Helium is an addictive place to browse and write for. Be warned - once you join you'll find yourself spending a lot of time on the site. This lens will help ensure you put that time to good use, ensuring your earnings increase and climb higher over time.

Whatever stage you're at with your writing, you'll get many rewards from Helium. If you're new to writing and you want to get some publishing credits, you can quite simply click on the banner above, sign up for your free Helium account, write your first article and see it live on the site in just a few minutes time. Really - it's that simple. You can be a published writer in just a few minutes from now.

But there are many other benefits of being a Helium writer.

Firstly, the site is a hive of information. I found one of my favourite websites - Constant Content - mentioned in an article on Helium; a connection that's since earned me several hundred dollars worth of article sales.

Helium also keeps your writing muscle well toned. A few minutes a day on Helium is usually enough to get you through most instances of writers' block, and every article you write has the potential to start earning you a residual income from the moment it's published.

Keep reading for some in depth tips on making sure every article you contribute to the site earns the best revenue for you over time.

One of the best things about writing for Helium has to be the potential to earn a residual income.

What this means is that every single article you write will earn you a cent or two every time it gets read. Every day, every week, every month and onwards ad infinitum. The articles you write today by clicking on the banner above and joining for free will still be earning you cash years from now.

Helium rewards those who put in regular effort and write well. You can learn an enormous amount from this site, and enjoy a cash reward at the same time.

At this stage it's important to think of a residual income as a longer term goal. If you're serious about this side of earning money with Helium, you need to have a strategy firmly in place.

Haven't got one? No worries. Just keep on reading - there's a strategy for you coming right up.

You might be wondering who decides what articles get ranked where in the Helium system.

The answer to that is - you decide.

The more articles you rate, the more your own articles will be rated, which in turn will ensure your best work rises through the ranks every time you write for Helium.

This means that people who try and get away with short, one or two line articles that are badly spelled with no real content - just to try and earn money - fall to the bottom of the rankings and earn less as a result.

TOP TIPS FOR RATING ARTICLES:

- Do it regularly. Your own articles will then stand a better chance of being rated more highly.

- Build it into your daily writing schedule. It's a good activity to do while stopping for a quick coffee.

Helium competitions are becoming very addictive for many Helium writers. One recent competition had a top weekly prize of $300, so it's not surprising that they are hotly contested.

Competitions such as "Write to Win" and "Channel Champions" are fantastic for us writers for two very good reasons.

Firstly they allow us to see if our writing skills are worthy of some big prizes, and secondly all the articles we write for these competitions tend to be read a lot, as people naturally want to see what others are writing about. You will see plenty of your articles become widely read and earn more as a result.

Meanwhile, the Helium Marketplace is a fairly new and regular addition to the site. It allows you to submit articles to Helium on a variety of topics requested by publishers of magazines and websites.

Not only will you get the regular reward for people reading your articles, you will also receive a further fee if they get selected for publication by the publisher. This could be into three figures - the amount given is shown next to the subject matter on the Marketplace page. It's undergone a recent revamp as well, so check it out to find out more.

For my money, this is an excellent addition to the site, and gives writers another shot at publication. More publishers are jumping on board all the time, so be sure to check for new topics regularly.

So here we are. The crux of this lens, which will reveal some techniques and tips for earning more with Helium as time goes by.

There are two important things I want to say here before we go any further. First off, I am constantly tweaking and experimenting with my own articles on Helium, so as and when I find something new that works, I'll reveal it here. Bookmark this lens now as a favourite so you can come back and see what I've been up to.

Secondly, don't forget that earning with Helium is a long term prospect. Make the most of it now and reap the rewards in months to come. Even when I'm not writing for Helium the pennies still continue to mount up.

Okay, here goes:

- Put in regular effort. This is a given. Even half an hour or so a day - every day - will get you good results over time. Make a timetable if necessary, and make sure you can stick to it.

- Write for different categories. This stretches you as a writer and increases the chance of your articles being found. Some categories also pay better than others - finance topics seem to do well, for example. Don't become a one topic writer.

- Become an expert in a specific category. Pick one you love. Mine's writing. I've answered dozens of questions in this area and they're among my best rated (and biggest earning) articles. As people find your topic, they'll click on your name to see what else you've written on that issue.

- Remember this - starting your own topic pays double. All new topics suggested need to be approved by Helium (articles on existing topics are published instantly), but it's worth doing as you'll earn more from them in the long run. Submit new topics on a regular basis as part of your overall strategy.

This section will expand as and when I try new strategies that work well, so stay tuned for new updates!

Here's another thought - don't be afraid to experiment. Don't get stuck in a rut as a writer - Helium provides an excellent place to experiment with new ideas and tactics, not to mention different styles of writing. Why not try it?

So there you have it. Helium is a hugely popular site, experiencing huge wads of traffic on a daily basis. You can sign up for free and be writing your first article in minutes.

Don't underestimate the huge audience you will be writing for. Can you see how many hits your articles will start getting? Just imagine what a little regular effort will do - several hundred articles is achievable much sooner than you might think.

Time for me to go and write a couple more articles for Helium. Click on the button above and join me!

Call back soon - and have fun.