This is how Ikenna Odinaka Makes Money Online in Nigeria

This is an interview of Ikenna Odinaka. To some people, that names sounds familiar, to others, it is new. In this long and inspiring interview, you will get to know who Ikenna Odinaka is and how he makes money online in Nigeria. Try not to miss anything in this interview.

 

 
MMON: Please tell us a little about yourself

My name is Ikenna Odinaka, a web content writer with focus in education opportunities, and online learning technology for Africans. I’m the Editor-in-Chief at AfterschoolAfrica.com. A graduate of Petroleum Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and with domestic skills in web programming.

 
MMON: When did you start making money online and how did you make your first money online?

I started my first blog/website in 2008 towards the end of my NYSC. That was after rummaging the internet for months and trying out several stuffs that never worked. Google Adsense was my only source of revenue at that time. It wasn’t until October 2010 that I received my first check from Google. It was €359.76 total earning in about 2 years. It meant a lot to me back then.

 
MMON: When starting your blog/website, did you ever expect it to grow to where it is today?

It’s a yes and no. Yes because, I’ve always hoped and worked towards building a widely read niche website. I still do not see the site as having grown to what I envision but I’m grateful and encouraged to see how much the site have grown over time.

 
MMON: You’ve been in the internet for a long time, how much of an impact have you made on the internet?

I think it’s hard to measure ones impact by one’s self. You already know that only a tiny percentage of people will come back to tell you how much you’ve been of help. From the testimonies I receive through comments and email from students who are encouraged by my write ups and some who have won scholarships or contests as a result of finding my site, it’s prove that I’ve been able to impact into some lives out there in my little way. If this number is a tiny percentage, then that would mean the impact has been significant.

 
MMON: How have you incorporated social media into your blog?

Social media is a part of building a web presence now than ever. It’s almost impossible for any serious web publisher/marketer to overlook. We have a page on each of the major social networking site; Facebook, Google+ and Twitter, from which we engage and inform our fans and followers of our latest posts, scholarship and contest opportunities. We also engage and interact with our audience, mainly on Facebook, outside the context of the website to keep the page active. This has helped the AfterSchoolAfrica brand to grow significantly.

 
MMON: In your opinion, what is the best way to monetize a blog?

I think there isn’t an all round best way to monetise a blog. The answer will depend largely on your audience, niche and what goes down well with you. Google Adsense has been my major income source.

I used to be very uncomfortable selling information products (and still am), so didn’t really incorporate this model for a long time. But seeing the importance of creating exclusive select action-oriented information (sometimes people just need that push and compulsion to take action), I’ve recently introduced ebook sales, and it is proving to be rewarding; not just for the money but for the experience and further exposure.

Also, I do a little bit of affiliate marketing but haven’t given it enough effort to say much about it. Offering professional services have also worked fairly well for me. Overall, I think it’s more about your niche, audience and what you can offer them.

 
MMON: What would you recommend for a new blogger, that wants to create their own brand on the internet?

For a new blogger, you need to be ready to work. There is no shortcut to that. First decide on a niche you want to build your brand on. Do not try to be the solution to everybody. Start as concise as you can be, then as you grow, you can diversify to other section to your brand. Amazon started as an online bookstore, now you can get almost anything from Amazon. Several other examples abound.

 
MMON: Any recommended resources for people looking to bring their blog to the next level?

I read haphazardly, from anywhere Google points me to. But two blogs that helped mould my blogging persona, and will probably do a lot more for any new blogger, are Problogger.net and Stevepavlina.com.

Steve Pavlina wrote an epic blog post in 2006 on “How to Make money from your blog”. That post is still as useful and next-level-taking today.

Google Alert is also a very useful tool that I use to keep up with specific industry news.

Another great but often overlooked resource is within you. Some of us go about looking for that proverbial life changing resource when what we need is to look inside to identify what makes you unique and blend it in.

 
MMON: What tools do you think will be of great use to other bloggers?

I think the best and most useful tool any blogger has is your content. Build contents that people need. Then start building your mailing list if you haven’t already started. There are several tools to choose from for this purpose for free and for fee. Aweber, Feedblitz, mailchimp, Feedburner etc

 
MMON: Do you have any big announcements or upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about?

I’m currently building a website for Nigerian formal and informal educational institutions with my partner. Construction is still on the way and we’ll let you know once we are up for public release. The URL is introschool.com

 
MMON: Anything else you want to let us know?

Nothing more really but I need to say thank you for the privilege. I appreciate the time and space to be here.

 
Thank you too!

 
Hello readers, do you have questions for Ikenna? You can ask using the comment form provided further below. Or do you have someone in mind you want us to interview? If yes, you can let us know who the person is and we’ll get the person interviewed for you.

 
We hope you’ve learned from this!