Congrats on getting the opt-intelligence leads to convert into affiliate commissions fast and hopefully convert into paying customers longer term.
Various internet marketers use the free leading to paid model – Robert Puddy has been doing it for as long as I remember (and originally selling the script he used, now he gives it away), recently Andy Brocklehurst was promoting a freemium model (can’t remember if that was using one of his scripts but wouldn’t surprise me).
Not tested it but the theory behind a freemium model is that your subscribers are more loyal because they’ve got access to a (free) membership site than if they were just regular subscribers. I guess it’s just a different “take” on the free gift – they get access to a site rather than a PDF or video.
The big thing is taking action – which you’ve done. Congrats again for doing that.