home ideas. In fact there are several folk who actually make their living from it and I’m not talking about professional writers, I’m talking about average people just writing and earning from home. Let that little creative streak out, it’s really quite easy.

Article writing for money has become an excellent way to make a home business whether for just a bit of extra cash or a lifestyle. It is sometimes referred to as ‘bum marketing’ though I would say there are some distinctions to be drawn on that point. Bum marketing is really a form of article writing targeted to specific niches, usually by affiliate marketers. It involves targeting not only a specific product but a specific keyword or phrase that the writer feels offers some opportunity for search engine listings. More on that in a moment.

Writing articles in the wider sense can be thought of as articles written for blogs and websites, articles to be compiled into topical reports and ebooks to be sold on the net, and of course article writing can also be purely to create content for cash. Take a look at eLance.com to see the variety of demand for article writers.

Practice makes perfect. While there is lots of opportunity and your articles don’t have to be masterpieces, you do need a little practice to get into a rhythm of producing good articles.

Get some practice by going to Paydotcom.com or Clickbank.com and look through the various products there. Sign up for an affiliate account and then pick a product to write about. Start by choosing a popular in demand type product and that maybe you have some little bit of knowledge on. Now, think about what keywords are folk likely to be using when they are searching for such a product? Pick a phrase they might use and write an article based around that phrase.

Once your article is ready, post it on an article directory or two or at Hubpages.com and include links to your affiliate product. When you have had a few sales this way you’ll know you are starting to get things right! You’ll soon find yourself picking all sorts of niche areas to write about and profit from! Even niches you never thought about before will start to look attractive enough to make you do a little research and article writing.