How To Transfer or Share Data on MTN Nigeria Network

First, you cannot transfer MTN data unless you have a data plan of 250MB and above, and the cheapest data plan that qualifies you for MTN data transfer is the 250MB data plan for N1300 which gives you a data allowance of 325MB for 30 days. To subscribe send 109 to 131 or dial *109#

The 100MB data plan which costs N1000 and gives you a data allowance of 250MB for 30 days won’t allow you transfer data.

To start, you will have to activate any MTN data plan (from 250MB and above, excluding MTN Day, Night, Weekend, and Time-based plans), then dial *131*2*1# or text REG to 131 to register for MTN Data Share. You will receive a unique security PIN. You are required to change the system generated PIN to a new PIN you can easily remember by dialling *131*2*5# or by texting Change OLD_PIN NEW_PIN NEW_PIN to 131 e.g. Change 0000 1234 to 131.

Alternatively, change your pin by doing the following:

1. Dial *131*2#
2. Reply with 5 to change PIN.
3. Enter 0000 as old PIN (i.e. default pin) and then enter new PIN e.g. 1234.
4. You will receive a message from MTN that your PIN change has been effected.

After changing the PIN, you are required to add beneficiaries to your MTN Shared Data Bundle account via USSD menu, that is by dialing *131*2*3# or by texting Add to 131. You can add up to 5 beneficiaries. Once you have added your beneficiaries, you (the sponsor) will be able to share your available data bundle amongst the added beneficiaries by sending the keyword Share to 131 or simply dialing the USSD code *131*2*4#.

LOW TUITION OPPORTUNITIES FOR OVERSEAS EDUCATION



by Idris O. Aliu

Lately the cost of overseas education in the often sought after places like the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and even China has skyrocketed so much more that it has gone beyond the means of many people who fit into the middle class stratum of society, thus more and more people are opting to look at other places as an alternative.


One of such countries in Europe where tuition fees are very low is Georgia. International students choose Georgia because it's one of the most stimulating countries in the world. Also, students are usually allowed to work and study there.

Tuition fees in Georgian universities are extremely low and affordable in comparison with other European universities. Although tuition fee for undergraduate programs could range from $2000 to $4000 and $4000 for postgraduate programs, on the average tuition fees in Goergian universities are amongst the lowest in Europe ranging from 500 euros to 1500 euros per academic year


Scholarships are also usually awarded to students, but since they are few, they are usually competitive.

Below is a list of top universities in Georgia:

Ø University of Georgia
Ø International Black Sea University
Ø Free University Of Tbilisi
Ø Caucasus University
Ø Geogian American University
Ø Georgian Institute Of Public Affairs.
Ø Kutaisi University.
Ø Gori University.
Ø Tbilisi State Medical University.

Go to Google and dig out more on higher education in Georgia or dig out information on how to process admission into the respective schools, in addition to other details.


Belgium is another country with low tuition fees although the cost of living in Belgium is a bit high when compared with other European countries. It is estimated at about 800 euros per month which should cover the cost of accommodation, food, healthcare, public transport, telephone and leisure.


Top Universities in Belgium:

Ø Boston University
Ø University of Kent
Ø Brussels Schools Of International Studies
Ø University Of Antwerp
Ø The Open University


The cost of studying in Russia is also cheaper than that of most other countries in Europe. On top of that, the cost of living in Russia is also one of the lowest in Europe. It is estimated at $500 which covers the cost of accommodation, food, books etc.

Tuition fees are low and quite affordable in Russia. Fees for medicine, engineering and architecture range from $3500 to $5000, while other courses start from $1500 to $3000.

Note: To study in Russia, international students will be expected to undergo the Russian language training that usually last for one academic year and will cost about $1500.


Top Universities in Russia:

Ø Moscow state university
Ø St. Petersburg State University
Ø Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Ø Tomsk State University
Ø Russian State University of the Humanities
Ø Moscow State Institute Of International Relations


Countries like Finland and Germany also have very low tuition fees, and even free tuition systems.


Find below, a list of low tuition or free tuition universities in Finland and Germany:

Low Tuition or Tuition Free Universities in Finland:

Ø University of Helsinki
Ø Henken School of Economics
Ø Aalto University
Ø University of Oulu
Ø University of Lapland
Ø University of Tampere
Ø University of Turku
Ø University of Vaasa


Low Tuition or Free Tuition Universities in Germany:

Ø University of Stuttgart
Ø University of Berlin
Ø University of Rostock
Ø University of Bremen
Ø Aachen University of Technology
Ø Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus
Ø Dortmund University
Ø Hamburg University
Ø Frankfurt University
Ø Homboldt-University, Berlin


But lately the cost of overseas education in Europe, North America, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, and to some extent China is skyrocketing, so more and more people are opting to look at India as an alternative.

Students with a high school diploma or a university degree can apply to India's universities without having to pass any English language tests such as IELTS which are usually required by U.S. and European universities but after the admission, students are required to perform well to be able to graduate.

Many universities in India have a strict examination system. For example at the University of Delhi, the examinations are not set by the teachers but by the university system as a whole.

The quality of the education, lower tuition fees and living costs are major factors attracting students to India.

The average yearly tuition fee for overseas students at India's public universities is about 493.84 US Dollar, that's about N78,743.06 (approx. N79,000).

And the cost in private universities increases to around 1646.12 US Dollar (about N263,000) this is just a fraction of the costs seen in the US or Europe.
A typical US or UK university could cost a student around 16,461.20 US Dollar a year for tuition fee, that is approximately 2.6 million Naira!

Also total living costs, including accommodation, are also relatively cheaper in India, which is about $2,500 (roughly N400,000) a year.

Tuition fees in India vary depending on the major. The cost of living for the average international student in India is about 82.31 US Dollar (about N13,000) a month and there are always people to help clean-up and do the laundry for you.

So, no wonder why India has lately become the new hub for international students seeking top quality education at lower costs.

Below is a list of some colleges (universities) in India you might want to check out:

Ø Aegis School of Business and Telecommunication
Ø Alagappa University, Karaikudi
Ø Andhra University
Ø Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Ø Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Ø Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Ø University of Delhi
Ø Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Ø Manipal University
Ø University of Mumbai
Ø Indian Maritime University
Ø Anna University Chennai
Ø Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Ø Jawaharlal Nehru University
Ø Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Ø National Institute of Technology Calicut
Ø National Institute of Technology, Rourkela
Ø Banaras Hindu University
Ø University of Madras
Ø Amity University
Ø Osmania University
Ø Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh
Ø Indian Institute of Information Technology Allahabad
Ø Maharishi Dayanand University
Ø Annamalai University
Ø Andhra University
Ø Panjab University
Ø Visvesvaraya Technological University
Ø SRM University
Ø University of Pune
Ø SASTRA University
Ø Kurukshetra University
Ø Uttar Pradesh Technical University
Ø Bharathiar University
Ø Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Ø University of Calcutta
Ø Rajasthan Technical University
Ø All India Institute of Medical Sciences
Ø National Institute of Design
Ø Jadavpur University
Ø Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University
Ø VIT University
Ø Annamalai University
Ø Andhra University
Ø Panjab University


Just go to Google and type in the name of any of the schools you have in question to dig out information on how to process admission into that particular school, in addition to other details.


Good luck!



NOTE: the estimates in this report were made at the prevailing market rates of €1 = N218.33 and $1 = N159.4559 as at the time of writing the report.

BET YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY PEOPLE ASK YOU TO LIKE OR PASS COMMENTS ON THEIR FACEBOOK POSTS!

If you're on Facebook; which you probably are, then you've likely seen posts containing strange stories or images popping up on your newsfeed asking you a question that requires you to think and comment or like them! These are the latest round of what you would want to call 'Like Bait' posts that have popped up on Facebook and other social media lately.

Someone posts a ficticious story or strange picture and adds something like, "Like this post in 5 seconds if you hate cancer, or ignore if you don't" to the Facebook post. These things have become so frequent that you can't go a day without someone asking you to pass a comment, which maybe as short as saying "Amen" or whatever! In most other cases, you are only required to like the posts!

But why? Why do these posts exist?

Well these posts exist mainly for material gains or with the intention of creating contents with viral reach on Facebook. When these people get a few thousand likes and comments, it creates a viral effect which lets their posts appear on the Facebook newsfeeds of so many other people, in fact on the walls or newsfeeds of a bunch of people they've never met or interacted with before!

Businesses and people (particularly marketers) who have seen it work on a personal level now capitalize on the trend to boost their own pages and brand exposure, it's copy-cat marketing - radio stations like to do this a lot.

Then there's really the dodgy ones, who utilize this method to create a page with a massive fanbase of which they can then sell the admin rights to the highest bidder to pocket some lump sum of money!

It's cheeky, but that's the way the Facebook algorithm works!

Next time be wise, think deep before you like or pass a comment on just about any Facebook post! When someone posts a strange picture of a child with some health defects, adds some words of prayer, and then asks you to say "Amen", it could just be a decoy to let you help him fill up his pockets with money! Be wise!

EASY WAYS TO SAVE MONEY AND MANAGE DATA ON ANDROID DEVICES

1. Reduce the number of applications and games on your Android device , keep only the frequently used or very useful ones...

2. Turn off your GPS settings except whenever necessary...
To do that, tap on 'Settings' then under 'Personal' tap on 'Location Access', then untick the box for 'Access to my location', then turn off 'GPS satellites'. (On Android 4.x Jellybean OS). You should only turn this on when you want to use your phone to navigate an area, most especially when you have to use Google Maps or similar apps on your phone...

3. Use only the data compressing browsers like Opera Beta, UC Browser Mini, Chrome Beta, Opera Mini, Chrome browser for Android... which you can download and install on Google Play Store or Mobo Market. Don't use the conventional data consuming browsers like Firefox for Android, Maxthon Browser, etc. To compress data on Opera Browser Beta (or Opera Beta) turn on "Off-Road Mode" after downloading and installing the browser.

Chrome browser offers proxy data compression through Google for Google Chrome on Android devices. One of the great features is its calculation and graph showing just how much data has been saved. Here’s what we got from Google, read on...

Data Compression Proxy
Faster, safer, and cheaper mobile web browsing with data compression
The latest Chrome browsers for Android and iOS can reduce cellular data usage and speed up mobile web browsing by using proxy servers hosted at Google to optimize website content. In our internal testing, this feature has been shown to reduce data usage by 50% and speed up page load times on cellular networks! To enable it, visit “Settings > Bandwidth Management > Reduce data usage” and toggle the option – easy as that.

4. Go to Play Store on your device and search for the following apps to help you minimize your data usage, enhance your battery life, and monitor your data:
i) Data Savings | Onavo Extend
ii) Onavo Count | Data Usage or 3G Watchdog
iii) Advance Task Manager - Killer by INFOLIFE LLC (Optional)

IMPORTANT!: You can use the 'Settings' on 'Advanced Task Manager - Killer' to kill background apps automatically without your manual input but this might let other apps (including Onavo Extend) work intermittently! So use it manually once in a while, you don't have to set the auto functions.

Although it is often better to use 'Advanced Task Manager - Killer' manually, you may prefer setting up the auto functions in order to save yourself some time, energy, and to help increase your device's memory (RAM space). To do this, tap on it's Settings icon represented by the three square dots at the top right hand corner of the screen and turn on all the 'Auto kills'. Setting up the automatic functions on Advanced Task Manager - Killer can help you minimize data usage and save you energy. It will also boost your battery life and continuously boost your device's memory (RAM) without any effort on your side. But remember doing so will make Advanced Task Manager - Killer make some of your apps work intermittently, so you might have to 'Force stop' it from the 'Settings' feature and then launch it back if need arises.

However, if you choose to use 'Advance Task Manager - Killer', remember that it is a task killer. A task killer is an app from which you can manually (or sometimes automatically) force other apps to quit, the hope being that the fewer apps you have running in the background, the better your Android's performance and battery life will be. Proponents of task killers are of the opinion that closing apps running in the background will get you improved performance and battery life, in addition to lesser data usage by the Android device– that’s the idea, anyway. However, opponents of task killers deduce that in reality task killers can reduce your performance and battery life.

This argument about whether task killers are effective or not rages all over the Internet: Android forums on the Internet are full of threads with constant bickering and conflicting anecdotal experience, making it difficult for most users to make sense of the situation.

Excerpts from Lifehacker do however suggest that using task killers on Android could be bad news for us because Android handles process management by default. Read on:

"In Android, processes and Applications are two different things. An app can stay "running" in the background without any processes eating up your phone's resources. Android keeps the app in its memory so it launches more quickly and returns to its prior state. When your phone runs out of memory, Android will automatically start killing tasks on its own, starting with ones that you haven't used in a while.

The problem is that Android uses RAM differently than, say, Windows. On Android, having your RAM nearly full is a good thing. It means that when you relaunch an app you've previously opened, the app launches quickly and returns to its previous state. So while Android actually uses RAM efficiently, most users see that their RAM is full and assume that's what's slowing down their phone. In reality, your CPU—which is only used by apps that are actually active—is almost always the bottleneck."

Thus, you may want to have a rethink about using a task killer like 'Advance Task Manager - Killer' or any other task killer.

As for 3G Watchdog and Onavo Count, test both of them to see which of them you prefer, or keep both of them if that's what you would want; but you may want to uninstall one of the two just to create room for some other app on your device.

NOTE: Onavo Extend relies on a server to compress your data, so your image/picture quality may somewhat or at times be reduced while browsing the Internet via their server. You can always use the 'Manage Apps' feature on your Android device to 'Force Stop' it whenever you want to, then 'Launch' it again at your own convenience!

Onavo Extend uses its servers to compress the data you request before it gets sent to you, so it is not ideal for large file downloads, as it will reduce your speed. In addition to this, some websites may not load properly, or at all, but this seems to happen in a limited number of cases. However, you can disable the app at any time if your download speed is too slow or you realize a website won't load. But don't forget to re-enable it when you are through. To disable the app, just open it and tap the button. You can also go to your device's Settings (i.e. System settings) and then use the 'Manage apps' feature to 'Force Stop' it. But don't forget to re-enable the app after you're done with your download or through with the website that had issues loading. To re-enable the app at anytime, simply open it by tapping on it and then grant it access for adding a VPN connection (for Onavo's servers).

Whenever Onavo Extend is active you will see a small key shape icon on top of your screen, if you don't see this icon it means the app isn't active, go back to the app and re-enable it. After installing Onavo Extend on your Android device, you will have to open the app and grant it access for adding a new VPN connection (for Onavo's servers).


Onavo Count can be downloaded and installed from http://market.android.com/search?q=pname:com.onavo.android.onavoid

3G Watchdog can be downloaded and installed from http://market.android.com/search?q=pname:net.rgruet.android.g3watchdog

Onavo Extend can be downloaded and installed from http://market.android.com/search?q=pname:com.onavo.android.onavoics

Advanced Task Manager can be downloaded and installed from http://market.android.com/search?q=pname:mobi.infolife.taskmanager


Or simply search for them on Play Store or Mobo Market (an alternative to Google Play Store for Android apps).
Mobo Market can be downloaded and installed from http://mobomarket.moborobo.com/m/android1/


Bingo! That's all for now!

ATM DEBIT CARDS NIGERIANS CAN USE ON THE INTERNET FOR WORLDWIDE PAYMENTS

Virtually all banks in Nigeria issue ATM debit cards but at the moment the GTBank Naira MasterCard, UBA Africard, Zenith Bank Mastercard Websurfer, and Zenith Bank Visa Prepaid Buxz cards are some of the most reliable payment cards you can use on the Internet for your online transactions here in Nigeria to make payments worldwide. The Fidelity Bank debit card which the bank offers to its customers who have at least a Savings Account with them is also reported to be a good online payment option.

GTBank will let you have a Naira MasterCard ATM debit card when you open an account with them (Current or Savings Account). You can start using the card for your international online transactions by going to any branch of the bank to activate the card for Internet banking, you will be able to use it for your online purchases and payments worldwide, anywhere you see the MasterCard logo on the Internet. Just go to any GTBank branch and ask to see the Customer Service people or the person in charge of card services. Tell them you want to apply for “Internet Banking” or want to be profiled for Internet Banking and would want to apply for a “Token”. A Token is a small security hardware like a key holder that generates a set of numbers which will enable secure transfers via the Internet banking platform. It generates a random password which will then be keyed in after the password to enable transfer. You can use the GTBank Naira MasterCard to order for products online or pay for services anywhere on the Internet wherever you see the MasterCard logo.

For now, let me concentrate on the easiest of them to get – the UBA Visa Prepaid card, called UBA Africard, issued by United Bank of Africa (UBA). The UBA Africard is one card you would want to consider and virtually the easiest to obtain. The UBA Visa Prepaid card (Africard) is a debit card variant denominated in Naira and is pre-funded and re-loadable. It is internationally accepted in all Visa acceptance points (ATM, PoS & Web). Card holders do not need to have an account with UBA in order to obtain this card, and the card can be obtained from any branch of UBA. The card is of two types; the personalized and the non-personalized types. I will advise you to go for the non-personalized type because you can instantly obtain it just immediately after applying for it.

All you need to apply for the UBA Africard is a valid form of identity, particularly a government-issued ID, which could be an international passport, driver's license or National Identity Card, or even the Voter’s Registration Card (in line with the new CBN directive).

You need a minimum of N500 (five hundred naira) to obtain this UBA Africard prepaid card, although in some cases you can get it even without paying a dime.

This card has a 10 digit number on it. This number serves as your account number. To fund the card, simple pay into the account number at the counter.



NOTE: Although the aforementioned cards are widely accepted online, you cannot use them to effect payment on some sites on the Internet. Some sites may reject them while some do not have provisions for accepting them. For example, Clickbank products cannot be procured using most Nigerian prepaid card. Most Clickbank products require a PayPal login before you can buy products on the site, so your Nigerian prepaid card will not be useful to you on www.clickbank.com. However, so many other sites, particularly the China based B2B sites like Aliexpress.com and DHgate.com will accept the card. You can also use these cards to make online payments for your web hosting service with Hostgator.com; domain name service with Namecheap.com or GoDaddy.com; autoresponder service with TrafficWave.net, Getresponse.com, Aweber.com. To cap it all, you can use these cards on many websites that accept the usual Visa and MasterCard. You can use them on websites like Amazon.com, Namecheap.com, Getresponse.com, Aweber.com, Aliexpress.com (to order PCs, tablets and other electronic gadgets from China), and DHgate.com (to purchase electronics, PCs, tablets, computer accessories, cell phones and accessories, jewelleries, handbags, clothes and so on from China) and Web4africa.net (to buy domain name and webhosting).

HOW TO MAKE PAYMENTS ONLINE WITH NAIRA MASTERCARD AND INTERSWITCH VERVE CARDS ON THE INTERNET

Interswitch Verve and Naira Mastercard cardholders in Nigeria can now make payments on the Internet without much ado to procure the goods and services they would want to buy.

Naira MasterCard, InterSwitch Verve, Zenith Bank Mastercard Websurfer, and Zenith Bank Visa Prepaid Buxz cards are some of the most reliable payment cards you can use on the Internet today in Nigeria for your online transactions. But the Naira MasterCard and InterSwitch Verve debit cards stand out from the rest, not just because of the things you can achieve with them but also because they are cards you can easily obtain here in Nigeria without having to fork out that much from your pocket. You only need to open an account with some of our local banks here in Nigeria to obtain one.

What is Verve Card?
Verve card (from interswitchng.com) is your new InterSwitch (ATM) card now with chip and PIN. Verve is the new name of more secure, convenient InterSwitch (ATM) card that makes transactions safer and adds convenience to everyday life. Verve is issued by your bank and powered by InterSwitch.
Verve’s is the first and only chip accepted on all available payment channels in Nigeria. Using the Interswitch network, card holders can perform payment transactions on over 12,000 Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminals, over 7,000 Automated Teller Machines (ATM), and on web merchant sites, mobile phones as well as kiosks and much more!
16 banks issue Interswitch Verve cards in Nigeria: First Bank, Intercontinental Bank, ETB, Stanbic IBTC, Oceanic Bank, Unity Bank, Sterling Bank, Spring Bank. Others are: Wema Bank, Bank PHB, FCMB, Afribank, Fidelity Bank, Skye Bank, Ecobank and Finbank. According to ITREALMS ONLINE these 16 banks have issued over 10 million Verve cards to their customers (log onto http://www.itrealms.com.ng/2010/10/banks-record-over-10m-verve-card.html for more details).

About Interswitch
InterSwitch Limited is an electronic transaction switching and payment processing company with a business footprint that covers the provision of shared, integrated message broker solutions for financial transactions, e-commerce, telecoms value-added services and e-billing in the Nigerian environment.
The company is an independent, private sector led, Limited Liability Company (LLC) focused on facilitating the exchange of value between service providers (financial, telecommunications and utilities), merchants, their customers, and other stakeholders on a timely and continuous basis nationwide.

What is Naira MasterCard?
Naira MasterCard is a debit card denominated in Naira issued in partnership with MasterCard Inc. and banks like GTBank and FirstBank here in Nigeria. Naira Mastercard cardholders can use their cards to make payments online to procure products and services without having to drive through traffic to get to the bank nor join lengthy bank queues.

Banks like GTBank and FirstBank will let you have a Naira MasterCard ATM debit card when you open an account with them (Current or Savings account). Once this card is activated for Internet banking, you can use it for your online purchases and payments worldwide, anywhere you see the MasterCard logo on the Internet. You can use it to order for products online or pay for services. However, you have to activate it to start using it for online payments and purchases. To activate it, do the following (we will be using GTBank in this tutorial):

[1]. Go to any of their branches and ask to see the Customer Service people or the person in charge of card services. Tell them you want to apply for Internet Banking or want to be profiled for Internet Banking and would want to apply for a “Token”. A Token is a small security hardware like a key holder that generates a set of numbers which will enable secure transfers via the Internet banking platform. It generates a random password which will then be keyed in after the password to enable transfer. The use of Token is strongly recommended for the individual user. All customers that want to activate their Internet banking accounts are usually advised to request for a token to further secure their accounts from unauthorized transfers. The set of numbers generated should be entered when you are doing any transaction on these banks’ websites. Like I had earlier said, it is also required for the activation of your ATM card for online payments. The bank will debit N2,100 - N3,000 or so for the Token once you log into their site to activate it. You will get the Token device that very day (or they will ask you to come back for it another day) together with a PIN which you need to change in the process of activating your Internet Banking account on their site.

[2]. After getting your Token and Internet Banking details from the bank, go to their website e.g. www.gtbank.com to activate your ATM card for online payment. For you to know you are on a secure connection and not a cloned website ensure there is “https” is in your browser’s address bar when you login. Fraudsters and hackers can create phishing websites to deceive you into thinking you are on the real website, so always check to see if your spellings of their URL is correct and ensure that there is “https” in it whenever you are logged in, for example https://ibank.gtbank.com/ibank3/ . Now, click on "Login" under "Internet Banking" and then enter your Internet Banking account user details which should have been given to you in a sealed envelope at the bank or sent to your email address. Enter the login details and once inside your account, click on "Get Activation Code" button.

[3]. On the next page, follow the instructions provided and fill the form on the page. Select your card type (MasterCard) and enter the expiry date (which you will find on your ATM card e.g. 02/15 but enter the date without the slash ( /) sign e.g. 0215) and then press the little button on your Token. It should display some digits, type in those digits and click on the "Submit" button.

[4]. A code will be generated for you after clicking the Submit button. The generation of the code means your ATM card has been activated. Keep this online activation code away from anybody except yourself.

[5]. Your Naira MasterCard (ATM card) is now ready for making online payments anywhere you see the MasterCard secured logo on the Internet. The code generated will be required every time you want to make payment online with the card.

MAKING PAYMENTS WITH YOUR NAIRA MASTERCARD OR INTERSWITCH VERVE CARD
When making payments on any website that accepts these forms of Payment (i.e. either MasterCard or InterSwitch Verve), you will be required to fill in or enter your card details after clicking the "Order" or "Buy" button on the website:

• For ‘Card Type’ choose MasterCard or Verve.

• For ‘Card Holder's Name’, you are required to enter your name as it is written on your ATM card e.g. AJAYI HARUNA FEMI.

• For your ‘Card Number’ use the long number on top of your ATM card, which is commonly 16 digit on most debit cards.

• For ‘Expiry Date’ enter the date as it is on your card; for example 02/16, but remove the slash (/) sign.

• For your ‘CVV Number’ enter the three-digit security code at the back of your card, for example 435. CVV OR CVV2 means Card Verification Value.

• Confirm or complete the process and wholla that’s all!

HOW TO USE ONLINE FORUMS TO MAKE MONEY FROM INTERNET OR AFFILIATE MARKETING

Online forums are electronic boards on the internet. Individual users post messages, comments, questions and other forms of data on these boards from different parts of the world for people to see and meet minds together. Messages that appear on the boards are arranged in topics or categories. To be part of an online forum (also called internet forums), simply log onto their website and signup. Your e-mail address is usually required for you to signup and post messages. Visitors or non-members can only view the messages and comments; they cannot post their own messages or comments.

In other words an online forum is a virtual community of like-minded people, who meet from time to time to meet minds together, share ideas and opinions, discuss issues, ask and answer questions, and much more.

As an internet marketer the benefits of online forums to you are so many. Online forums provide the platform for you to market and promote your own products or affiliate products for FREE at no extra cost! They also provide the medium for you to make sales without having to meet people face-to-face. Better yet, all online forums are usually open 24 hours daily which gives you the flexibility to promote your internet identity or products at any particular point in time.

As a “Beginner internet’ Marketer” online forums give you the opportunity to sell or promote products and services without expending your hard earned money on advertisement. They also provide a platform for you to test peoples’ acceptability of your product or service.

Below you will find the strategies or tips of using online forums to make money without getting your fingers burnt.
• Tip 1 – Find at least 2 or 3 forums on your niche, particularly those with large membership base and high Page Ranks (PR) on search engines like Google; and sign up with them.

• Tip 2 – After signing up or registering with them, set up your signature line which is where you will put your name and links. You will need to make good use of your signature. You can place a link within the signature portion of your profile. Your signature gets shown in each post you make; hence if viewers of your post pick interest in what you have posted, they may click on your link to get to your site or blog, or affiliate website.

• Tip 3 – Now that you have joined a couple of forums or more, take your time to go through different posts. At the end of the whole thing you should be able to come up with some questions frequently asked by the forum members or some pressing problems facing some members of the forums.

• Tip 4 – Nothing sells like the solutions to the needs of group of people; so settle down to prepare sincere answers (solution) to these questions or problems, preferably in the form of a simple report or write-up. Make sure this report proffers solutions to their problems or adequately answers their questions. The report can be prepared on a Notepad file or MS word file or using the free editor Note Tab Light at http://www.notetab.com. Prepare the report while offline and save in a local directory on your computer or USB flash drive.

When you get back online fetch out the report from your flash drive or from the local directory where you had stored it on your computer to post it for FREE! Simply copy and paste it in the required fields and submit/post.

IMPORTANT! Instead of trying to make blatant sales on the forums, it would be better you sell back-end products inside the free reports which have to do with what people yearn for. You can also place your links or affiliate links in the free report, but don’t try spamming by placing more than a couple of your links in it. Make your report look a lot less “salesy”. However, if you are placing a link in the report cloak the URL using free cloaking and redirection services like http://www.tinyurl.com, http://www.snipurl.com, http://www.is.gd, http://www.budurl.com, http://bit.ly, http://www.linkbrander.com and http://goo.gl

• Tip 5 – Forum members usually see internet marketers as spammers and fraudsters until you prove yourself trustworthy. So, as a recommendation don’t try promoting or selling anything in any particular forum until you have made at least 20 posts. You need to gain the trust and respect of forum members before you start trying to sell products or services to them. If you don’t follow this simple rule you might end up not selling anything!

• Tip 6 – Another way you can gain the respect of forum members is to be more focused on posting comments and answers to their questions, instead of asking them questions. When you post questions instead of answers you are perceived as a novice. However, you can post questions in response to other questions to enable you find out more from them so that you will be able to design a solution which will really meet the questions. Forming the habit of posting answers to questions on forums will make the forum members see you as an expert instead of a novice. You also gain respect and good reputation; such that when you recommend a product or service (like an affiliate product you are promoting), they wouldn’t be suspicious about the offer.

• Tip 7 – it is also paramount that you visit these forums that you have joined a few times a week. Let the forum members see you as an active member and a valuable contributor. This will further enhance your status in the forums.

• Tip 8 – Make sure you read each forum rules and regulations before you start posting on it. Every forum has its own set of rules and regulations. Take a moment of your time to read them before you start posting. These rules and regulations are often posted as a sticky post at the uppermost top of the forum.

• Tip 9 – Protect your real identity on internet forums, except you feel like promoting your real identity. Protect your identity by signing up with pseudonyms instead of your real name.

• Tip 10 – Each forum has a set of rules. If broken, a ban may be placed on the erring member. When you are banned, don’t panic, simply open a new email address and sign up again with it using a new pseudonym.

RECOMMENDATIONS: There are tons of online forums on the internet; however in my opinion the following are the best, particularly for internet marketers.

http://www.warriorforum.com/forum
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/
http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com/forum
http://www.wickedfire.com
http://www.copywritersboard.com
http://www.businessknowhow.com/forum
http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/bb/
http://problogger.com
http://ablake.net/forum
http://www.cbtrainingforum.com/forum.php
http://www.cashloopholes.co.uk

To find big forums that will fit in with your niche, visit http://www.big-boards.com, a directory of the most popular forums on the internet. Here you will find forums for different niches like business opportunity, money, relationship and dating, health and fitness, beauty, marketing and so on.


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