There are a number of myths of an MLM Internet, here are just three of them.
Myth 1# Just call enough people and you will find great success in your Internet Network Marketing
————————————-
If you’ve been in the industry world for any length of time I’m sure you’ve heard this false claim. It states it’s a numbers game and if you just call enough people you will be successful.
In essence, this statement is true, but there is a HUGE misnomer in it.
Let me explain, true if you call enough people you will find success, but after buying leads and calling well over 500 people and not having one person enter my business it’s not as easy as it looks.
First you have to have the money to purchase all those leads.
Most people don’t have this type of money to put out before finding any initial success.
You see it’s NOT just about contacting people it’s about being GOOD at contacting people.
I wasn’t good and I didn’t have the money to continue my hard knock education to find a glimmer of hope.
Phoning leads is NOT as duplicatable as “they” say. What is duplicatable is having a direct marketing system to do the selling for you. That’s what works online.
Myth 2# You can achieve financial success with little or no money.
—————————————————–
This is one of my personal favorites. We have all been in the scenario where we have been to a “ra ra” meeting and those at the front telling there tales are asked how did you get so many sales or how did you recruit so many people the answer will almost always be:
‘I just talked to everyone always, I was unemployed when I started this business’! Whatever. If it was that simple we all would have made it a long time ago right.
Myth 3# You cannot build a MLM business using the internet
—————————————
It’s normally the same people who say this are the same people who claim they have built a business with little or no money. Think about it, the internet is an great way of doing business. Millions upon millions are surfing the internet on a daily basis you can put yourself in front of these individuals passively.
When I started using the internet as my marketing medium for my business I requested the help of others that have been successful in promoting a residual income producing business.
I asked them if it was possible to create a large income in the business using the internet. My question was met with overwhelming amounts of friction.
I was told that it simply couldn’t be done. I was told that it was not personal enough of a means for this business means to be used effectively in the way that I was referring.
I couldn’t understand why.
The internet is a personal method and is great for building personal relationships and the results of hundreds or thousands of network marketers have proved it.
So, if the above myths are things that don’t usually work, then what does work?
Creating your own leads works great, and you can do that on the internet, if you have some kind of system.
MySpace is an online community where users have the opportunity to create websites where others can view personal information about them and contact them. However, savvy Internet marketers have found MySpace can also be used to advertise products or service or for the purpose of self promotion. Care should be taken to review the terms of use on MySpace to ensure none of your actions are in violation of these terms but otherwise users can advertise either directly or indirectly on their MySpace website.
Why Advertising on MySpace is Effective
Advertising on MySpace can be effective as long as it is done correctly and not in a way that is viewed as spam. The effectiveness of MySpace stems from amount of users who are currently using MySpace. This includes both members who place comments as well as nonmembers who only look at other websites. With so many daily visitors it is likely there will be visitors who are interested in the products or services you are offering on your MySpace website.
Another reason why MySpace is such an effective advertising tool is there are no fees associated with using your MySpace profile to create links to your ecommerce website or to provide more information about the products and services you offer. The best way to effectively advertise on MySpace is to follow the same guidelines that would normally be followed by advertisers in online locations. This includes knowing who your target audience is and how to effectively appeal to them. This is important because a marketing campaign which does not follow these simple rules will not likely be effective.
In addition to advertising within a MySpace website there are also opportunities to advertise in the form of banner advertisements on MySpace. MySpace is able to not charge a fee to members because they generate their income through paid advertisements. Contact MySpace administrators directly to learn more about these advertising opportunities.
Selling Products on MySpace
MySpace can be also be used to advertise products or services. This can be done either subtly or blatantly. Those who are active participants on MySpace and invest time in meeting others and making friends are more likely to benefit from selling products or services through a MySpace account. This is because most people who use MySpace are not exactly looking for information about products or services so they are unlikely to seek out this information.
However, if they have online friends who are using their MySpace account to promote a product or service they may see the advertisements and find the products or services interesting. In this case they may visit a link to an ecommerce website and consider making a purchase. However, care should be taken when advertising online. to your ecommerce website on your own profile are acceptable but placing comments with the same link on other members.
Why do some websites sell better than others? Do you need a marketing degree to create a website? Does design have much impact on sales?
You may not realize this but many of the successful internet marketing businesses realize that design, or layout of the website should be as much of a marketing decision as the ad copy. Why is that?
Web designers can do some amazing things with graphics and colors. You will also have a much more professional looking site when an expert applies his handiwork. However, it is very important to understand some of the key elements that smart marketers will make certain to appear (or NOT appear) on their highly profitable sites. If you are aware of these you may be able to select a designer who is knowledgeable in marketing as well as design.
COLOR:
Designs with a dramatic color can make compelling choices for setting a mood. But reading on a computer screen demands as much contrast as possible, otherwise the reader will develop vision fatigue. You do not want to irritate or tire your visitors in any way or they may leave, so be certain that the main body of your website copy is black writing on a white background - or as close to that ideal as possible.
Colors also change appearance on different monitors, so what looks cool and calm on one monitor may be bright and glaring on another. Simple works.
GRAPHICS:
Striking, bold graphics can be a real eye-catcher for visitors. Still, successful internet marketers are pretty much unanimous in stating that you should avoid flash graphics as much as possible. Again, they tend to tire visitors eyes or create a distraction from the written copy. Even if they are initially impressed by the work it may subconsciously annoy them. Simplicity is again the best way to go.
LAYOUT:
The first ‘fold’ of your site is similar to opening a traditional paper letter. If you remove a letter from an envelope that is folded in three, you will obviously view the top ‘fold’ first.
This fold is what individuals will see without scrolling down the page. It is CRUCIAL that important elements like descriptive headlines, your contact number, newsletter subscription form etc. all show in the first fold. Do NOT place banners here unless they are the main element of your business as you will be giving prime space to other websites and your customer (which you fought hard to get in the first place) will be gone just as quickly.
These are just some of the important elements you should be aware of when designing your site.
You’ve no doubt been made aware of the enormous attrition rate in network marketing among distributors. Well, it’s similar among companies and it’s a statistic not too many seem to hear or want to talk about.
Very few realize that network marketing companies come and go every day and it’s one of the reasons you need to be vigilant when choosing a company. Do you simply choose the top network marketing company? It makes good sense on the surface, after all, if a company has survived the early years and been in business for five years or more then the chances of it continuing to provide you residual are pretty good.
But picking the best network marketing company isn’t going to guarantee you success. Let’s take a look at some of the things you need to be on the look out for before signing your name to any MLM company.
Looking For A Network Marketing Company
MLM companies are no different to traditional businesses; surviving the first five years is crucial. The sad aspect is, start up companies which are here today and gone tomorrow don’t learn by the mistakes made by their predecessors.
You as a potential distributor can quickly qualify a company with the following points:
- Is the company offering a product which is similar to other companies? If so, what makes their product better? Have they come up with a new angle or found an attractive improvement to what’s already being produced?
- How old is the company? If they are just starting off then this can be a great opportunity for you. If they are new then you have a chance to build a large organization in a relatively short time.
- Have a look at the management structure of a new company. How solid is it? More importantly, do they have the financial resources to survive the initial start up period and settling in phase? This is so important because the reason why many companies go under is a lack of capital.
- Who is running the company? We mentioned the management structure and this is another vital area. If those at the top of the company management system are proven in the industry such as having had success with other top network marketing companies, then this is a definite plus.
- If you are joining the industry to build a very large income then joining network marketing companies which have been around for 20,30 or 40 years may not be a good option. Sure, these are great companies but they have experienced their major growth boom and it would be difficult to experience fast personal business growth within such a structure.
Before you rush out to join an older MLM company, stop and ask yourself if perhaps your growth curve can be achieved in quicker time with a promising new player on the scene.
I recommend NHR Products. They are new but they have experienced management and vast financial resources.
I was just thinking about the next three years. They are coming whether I want them to or not. In three years I can make changes in my life that could better my future, or be detrimental to my future.
I would like to see myself in three years taking multiple vacations to beaches in the Caribbean, maybe a tour through Europe for a couple of months, and I don’t want to forget that trip to Australia. Now I know to most people that might seem like a lot of pipe dreams, but I know it is very possible.
How is it possible? I have an online business that will give me that freedom and finances to do just that. NHR Products has helped many people achieve their financial goals and given them the opportunity to live their dreams.
We have a team of mentors that are there to make sure you succeed. We have step by step instructions for setting up your business. We have exclusive training only available to those who join our team. We believe the ability to be successful in a home based business lies within the support and training.The mentoring we offer is the best of the best. We have a top mentoring team that offers comprehensive training so you will be able to live those dreams.
Take charge of your life and make your dreams possible.
What is a Marketing Plan?
A marketing plan includes a list of actions needed to accomplish marketing targets. It can be for a product, a service or a brand. There are marketing plans for short term goals - 1 year, and long term goals - five years.
A marketing plan might be part of an overall home business plan. A good marketing strategy is the basis of a well-written marketing plan.
Why does a Business Venture necessitate a Marketing Plan?
A marketing plan can guide a home based small business owner to organize his marketing efforts. It ensures a systematic technique to creating products and services to meet and gratify customers’ needs.
How to write a Marketing Plan
Drawing up a marketing plan is not that cumbersome. Focus on the content and do not fret about the writing style. Focus on the goals and the efforts needed to realize them need to be stated clearly in the marketing plan. Remember that a good marketing plan sets clear, realistic, achievable and measurable objectives. It should consist of deadlines, a budget and allotment of responsibilities.
Marketing Plan Outline
A basic marketing plan outline may comprise of these topics:
Current Market Analysis
Depict the current market environment which the company is in. This analysis can later be used as a benchmark to fine-tune the marketing plan in the future. By using a marketing plan SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis and also the PEST (Political, Economic, Social, Technological) analysis tools, write a short description of the current product or service available, the marketing benefits and barriers the business could come across. Contemplate the threats posed by competitors and also consider other factors that could affect the business in the year to come. This may aid in the formulation of strategies in the future.
Target Market
Every product or service needs a market. This explains why customer analysis in marketing plans is essential to its success. The product could be directed at the online market as well as the conventional offline market. It could be targeted at the general public or it could be aimed at a niche market. For an online market the analysis should include internet shopping habits survey results. Once a target market is selected, write a target market profile based on demographics and include selection yardsticks.
Marketing Objectives
Express the company’s marketing goals for the coming year. The targets should be specific, realistic and measurable to asses the marketing progress. Avoid vague statements like, #”Increase indoor sales.#” Incorporate specifics instead - #”Increase indoor sales by 25%.”#
Strategies to Achieving Objectives
If the marketing goal is to boost indoor sales by 25% then a strategy has to be developed to meet this end. For example, there could be special a promotion for walk-in clients. This promotion can be marketed via an emailed weekly newsletter to clients. The strategies should be detailed and cover the 4P’s of marketing - Price, Product, Place, Promotion.
Marketing Budget
Putting into affect marketing strategies to fulfill marketing objectives costs money. Create a breakdown of marketing connected expenses associated with the strategies. Have a look at the numbers and decide if it is too much. Do not be afraid to lower or revise the budget until a feasible figure is achieved.
Bear in mind that a marketing plan should remain a constant process throughout the life of a company. Marketing plans should adjust to changes in environment so as to remain pertinent.
We all make typos. That’s one reason why we have spell checkers.
People who have dyslexia (like me) make goofy typos like htis (this.)
People who have poor vision (like me) make goofy typos like thiis (this again.)
People who are in a hurry (like most of us) make all kinds of typos too.
We all do it so we tend to be pretty forgiving when we see them in other people’s writing.
However when you notice a pattern of typo after typo in a marketer’s material you start to have doubts about the content of what he is sending you. After all, when you see repeated carelessness and lack of attention to detail it makes you think that maybe the quality of his work isn’t all that great or that he has no respect for his readers.
Another time when typos can be a red flag is when the content of the material is all about attention to detail or spell checking or some other topic related to the issue of good presentation. For example, what would you think if this post was full of typos?
I just got an email from a well known American marketer on the subject of the importance of education. He was bragging about his “dedication to education.” His email contained very prominent mis-use of some simple English words.
Here is a quote:
All roses have pedals.
All roses are flowers.
Therefore, all flowers have pedals.Remember those logic puzzles? Fun, aren’t they?
So, I can’t say for sure that my increase in income is
directly tied to the fact that I’ve spent more time on
learning each year … but, I’m pretty sure it did.
How can you take this guy seriously?
Sorry pal, flowers don’t have pedals they have petals. Bicycles have pedals.
What makes this so funny is that it’s right in the middle of his email about the value of education and how educated he is and how it’s the key to his success!
What are the possibilities here?
- He doesn’t know the difference between petals and pedals.
- He spent two minutes on this email and didn’t bother proofreading it.
Actually, I think it’s probably both, but #2 is more important. He must know by now that he needs someone to proofread his work. Why has he chosen not to do this?
- He has no respect for his readers.
- He knows his list is huge and he can afford to blow people off.
- He is arrogant and likes to flaunt his lack of concern for detail.
- He thinks it is hilarious that he can send out crap and make money from it.
- All of the above.
My choice is #5.
I’ve been on this guy’s list for years and years and I stay on it because at least once every week he sends me something so appalling that it really energizes me. It’s like that TV show “What Not To Wear.” His emails teach me what kind of marketer not to be.
So you have just built your new website. It’s been indexed by all of the major search engines, but nobody is coming to see exactly what’s on your site. If you expect your site to do well without any effort on your part, then you are clearly mistaken. Building a website is only half the work. Now you need to spend a lot of your time making sure that people know your site exists.
There are lots of ways to go about advertising for your site. You can pay for pay per click advertising with services like Google’s Adwords, you can enroll in a link exchange program with other websites that are in a similar niche, or you can do something like posting in forums to build up your traffic.
Forums are a valuable tool for many reasons. First off, they provide the site they are hosted on with plenty of traffic because they heavily contribute to the search engine score of a site. Secondly, they can be used as a major asset for someone looking to get the word out about their brand new site.
In order to make sure that you receive valuable customers, you need to first find a forum to post on that has some similarity to your site’s niche. Are you selling fishing supplies? Find a fishing forum. Once you have found a forum that is suitable for your needs, sign up and start joining in the conversation. When you feel the time is right, place a link to your site in your signature. Doing so will make your link appear each and every time you make a post on that forum.
Now, you may be thinking that if one post is good, then spamming a forum must be better. Whatever you do, don’t spam any forums. You will just make the members there angry and there may be some backlash in the community against your website.
Sometimes referred to as relationship marketing or word of mouth marketing, the concept behind viral marketing has to do with utilizing existing social relationships as a means of growing a business. Here are some examples of the different types of relationships that may be harnessed in a viral market campaign.
Perhaps the most basic example of a relationship that may be called upon in a marketing campaign is friends and family. The approach tends to be very casual, and may involve simple word of mouth. Loved ones pass along your contact information, often a web site, a game, or a video, to people of their acquaintance that they believe would be interested in what you have to offer. In turn, those contacts pass the information on through their network of family and friends. Over time, the scope of the action can lead to a wide range of persons who take a moment and look into the services offered by your company.
Another relationship that can be mined in the process of viral marketing is business contacts made in previous lines of work. Because there is already some degree of rapport established there, getting an introduction is not difficult to accomplish. Working with this type of relationship is usually a little more formal than with friends and family. There may be official correspondence that is created and sent out, along with support materials, both hard copy and electronic, that can be passed on to others.
Connections to the community can also be part of your viral marketing strategy. Just as with personal and business connections, the people within your community that know and trust you will often be willing to hear what you have to offer. Along with considering your services themselves, they may also be very willing to pass along your web site or email address to others within their networks. The result can be an ever expanding circle of prospective clients, which can only translate into more revenue for your business.
I’ve noticed that many MLMers are now using custom splash pages to market their product or opportunity. I see a lot of these pages on the traffic exchanges and it seems to me that many of these marketers are making some poor choices when choosing or designing their pages…
I think it would be helpful to review the reasons for having a custom page.
The 3 main purposes of having a page or site other than the company site are to: 1) Grab attention with something new and different, 2) Set yourself apart as someone with more to offer than all the other company distributors, and 3) Provide a way to at least capture and preferably follow-up with your prospects.
Many of the pages I see out there go to great lengths to duplicate the look and feel of the company site. I see some pages that are almost an exact clone of the company site! BAD CHOICE! Unless your opportunity is in earliest pre-launch, your prospects have already seen the company pages a million times. They have already “tuned out” to everything about it a long time ago! You need something different to get your prospect to look at your opportunity with fresh eyes and an open mind. Use different colors, different fonts, different graphics and different ad copy.
Here are some examples:
Look at my NHR Products Company site.
Most NHR Products distributors who build their own sites try to make something that echos the look and feel of that site.
Here is the free site I provide to my NHR Products team. This is a free site that looks great and presents lots of information without looking like a clone of the company site.
As a team site it also specifically emphasizes the benefits of joining our team. When you market, you are not just marketing your opportunity… You are also marketing yourself as a sponsor and your whole upline as a support system. A custom page or site needs to present YOU to the prospect. People don’t just join an opportunity, they join a team (whether they understand that or not.) Help them see the importance of joining the right team!
The third essential ingredient is some kind of lead capture form. Your splash page or the page directly after it MUST contain a form where your prospect can request more info. This is so fundamental and so important that it cannot be stressed enough. Unless you are promoting something free, there are very few people who will sign up without talking to you. Most people won’t call you. They want to fill out a form and wait for you to call them. Does this make sense? It doesn’t matter if it makes sense - that’s just the way it is. So you MUST have a form on the page. It’s nice if it’s connected to an autoresponder but it doesn’t have to be. Personal follow-up is best anyway.
So if you are designing or purchasing a custom MLM spash page be sure to get a page that looks nothing like the company page, emphasize your great team resources and pay a little extra for the lead capture form.
Also, if you are choosing to use resources from your upline, please review my previous post here for tips on evaluating those kinds of sites.
