Serial entrepreneur Segun Ketic talks about his career journey, business innovation plans and digital success in a recent interview.
How did you get into the affiliate marketing industry and what was the pivotal moment that shaped your journey in this dynamic industry?
When I was young, I wanted to make money online in a legal way without committing online fraud. So, around 2006, I came across an online ad in a cyber cafe about how to make money online and bought the e-book. This was the first time I came across something called affiliate marketing, I just pursued it and the rest, as they say, is history.
If you are new to affiliate marketing, what are the basic steps you would recommend to succeed in this field?
I believe that anyone with an open mind and a desire to learn can succeed in the affiliate marketing industry. We also encourage you to be curious, do consistent research, test new angles every day, and remember to constantly optimize.
In your extensive experience, what challenges do businesses face when implementing effective affiliate marketing programs and how can they be overcome?
The most common challenge is accurate data tracking. Most companies don't want to invest in getting the right attribution tools. Without data, you can’t do much with affiliate marketing.
Also, many businesses don't know about affiliate marketing and still try to implement the strategy on their own, but hiring an affiliate manager or consulting an affiliate marketing agency can save you a lot of stress. It can be reduced.
From a strategic perspective, what factors should companies consider when selecting affiliates to ensure mutually beneficial and lasting partnerships?
The most important thing for companies to consider when choosing an affiliate partnership is mutual value alignment and added value. Next is reliability. Unfortunately, all that glitters is not gold. The affiliate industry is still full of fraudulent affiliates.
As an experienced marketer, how do you see the relationship between content marketing and affiliate strategy, and what role does community building play in this ecosystem?
There's a popular adage that goes, “Content is king,” and that adage is forever true. As an affiliate marketer, without the right content, you won't be able to access content from your ad copy to your pre-sale pages to your sales funnel because content marketing is part of your marketing strategy. I say relationships are pari passu and community building is the lifeblood of an ecosystem because all efforts go to waste.
In your previous role as Head of Partnerships and User Acquisition, how do you approach building and managing successful client affiliate programs?
We carefully consider whether a brand's goals are to acquire new users or increase LTV. Because if you don't have a goal in mind, you won't accomplish anything. We then conduct extensive research to help you build your affiliate marketing plan, carefully selecting the affiliate marketing networks you want to use for your program, the affiliate payment schedule, the type of affiliates that are suitable for this program, and finally tracking them. We will hire you. Let them start the promotion.
Looking back over your career, can you share a standout moment where an innovative affiliate marketing strategy directly contributed to significant business growth?
I think it was when I was invited to participate in the DigitalVirgio VAS campaign across Africa. VAS marketing is new territory for me, but I knew that if affiliate marketing could work in another industry, it would work in other industries as well, so it gave me the opportunity to create a go-to-market strategy for my brand. We were able to acquire the largest companies. With 5,000 to 10,000 new subscribers added every week, the reach of your brand and its services grows exponentially.
What milestones and achievements are you aiming for in your current role in the near term, and how do you expect to contribute to the evolution of affiliate marketing practices?
I want to help at least 10,000 new brands launch their first affiliate marketing program.
I would like to explore the role of AI in affiliate marketing and how it can be utilized.So those are the priorities now
What do you think are the most important skills and qualities an affiliate marketer should have to succeed in an ever-evolving and competitive industry?
I think resilience, adaptability, and innovation are the best skills anyone can have in the ever-changing world of affiliate marketing.
With an ever-changing landscape, what trends do you foresee shaping the future of affiliate marketing, and how can marketers stay adaptable and stay ahead of the curve?
Accurate data tracking and analysis will continue to undergo changes and improvements. Therefore, it's a good idea to stay aware of the main attribution models of top advertising companies such as Facebook Ads and Google Ads. Also, don’t let go of AI in affiliate marketing. AI will take over.
