Oh come now: You didn’t really expect an example of the best passive income program unearthed from the depths of an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus in Sakkara, surely? Although we can take lots of wonderful lessons from ancient history, online passive income generation is not yet one of them.

But what are forensic digital archaeologists going to say about the subject in the far distant future. (Say, about 5 years from now…) Will they look back, and say “Information product creation turned out to be the most versatile passive income strategy!” – or will they take its other great rival, affiliate marketing, and create holographic brain chip shows about “The Fall of the Super Affiliates”?

Flippancy aside, it’s amazing what razor-sharp vision hindsight can bestow. But for now, all you can do is pick the passive income plan that works the best – and the most naturally – for you.

If one plan isn’t right, don’t be afraid to switch chariots, mid-race. For example, you may start out determined to be a niche blogger, with a small fortune invested in several domains and hosting packages (before somebody finally tells you about reseller sites). But several months and several hundred dollars into your experiment, you suddenly realize… you hate niche blogging. That free Special Report you created as a sign-up bribe to your “1,001 Liverwurst Recipes” blog did so well, you’re thinking of switching your passive income generation to original info products.

That’s perfectly alright. Most top entrepreneurs will tell you they had several “failed” experiments, before they finally hit on the perfect business model.

And don’t worry – all that work you put into learning niche blogging will come back to reward you, when you unearth and repurpose all that content you wrote, a year or so from now.

Get my free report, Passive Income Advantage: The Benefits Of Earning Passively, at http://www.thepassiveincomeblueprint.com.

When it comes to  passive income opportunities, you’ve already got your plan in place.  You’re a virtual assistant new to info product marketing, so you’re go with the most inexpensive option for your product –  a digital eBook. You plan to pay Clickbank’s $50 one-time publisher’s fee, and place your product there.

Clickbank provides your affiliate program management, as well as your payment processor, so you don’t have to manage either. And you’ve covered the last base by learning how to legally, effectively cloak your hoplink.

Let’s run over your checklist…

• Domain name
• Minisite
• Sales Page
• Affiliate banner ads and code

You’ve even paid for a professionally designed header and some graphics. And you’ve already started to publicize your new eBook on social networks and forums. 

In fact, you’re all set, and ready to go!

Or Are You?

There is one more question you need to ask yourself:

Have I made the most of every opportunity to squeeze more passive income out of my subject?

Until you’ve considered every option, you’re leaving money behind that could be pouring into your bank account!  You could easily upsell at check-out point by offering your eBook as a physical product.  Companies like Kunaki can produce your  CD or DVD on an “as-ordered” basis, shipped directly to the customer.  Your base cost, at time of writing, is $1.75 per CD! 

If your actual cost (including shipping) is $1.75, and you offer the CD version at checkout for $10.00 (including shipping), you could maximize your passive income from that one sale point by a profit of $8.25 per CD!  (Kunaki can create videos and DVD’s too.)

There’s no good reason to leave unmined sources of income behind at every sale. Find out all the details at Kunaki – and decide if creating a physical upsell product is a viable idea for you.

Get my free report, Passive Income Advantage: The Benefits Of Earning Passively, at http://www.thepassiveincomeblueprint.com.

You’ve been diligent about promoting your virtual assistant business and your passive income has been slowly but surely increasing as well from affiliate links to products and programs. But there are other ways you can bring people to your mini-site or sales page, you just have to get in the habit of being aware of them.

Offline Methods

If you’re thinking “expensive ads,” think again. There are several ways to reach your target market, offline as well as on.

For example, have you thought about simply including the link you want to drive them to on your business card, under your signature?

It takes seconds to put that link in your signature or resource box, press releases, or letters you send to local papers, too.

And don’t neglect your local store and community center bulletin board as a place to plant your flyers – with your product link in the tear-off tags, as well as the usual phone number.

The Hidden Market – In Plain Sight

But there’s one more way to get your name out and capture an offline lead. Local organizations are always looking for guest speakers. See if there’s a “business startup” program that’s partially government-funded, or one that’s provided by another agency.

Find out the name of the contact person – all you have to do is phone the agency, or drop in and ask. Approach them and offer to be a guest speaker on the subject of “marketing online” or “internet promotion.” Chances are, surprising as it may sound, they won’t have anyone in their number who can fulfill that function. They’ll most likely jump on your offer – especially if it’s free. I gave a few of these types of talks while in Toastmasters, before my business was even off the ground and trust me, people DO need speakers.

And all you do is hand out your business card at the end of your helpful seminar – with (you guessed it) your business URL link is below your signature.

Create Your Own Opportunities

That brings us to our last 2 offline promotion methods. Don’t waste the space on the back of that business card – fill it with a small ad for your business in the style of a direct response ad, getting right to the point.

And (especially if you live in a small town) be sure to phone your local radio station and offer to be a guest. Have a one-page promotional bio page ready to fax or email them, if they ask.

When you’re writing the bio page, just remember the purpose is to tell them why you would be an interesting guest for their readers – and cut out anything else (except credentials you’d like to include.)

You might think that it would be hard, getting a guest spot on a radio show, but the truth is, it’s more often not. People are always looking for interesting guests to fill up slots in a show, and they’re delighted when one who’s well-prepared walks through the door, for free.

But there’s one final tip about offline promotion that has served me better than any other. I take my motto from the Boy Scouts: “Always be prepared.” Always have those business cards tucked away in your pocket, wallet, or purse. Carry a few extra in the car – and be ready to make your pitch, when asked.

After all, there’s no point going to all that trouble to beef up your business cards if you forget to have them with you!