$300 Affiliate Challenge - It’s Catch Up Time
I recently promoted the $300 Affiliate Challenge but until today I hadn’t got around to doing much with it. I explain why that is in tomorrow’s podcast. But today I’ve started catching up with the training. I notice we’re on day 15 now so I’m quite behind!
Days 1-3: Picking the Niche & 2 Products
The first three days of the challenge revolve around a single activity - choose the niche to work in and finding two products to promote within that niche. As part of the supplementary materials, Codrut supplied a list of over 50 niches to choose from that he had already done some research on. This contrasts with the 30 Day Challenge where we were left to figure it out on our own.
What I found interesting is that the niches that he has suggested and in very popular categories such as making money, dating, health, pets etc. Usually these markets are considered “off limits” to newbies as they are too competitive. However, who am I to argue? Codrut did warn us to stay away from the money making sub-niches unless we had experience in them though.
It didn’t take me long to pick my sub-niche as it jumped out at me as soon as I saw it. I have gone for number #27 - Wordpress. I figure that I have been using it a lot recently, I’m writing an ebook on it and the chances are that I may be able to use that ebook as a promotional tool in addition to the techniques that Codrut will give us later on. I may as well use every advantage I have.
I’ve picked my two products and am now ready for the next stage.
Days 4-7: Setting up the Autoresponder
I have to admit I was slightly skeptical when I realised that Codrut was specifically promoting AWeber because that is of course not a free system. It costs a minimum of $19.95 a month. Now personally I did not pay for the affiliate challenge itself - Codrut kindly gave me a freebie but putting myself in the shoes of those that did, I would be slightly miffed at being told I now had to fork out an additional $20 a month.
But of course, an auto-responder is an auto-responder and for every paid solution there are probably half a dozen free ones too. I’m aware that many people sing the praises of AWeber but the way I see it, we are newbies here, just trying things out for the first time. Why shell out money when we are just learning? I’d rather try things out using a free system and then if I want to continue with the process, then I don’t mind paying for a good system.
Introducing PHPList
My hosting package for this blog includes something called Fantastico deluxe which is basically an installer for various pieces of software. It includes Wordpress as well as many other things. Another piece of software that it supports is PHPList which is completely free and open source. You don’t even need Fantastico to use it - if you are a bit techie you can install it yourself.
So my plan is to follow along with Codrut’s instructions and try and apply them to PHPList. You never know - that could become the topic of another ebook or even a series of tutorial videos! It’s currently Friday afternoon so I think I’m going to continue with this on Monday morning as I really can’t be bothered to get started now! :-)
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moneytalks
December 14, 2007
well good luck to you. i do agree with you in using free autoresponder first especially for newbies. IMO we only use paid services when we find it is working. why waste money when free services are available. we internet marketer are promoting free things in our marketing strategy yet when starting a making money adventure most internet marketer advise newbies to use paid service. something is not right there i think.