A few days ago I sent a message about participating in the Easter JV Giveaway event.  In it I asked for subscribers to submit any questions that they might have about participating in JV giveaways.

http://www.easterjv2009.com/contributor.php?id=173

I received a couple of good responses that I would like to pass on to you.  Both of them relate to a perceived barrier to entry.  I want to share this information so that you can benefit by better understanding the point system used in giveaways in general and the new system used by the Easter Giveaway in particular.

Rick wrote that it appeared to him that one needed to already have a list before they could participate as a contributor.  And, he asked if this event was the same.  Steve wrote that he had joined as a contributor, but was concerned about getting sufficient points to add his gift.  Here is an edited version of my combined responses to Rick and Steve:

Having a list is not really a requirement for this or any other giveaway that I have participated in.  The catch, if you can call it that, is that giveaways use a point system to determine where and if your gift(s) will be shown.  People who have more points will have their gifts listed before people with fewer points.  Points are earned for every confirmed contributor and member that you refer. 

Giveaways usually have an option to upgrade your membership for a small fee.  Upgraded members are given some number of points that will guarantee that their gift(s) will be shown.  These upgrade fees usually range from $17 to $47 with $17 being most typical.  Some giveaways restrict free members to listing only one gift, with upgraded members permitted to submit three or more gifts.

Having said that, Guido’s Easter Giveaway is a bit different.  It is using “new and improved” giveaway manager software.  Three levels of upgrade are offered providing different numbers of points and other features.  They are Silver, Gold and Platinum and are priced accordingly with the low end Silver at $47.  I purchased the Silver upgrade which simply gives me 60 points and access to the upgrades area.

The other difference with this giveaway is that 15 points are required for each gift that is added.  There are a number of other differences, but I don’t want to confuse you with too much detail at once. 

If you already had a list, you could promote the giveaway to that list and earn points for each person that signed up.  And / or, you could purchase an upgrade.  There are other options to promote that do not require your own list.  In fact, most of my member signups come from a couple of days of promotions to traffic exchanges and safelists on and following the launch day of the event.  Only a handful come from the single mailing to my personal lists.  These member signups help me to rank high among the confirmed contributors to these events.  Those rankings ensure that my gifts are shown on the first few pages of the giveaways, which translates into excelent exposure and a ton of opt-ins.

In short, you do not need a list in order to join this or most other giveaways.  What you do need is to promote the event or upgrade or preferably both.

The upgrade price for this event may be a little higher than most events, but this is no ordinary event.  It is going to be heavily promoted and is therefore a great opportunity, even for a beginner.

If you are still sitting on the fence, sit no longer.  Go to

http://www.easterjv2009.com/contributor.php?id=173

and sign up now.  You still have over two weeks to get everything set up. 

Best of Luck,

Don

Are you serious about succeeding in internet marketing?  If you are, then you also need to be serious about building a list.  And, the easiest way to start building a list, by far, is to participate as a contributor in giveaway events.

 Even if your target niche has nothing to do with making money online, the things that you will learn and the skills that you will build by preparing for and participating in a JV giveaway will be invaluable.

Yesterday I sent out to my list an invitation to join as a contributor in Guido Nussbaum’s Easter JV Giveaway. 

http://www.easterjv2009.com/contributor.php?id=173

At this time, it appears that only one person understands the importance of taking action toward building the foundation of their online business and has signed up as a contributor to this event from my link.  (If you signed up, but from someone else’s link, I still applaud you) 

Don’t delay, sign up now.  Guido’s Easter Giveaway is one of the larger events.  So, contributors are likely to add hundreds, if not thousands of subscribers to their lists.

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http://www.easterjv2009.com/contributor.php?id=173

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This event launches on April 7.  So, you have over two weeks to prepare.  All that you need are the basics: website, auto responder and a product that you have giveaway rights to.  Set up a simple opt-in page and download page and you are good to go.

If you are still new to online marketing and need help putting the puzzle pieces together, please reply to this email with any questions that you have and I will point you to the appropriate resources.

Whatever you do, don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

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http://www.easterjv2009.com/contributor.php?id=173

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Best of Luck,

Don