In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell and co-host Arlene discuss the challenges of using Upwork, getting organized with Basecamp, trains, and if podcasting is the new blogging.

The episode kicks off with James and Arlene revisiting Upwork. Formerly Elance-oDesk, Upwork is the world's largest online platform where businesses and freelance professionals work together.

Using Basecamp to Upgrade your Upwork Experience

Despite some initial bumps, Arlene has found an easier way to navigate the platform. She says the messages bug her less and she likes the ease of adding new projects with existing writers. Although Upwork says it’s for the contractor’s protection, however she wishes it allowed funding multiple milestones at once.

James has noticed a number of upgrades, including some reminiscent of Elance. He wishes Upwork would use Elance’s method of attaching messages to their appropriate projects. He finds the current system of searching through messages frustrating.

Then James and Arlene segue into a discussion about Basecamp. As soon as they hire someone on Upwork, James and Arlene invite the freelancer to Basecamp. The only time Arlene goes back into Upwork is to release funds for the milestones and leave feedback.

James interviewed Matt Frary from SmarterChaos in Affiliate Buzz #407. During the episode, Matt credited Basecamp for giving him the organization tools to keep up with not one but five different businesses.

Although James and Arlene first used Basecamp to work around Upwork frustrations, combining the two platforms has upgraded the way they do business. James adds that now is the perfect time to sign up for Basecamp because your first project is free.

Riding the Rails Across the USA

Then Arlene turns the conversation trains with mention of a story that popped up in her newsfeed about taking a train across the U.S.A. for $213. She and their oldest son Adam, a train fanatic, decided to plan a train trip that would include the Mount Hood Railroad.

James points out that rail travel is a great way to take a breakation. He may work on the train from Vancouver to Portland, but anticipates relaxing during the the Mount Hood Railroad excursion.

Is Podcasting the New Blogging?

After a short break, James and Arlene return to discuss podcasting. James harkens back to his early days in the affiliate industry with the Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook, then gives a brief overview of the evolution since those times. He compares learning podcasting to the early days of WordPress.

James has spent the past 15 months on his Podcasting Mastery course, the most comprehensive course on starting your own profitable podcast. Stay tuned to future episodes of the Buzz to hear more about when it will launch.

Next James turns to a Wired magazine article, linked below, about podcasting becoming the new blogs. It refers to Serial, a 12-episode true-crime series which took off overnight and now has been listened to more times than the top three television sitcoms combined.

Why You Should Start Podcasting

The magazine says podcasting is open to anyone with access to a laptop, a microphone, and a web server. According to James, who agrees adding that a podcast is a marketing exercise, especially for affiliates and others who want to drive traffic to their business.

James goes on to quote the article as saying in 2005, there were an average of 40,000 new blogs being started each day. Fast-forward to today and there are 500 million blogs. Right now there are about 180k active podcasts. Would you rather compete with 500 million blogs or 180k podcasts?

Other reasons to consider blogging are:

* The recent iOS update puts the purple “podcasting” button on the main screen.

* 1.2 million phones with podcasting listening capabilities were sold last year.