Associate Programs Newsletter #231

CONTENTS:

1. Simple site helps law student earn a living
2. Super affiliates answer Codrut's questions
3. How to create your own brandable ebook
4. Content is NOT king?
5. Want a laugh? Check out Slimeware.com
6. Lively, helpful discussions on affiliate forum
7. Thought for today: Success

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1. Simple site helps law student earn a living
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He's only 21, a full-time law student living in one of Europe's poorest countries and yet he's published his first book, has his own English web site and is making a respectable income from the Internet.

Even more remarkable, it has taken Romania's Codrut Turcanu less than four years to master the intricacies of Internet marketing and affiliate programs and achieve these results. Now he earns
enough to support his family while continuing with law studies.

The secret to Codrut's success? Sheer determination and "lots and lots of reading".

Codrut explains how it all began: "Back in February, 1999, a high school mate told me I could earn money on the Web by reading emails, so I became interested in this.

"After six to seven months I quit as all I was earning was $9. A few weeks later I stumbled across ebooks, downloaded some information related to online business and money making and
started to read more, all day, every day."

Codrut quickly discovered he could make money with affiliate programs and, since then, he hasn't looked back.

"I signed up for a free affiliate program called EzineAnnouncer and I started to contact some publishers to arrange ad swaps.

"Then, using skills I read about, I built my own general marketing ezine called Biz-Marketing-Success.

"At the end of my mailings I used a P.S. and recommended the EzineAnnouncer as a software tool with my own affiliate link inserted at the bottom.

"Within two days I checked my affiliate statistics and noticed my first affiliate sales!"

Codrut was instantly hooked.

"It was great, I didn't know I could make money so easily," he says.

It hasn't all been plain sailing. Because Codrut lives in Bucharest, he was unable to obtain a credit card or join PayPal and buy relevant information online.

Handy tools like web hosting, autoresponders and domain names were simply unavailable to him and he was forced to rely on his own initiative.

He made his first affiliate sales before getting a web site.

"It was hard at the beginning, but that's what I expected. I knew I couldn't get rich overnight," he says.

Out of this lack of resources, inspiration blossomed and Codrut began writing his own eCourses and articles to promote his site, Biz Marketing Secrets.

He also started an ezine called "Biz Marketing Secrets".

The ezine covers the latest tactics Codrut uses to market online products and services and make affiliate sales.

As if writing a free monthly newsletter wasn't enough to keep the law student busy, in May this year he decided to write his first ebook, "Super Affiliate Money-Making Tactics Revealed!".

The ebook contains mini-interviews Codrut has done with eight super affiliates.

Codrut earns income through his ebook by offering free branding rights to other affiliates, thus generating traffic to his site and ensuring he obtains free subscribers to his ezine.

"And I am able to do all this by getting others do the promotion for me."

Now Codrut plans to write a free brandable ebook each month about the topics he loves most, such as affiliate marketing and autoresponders.

And yes, he plans to do this while continuing his studying.

"It can all be done if you use your time and money wisely," he says.

Codrut says his web site - Bizmarketingsecrets.com - offers useful tips on how any novice can make a respectable income from affiliate programs, while juggling a hectic lifestyle.

You'll probably be surprised when you look at it. It's a fairly unusual site - remarkably simple, just one page.

Don't be too quick to dismiss it. Remember, it helps Codrut earn a living.

Today, it has an Alexa.com ranking of 199,786 - which is quite a lot higher than it was a few days ago.

Visitors have only three choices. They can:

* Click on affiliate links.

* Subscribe to the newsletter.

* Leave.

Owning such a simple site obviously allows Codrut time to concentrate on marketing instead of web site maintenance.

If you do a search for "Codrut Turcanu" on Google you'll find some articles Codrut has written and get some more ideas on how he earns a living from affiliate programs.

[UPDATE: We no longer promote Codrut's products.]

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2. Super affiliates answer Codrut's questions
======================================================

If you're stuck in a rut with your affiliate business, have a look at Codrut Turcanu's free ebook for new ideas.

Codrut's "Super Affiliate Money-Making Tactics Revealed" contains mini-interviews with eight super affiliates including Kevin Bidwell, Justin Blake, Dirk Dupon and Jim Straw. I'm there, too.

They come up with a variety of approaches to affiliate marketing.

They answer questions such as:

* What are the tools, resources and tactics you're using to make
money with free affiliate programs?

* Are there any programs that continue to bring you sales with
less/no marketing effort?

* What was the worst affiliate marketing mistake you made and
what have you learned from it?"

It's a simple little book, easy to read. If you paid for it, you'd probably be a bit disappointed.

However, it's free, and all you need to pick up is one good idea and the short time you spend on it will have been worth while.

(Also check out the special bonus on that page. You'll like it.)

[UPDATE: We no longer promote this.]

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3. How to create your own brandable ebook
==============================================

You can create your own brandable ebook and use it to boost your reputation, increase affiliate sales and attract targeted traffic to your web site - the way Codrut Turcanu does it.

It's probably easier than you think.

This article explains how:

How to boost your affiliate income and reputation with brandable ebooks

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4. Content is NOT king?
==================================

Search engine optimization involves on-page and off-page factors.

Here's a fascinating discussion about the huge importance of
factors on other people's web sites:

http://www.webmaster-forum.net/viewtopic.php?t=4208

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5. Want a laugh? Check out Slimeware.com
================================

Conrad Longmore of Dynamoo.com has created a funny spoof web site
about scumware, or predatory advertising:

http://www.slimeware.com

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6. Lively, helpful discussions on affiliate forum
=============================================

It's wonderful to see the Associate Programs Forum buzzing with activity each day.

I love seeing affiliates helping each other succeed.

Here are some interesting posts:

"What 3 years of failure has taught me" (by Mike Long)
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/discus/viewtopic.php?t=573

"What's happening to my visitors (newbie)"
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/discus/viewtopic.php?t=524

"Website - to build or not to build myself?"
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/discus/viewtopic.php?t=375

"Newbie SBI owner seeking advice from EXPERIENCED SBI users"
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/discus/viewtopic.php?t=51

"CJ text links important problem - hot topic"
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/discus/viewtopic.php?t=569

Here's a handy hint...

If you want to find all the posts made by a helpful registered member of the forum, just click on their "Profile" button at the bottom of one of their posts and in the Profile you'll find a link to all their posts.

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7. Thought for today: Success
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"If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut." - Albert Einstein

All the best

Allan Gardyne