The basics of online marketing make use of well-known marketing principles. The rage in the city is forex trading and affiliate marketing like Getaway Club, Club Freedom and others are online business which most of the Nigerians have recently embraced even without knowing the fundamentals of online business. Most of the people who do not know the rudiments of online marketing do not maximize or obtain the required profit in these programs. In some cases, fingers are burned in the process.

Generally in business, there is no such thing as ‘nothing for something’. Only 20% of your e-marketing technique will give you a result of 80%. The essence of this article is to show you how you can use the affiliate marketing model to build and expand your own business.

An affiliate program is a joint venture between a seller and a company that wants their product promoted. The marketer, who is the affiliate, benefits from the program by selling the company’s product for a commission. Basically, the company provides the product, the website, some marketing tools, customer service, and the reward. The reward and compensation pattern for affiliates is easier than in a multilevel marketplace. It is usually a win-win situation for both parties, but the company benefits more in the deal. Companies use this method to expand their business in a short period of time.

This type of marketing makes use of a longstanding effective marketing strategy of word of mouth advertising where loyal customers who refer prospects to your business are rewarded.

Affiliate marketing can also be considered relationship marketing because it creates a true relationship between your product and your customers, which is the simplest and easiest way to promote your business. Put another way, your brand is your relationship with your prospects.

Every company, no matter how small, should use this affiliate model to expand its borders. Although some companies have tried to create different affiliate programs, the problem always affects the integrity and sustainability of the program.

For affiliates, this could be a way to easily earn money and build their own business if they know how to use the program for their own benefit. Selecting a high-quality product from a company that has integrity is the beginning of your success in this scheme.

Before joining an affiliate program, also make sure that the company has good customer service, pays a good commission, and that the payment model is okay. Affiliates need to look beyond the instant monetary reward and build a long-term back-end business around the product.

Your main goal should be to build a customer base and develop a relationship with your prospects, this will bring them repeat business.

To improve your chances of making money with any affiliate program, both online and offline, affiliates must:

-Run your advertising to promote the product.

-Develop your own website where the product will be marketed.

-Conduct seminars in which you enlighten your prospects about the product.

-Build your customer base with e-marketing strategies. This will help you market other products.

-Provide additional resources, product-related services and incentives to your prospects.

Here, freebies should also be used to attract prospects because everyone likes free stuff, so give free stuff.

Having shown you how you can maximize your earnings level in affiliate marketing, I won’t end this article without telling you that you will benefit the most if you build a product or business and use affiliates to grow your business. It’s all about creating a platform where people who refer someone to your business are rewarded for that.

You should start your own affiliate program here in Nigeria no matter how small it is because experience has shown that most affiliate programs are not totally trustworthy the company can crash at any time we have seen things like that happen in last.

All you need to do to start your own affiliate program is create a product that meets people’s needs. Provide good customer service and a good reward system for your affiliates.

Small businesses in Nigeria should take advantage of this type of marketing model to expand and grow their businesses. Some of the biggest companies in the world today are using affiliate programs to expand their market (such as Dell computers, Amazon, Google and many others). You too can use affiliate marketing for your business benefit!