How to start with email-marketing (cheap)

Doing the whole thing professionally, safely, avoiding all problems and in a way that you won't need to re-do it all later is cheap enough, anyway. You can have a GetResponse subscription for $15 per month (and the first month is free). You don't have to sell many ClickBank products to cover the cost of that!

I understand what it's like to be short of money to spend on it. I was also a student when I started. But trying to do it this way makes no sense at all. You'll end up not being able to import your list to a proper autoresponder anyway, and it will all just turn into a "long-term, slow-moving accident". Professional autoresponder services cost so little that it makes very little sense to try save a few dollars: the later problems only ever get worse.

If you can't afford $15 to cover your first two months at GetResponse, I honestly suggest you wait until you can afford it. I have no idea where you live or what kind of part-time work might be available there, but it's surely not beyond many people's capabilities to come up with $15 or so? The entry-barriers to affiliate marketing could hardly be lower than they are ...

MailChimp has an SMTP service that'll let you send 12,000 free emails per month. I've heard from others here that they're hard on affiliate marketers, so be careful with them as to not get your account banned. You can go from signup to sending in about 5 minutes. I use it and like it a lot.

Transactional Email from MailChimp - Mandrill

The fear I have recommending any sevice is because I believe the OP has purchased or harvestedf a list since he does not have an autoresponder.

I don't know of any service that will allow importing without confirmation.

Best regards,
Steve Yakim

Personally I would stay away from "lead scrapers" and "mass email senders" because although this is sometimes is an easy way to build a list and make money, you are probably violating the CAN-SPAM act and sending people information without their permission. The best way to go is by using an autoresponder/list builder such as Aweber (which lets you start with $1) or GetResponse (which offers a free 30 day trial) and then build a squeeze page with your sign-up form and start driving some traffic to your page. You can start out with free traffic and eventually move up to using paid traffic.

Arclite, if you are doing what I think you are doing - scraping emails with your "email hunter" and using your "email sending programs" to send them Clickbank promotions without their permission, you're doing the exact thing that led to the daily limits that are vexing you now.

In plain talk, it sounds like you're spamming Clcikbank offers.

This behavior is what forces service providers to put limitations and restrictions on their services, like daily limits and not allowing imported lists.

I understand doing things on the cheap, but spamming is not the answer.

Nothing personal, but I really hope no one else leads you to a way to spam your offers. Maybe you'll be forced to find a legitimate way of connecting with people.

If you need a free email autoresponder, try listwire.com. I've never used them but they say their system is free forever. Wont hurt to try.

Best wishes

You get what you pay for with a lot of these things.
I use Aweber (not free), but Listwire looks like a reasonable free option.

@Arclite - It amazes me that some people are *still* not prepared to spend a few bucks on an autoresponder. If you don't have 15-20 bucks to spare to get started go and do one of the following:

1) Write articles for a webmaster
2) Mow some lawns
3) Wash some cars
4) Get a part-time job
5) Sell some 'objects' you don't need on Ebay. (you have some I guarantee it).
6) If you buy fast food, alcohol or cigarettes, quit it for a week.

If you aren't prepared to spend a few dollars you're in the wrong business.

yeah Listwire is really good and effective i have never really used anything then listwire and i am pretty satisfied

HI,

DON'T go the FREE route when it comes to email marketing.

You could build a list into the 1000's and lose them all using a FREE service.

GetResponse & Aweber are really cheap anyway.

It's well worth the investment in the long run.

I think I might have the answer. If you are looking for a way to send out emails you can either use a standard SMTP service or your own VPS. SMTP services are pretty cheap these days, in fact some even have free plans but as you know they do have a daily limit of 200 emails so if you are really on a budget, get a small unmanaged VPS for like 30 bucks a year. You'll need to know how to get around the VPS because you'll have to manage it.

Btw Amazon SES is $1 for 10,000 emails, however like I said you'll need to know the technical stuff though

I second just getting an Aweber account.

Its $19 a month to start. This is cheap enough and it'll save you so much hassle. Plus if you make one additional sale because your emails actually went through, you make back your expense for the month.