Ok Dipping toe in the water. Does this sound like a plan?

32 replies
Right i figured if i keep reading and reading about all the elements of IM i will get overloaded and just not get started.

So i figure start slow, get involved in something and build it up and learn as i go.

I'm going to start by working on the niche affiliate model and by using articles/blogs to generate interest and traffic.

This will get me used to the generation of content, searching and using keywords and the whole linking to affiliate process.

From there i figured i could go on to build a bigger site based around my niche/s with more content and think about starting to use opt in to capture emails.

Hopefully once i move to this stage my experience will be such that i could start using the blogs to create backlinks to the site which would be more credible perhaps as it would be a bit more established by then.

I have no experience as yet building sites so thought blogs might be the way to go while i get to grips with the idea of wordpress.

As i become more confident i can then think about using videos on my sites etc.

Does this sound like a feasible way to start. Not try and do everything at once but start slow??

Also any advice on the legal or privacy messages i need to put on any sites blog would be appriciated.

Thanks everyone
#dipping #plan #sound #toe #water
  • Profile picture of the author haikuangel
    I think this can work initially but you need to make sure that before you go live you have a solid niche affiliate model which is capable of sustaining long term. I think its a great idea to use videos and other helpful media application, especially if you can tie them to the niche perfectly then you have yourself a hit.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
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      • Profile picture of the author Spencer Haws
        I think Alexa has some good advice here. I am most successful niches that ARE NOT competitive and actually have fewer searches each month. For your first site, I would find a smaller niche that you can feel confident you can rank well in the Search Engines.

        One quick way to test a keyword is to see how many exact results it has in Google. Put the keyword in "quotes". If it has less that 20k or so, you should have a good chance of ranking for it. Keyword choice is essential! So, spend a good amount of time on this.

        But overall, I think your plan is a solid one.

        Originally Posted by alexa_s View Post

        I think it sounds a really promising, very perceptive and well judged plan, and I wish you success with it.

        Choose your first niche well! (For myself, I would want to stay away from anything highly competitive where you'll be very heavily outfunded, outpromoted and "out-experienced" in ways that matter, and I would run a mile from the "IM education", "weight-loss" and "make money online" niches, and anything with "Web 2.0 hype". But that's just me.)
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  • Profile picture of the author Arted4Life
    What Alexa above me said is some very good advice. Find something with plenty of searches but not to much marketers. I wish you the best of luck in your plan.
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  • Profile picture of the author Video Guy
    I think that you're off to a good start. Just make sure you keep your focus and don't try to do more than your capable of.

    As far as videos go... I love the idea. If done properly you can't do anything but improve the site.
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    • Profile picture of the author dotslash
      Yep sounds good - nothing wrong with that. If you want some other advice that I wish I'd taken when I started -----

      Focus on one thing at a time (i.e don't start loads of different things!) also choose an area you have some knowledge or interest in - believe me it will make a huge difference to your chances of success.

      Good luck

      Neil
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  • Profile picture of the author Freeman77
    That sounds like a great plan.

    For me, I'm kind of glad that I didn't encounter this forum until well after I started marketing online about 6 months ago -- I think I would have been paralyzed by info overload. You seem like you have a good handle on things though.
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  • Profile picture of the author casestudykev
    Rather than start slow, I'd call it start focused. By hyperfocusing on 1 niche you will gain the skills to do all others. For your chosen method, it should take about 300 hours to get it down right.

    Use this when picking a niche:
    In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.

    When you are ready to make products, let me know and I will share some methods with you that will save you time and money.
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  • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
    It is a solid niche affiliate model plan using a blog as your base of operations.

    I hope you do not plan on using wordpress.com for you blog(s) as they will be deleted as soon as they are discovered by wp.com.

    If you're interested in using free landing pages, you can use the free webpages at synthasite.com and even weebly.com which are great for starters.

    All The Best!!

    TL

    Ps. Focusing and getting a good handle on the basics is key.
    Signature

    "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. -- Mark Twain

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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    Ahhh well i had thought of using a platform like blogger or the like as a blog platform and then using a landing page with a presell to link to the affiliate. Was then gonna use articles on ezine etc to link to the blog.

    Is that too many links before the affiliate considering they will have a squeeze/sales page too?

    Was gonna think of using wordpress when i start developing a full site rather than just articles and blogs. Only thought wordpress as seems to be good for non coders like me.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    Sorry to keep asking also is there anything i legally have to add to my site or blog to make it "sue proof". Not that i am planning on doing anything unethical, however we are in a very sue/compensation driven world where people wanna sue you for sneezing near them! lol
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  • Profile picture of the author Sam_Jones
    Just make sure you choose the nice niche because without that, it may not take time before the whole plan come tumbling down.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    Thanks guys. Looking to get going this weekend. Think i have a good link to a site that deals with the privacy n disclaimer stuff i needed too.

    Just gotta take the plunge!!!

    Incidentally the Liberator mentioned a wordpress blog would be shut down? Is this for posting links etc?

    Alot of people seem to mention using wordpress but is this not for blogging?

    Am i better with blogger or similar for blog building purposes?
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  • Profile picture of the author funky_budha
    Your plan sounds good, and right on track. Sooner or later, you will take that dip right? if you feel that you have the necessary tools and skills, then its just about time.
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    Chill Out Venture
    Gets you Out of the Box!
    Adventure based teambuilding.
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  • Profile picture of the author Punkaj Dube
    Don't start in the IM niche. It's overcrowded. Search for a profitable niche first before starting.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    Um i think this is a real "d'oh" moment but when writing articles what do we use to write them? Word n then copy n paste to article site or is there software to use to write in?
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  • Profile picture of the author Braveheart37
    I like your thoughts here! Give it a go as at least you have a plan - and it is a good one!
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  • Profile picture of the author Keith Kogane
    Not to toot my own horn, but your plan sounds very similar to my own "Plan B" I used when I was first starting out in IM almost 2 years ago. You can see it here on the warriorforum:

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...lan-fails.html

    If you have any questions at all about the system I describe there, let me know. I'm happy to help anyone with the enthusiasm to take action, the willingness to learn, and the persistence to make it happen.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    Thanks Keith. Good to know i'm thinking along the lines of someone thats already made a similar plan succesful.

    Do you ever write content yourself or always use others articles that fit your keywords?
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  • Profile picture of the author kimothy777
    Regarding legal and privacy messages, model off someone in your niche who is already successful. Just change some of the words to suit you.
    The big Gurus know what they are doing. They have already paid lawyers to do the hard yards for them so you can leverage off them.
    Don't reinvent the wheel. Model, model, model... model closely but not too closely if you know what I mean
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    • Profile picture of the author Keith Kogane
      Originally Posted by kimothy777 View Post

      Regarding legal and privacy messages, model off someone in your niche who is already successful. Just change some of the words to suit you.
      The big Gurus know what they are doing. They have already paid lawyers to do the hard yards for them so you can leverage off them.
      Don't reinvent the wheel. Model, model, model... model closely but not too closely if you know what I mean
      Yeah, don't do this. Legal documents are copyright too. You can't just change some of the words to suit you for these any more than you can an article or book.

      They HAVE paid lawyers for their work - if you think it was this simple to do, wouldn't they have just copied it from someone else instead of hiring a lawyer? Do you think a lawyer who licenses documents like this for a living will not care that you've copied his intellectual property?

      You may not know this but most lawyers that write these kinds of documents actually license them to you to use rather than selling you the rights. So if you do this you may not even be violating the site owner's copyright, but the lawyer's. So you can practically guarantee legal trouble.

      Seriously though - don't do this. It's illegal. And terrible, TERRIBLE advice.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    If i am using articles mainly to begin with through ezine etc, would i need to do anything legal wise?

    Think i have found 2 keyword phrases that are perfect, (lots of searches, not many competing websites) I know 2 phrases is not anywhere near enough to work with but thinking of maybe banging out something anyway just to get momentum going. What ya think?
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    • Profile picture of the author Andie
      Hi Hammersuk,
      I laughed when I saw the thread title......that is the expression I am using for myself while I 'test the waters'. I have about 3 mths left on unemployment and am determined to make this work somehow ! I have yet to narrow down a 'niche' that makes me snoopy-dance, and doing hours/days of reading/learning/reading some more. this forum has been great so far compared to others I've seen.

      While I have played with the notion before (couple of years ago), this time I am arming myself and setting goals and actually DOING. I've started with affiliate signups and some adwords <that I can't afford> and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Baby steps so far, and it was nice to see someone else is sharing the boat!!

      Andie
      ps - feel free to PM me if you'd like
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Fullman
      Friendly advice:

      You won't make any money by asking what we think.

      Just do it. Dip the rest of your toes in, mate.

      In fact, dive in head first.

      Better to try and fail, than fail to try.

      Or so some "inspirational poster" once told me.

      Go for it, and I (for one) 'm rooting for you.

      Steve

      P.S. And this is coming from a Spur...

      Originally Posted by hammersuk View Post

      If i am using articles mainly to begin with through ezine etc, would i need to do anything legal wise?

      Think i have found 2 keyword phrases that are perfect, (lots of searches, not many competing websites) I know 2 phrases is not anywhere near enough to work with but thinking of maybe banging out something anyway just to get momentum going. What ya think?
      Signature

      Not promoting right now

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  • Profile picture of the author empress9
    Sounds like a workable plan. A suggestion on your niche research: If you're promoting Clickbank products have a look at CBtrends. That'll help determine what's hot and help you find new products to promote. Also consider using Googletrends.
    Hope this helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    Hi Andie, yep like a kid right by the seas edge!! lol everyone is right. Just get going i tink. Make mistakes, learn, improve, try again etc! With the knowlege we have access to on here we have a much better chance then most getting into IM.

    And Steven it means alot to have the support of a spur!! I knew there were some nice ones out there!!! lol
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Fullman
      Originally Posted by hammersuk View Post

      Hi Andie, yep like a kid right by the seas edge!! lol everyone is right. Just get going i tink. Make mistakes, learn, improve, try again etc! With the knowlege we have access to on here we have a much better chance then most getting into IM.
      You'll do well.

      Originally Posted by hammersuk View Post

      And Steven it means alot to have the support of a spur!! I knew there were some nice ones out there!!! lol
      Ahem. One-Nil.



      Anyway, where are you from, dude?

      Steve
      Signature

      Not promoting right now

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      • Profile picture of the author midasman09
        Banned
        Check out "weebly" and "Kompozer", 2 FREE programs for building websites and IMHO much easier to operate than WP.

        Also...when you get ready for Videos....check out a free Video program called "PhotoStory3" that takes your digital STILL photos and makes them look like they're moving...and when you add in some cool background music...BAM....just like a "real" Video.

        Midas Man
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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    Born n bred in London but now moved up to bedfordshire wiv the other half n 2 year old son!

    Fed up with another year of 9-5 n just getting by. Plus we bought a flat in 2006 when we found out we were preggers n now got mega negative equity n can't move!!

    Plenty of motivation for me to make this work!!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    Thanks Midas i'll have a look at photostory
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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    Also is it me but the way i have been seeing click bank is that either they have programmes like the diet n money makers that look like everyone in the world is pushing and everyone has seen before or else they are really obscure things like build a wind turbine that looks like has under 5 affiliates!?

    Is clickbank the only decent network for digi products?
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