Stone at Network Marketing Now wrote a post today that is ludicrous. You should give it a quick read and then come back and finish up.
To be fair, Stone isn’t all wrong. His main point is you need a daily method of operation. A consistent drip that, over time, leads to an overflow. It’s an essential system that you’ll find all successful networkers have in common.
But the tactics he lists are missing the target completely:
- Update Facebook account?
- Post ten new ads in classified sites?
- Write and publish 5 articles online?
- Evaluate website statistics?
Here’s a quick lesson for anyone trying to reinvent the wheel in network marketing: the network that pays is made up of people. Not “likes” or retweets or hits or visits. But real, breathing people.
Network Marketing is Not a Web-Based Business
By just reading Stone’s list above, I would swear that I need to be a web guru or a journalist to make it in direct sales. Nothing could be further from the truth. Remember that YOU are the biggest feature of network marketing, and that connections with people is what matters. Obviously, if Facebook helps you do that, then go for it. But if hooking up for an hour at Starbucks accomplishes that, too, then be sure you’re adding that to your list.
Yes, there are lots of great web tools you can use to build your network marketing business. And be sure you read some other posts on Stone’s blog; it’s good (I subscribe to it). My intent is not to pick on his take; I’m sure it’s worked for him. But if you’re looking for a business where you can sit in your recliner, laptop in place, pecking away and then call it a day, you will be disappointed.
Stop using the web as a shortcut; start using it as a way to amplify introductions to YOU.
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Completely agree, Brett. Where on that list was selling products? Holding recruiting interviews? When all we do is focus on technology, we DON’T MAKE MONEY. Network marketing is NOT online marketing. Online tools can help us meet new people. But at the end of the day, if we’re not using technology to help us reach the end game of selling products and recruiting new distributors into the organization, then we’re completely missing the point…and the money!
Agreed. Network Marketing should involve both face to face networking and a variety of online marketing tools. It’s not that the short list of examples provided is not without merit, rather it seems more like a short list for online marketing only.
Network marketing cannot depend soley on the interent any more than businesses today can ignore using the web to enhance their marketing. The key is to analyse what combinations of both networking platforms work best to help you promote your business and stay in the public eye.
I am sure the intention of the list was to present a snippet example, but maybe to provide a clearer picture of what your list could look like, other non web based marketing techniques should have been included.
Jen – I thought I might find a fan in you on this one! Such a great reminder – how are you using the technology to build your business? (rather than how are you turning your business into the technology)
Angela – Yeah, I agree. The items on the list aren’t bad things to do; they just aren’t the only thing to do. Working on the corporate side of network marketing companies since 2002, I’ve seen way too many people think they can build it big completely online. And I just haven’t seen that yet.
Couldn’t agree more. Social Media and the internet is a *tool* for the network marketer. It isn’t the marketer. Based on his argument, network marketing couldn’t have existed until the WWW in 1993! Honestly, how did Network Marketing work before the interwebs?
I’ve worked on the corporate side of Network Marketing for a hair over five years, three and a half of those were with direct contact with the customer. In that time I learned that network marketing / MLM / Direct Sales is 100% relationship-based. Not once did he mention establishing relationships. Following his advice doesn’t make more sales, it makes you a spammer. If he were my Facebook Friend, I’d unfriend him pretty quick.
My gut: Network Marketing works best when you know how some tools (whether traditional or online) can enhance others. Web simply works when it brings people together and tools like Facebook and Twitter help cultivate your warm and cold markets. We’re proving this every day with the REAL ROI my company is brining in with social media – and for the record – we ARE a DSA member with a high-quality product that works.
As a business owner, you need to focus on what I refer to as IPA. IPA has two meanings:
Income Producing Activities
- AND -
Important Personal Activities
It’s rare that updating my facebook or twitter status is an income producing activity in and of itself. If I have to choose between updating status and connecting with a human being, I choose the latter.
Case in point. I got up this morning to update my twitter status and saw your @ reply. So I came here before updating my status. I interacted and engaged your audience, and THEN I’ll go back and update twitter.
Relationships = income. Period. You know I’m a big fan of using online marketing to grow my direct sales income. It has steadily grown year over year for the past 3-4 years, and I’m not doing a ton of parties. BUT – and this is the big one – I’m actively developing relationships along the way.
You can’t just set up a website and expect people to flock to it. You can’t just blast the link to said website on social media and expect people will listen. Some people will, but in the end, the people you WANT to work with take some relational development. That’s IPA. It’s something that only YOU can do that needs to be done.
If I had to develop a daily short-list of my own, it would probably look like this:
Interact with 5 connections on Social Media
Interact with 5 connectors on Social Media
Submit show orders, applications as needed
Interact with 5 clients offline (and ask for referrals)
Check with my VA regarding any leads I personally need to follow up with
The nice thing about twitter is that by interacting you’re already updating your “status” so to speak – which yields new followers faster than facebook. But facebook allows me to build stronger relationships faster – at least for right now.
But notice how each of those activities involves building a relationship, not just wallpapering the internet with my ads.
I do the other stuff Stone mentioned, but that’s low end of the totem pole stuff. It’s the online equivalent of business card pushing. It doesn’t work offline, and very often will get you nixed faster inthe online world. I’ve already reported 23 people this week as spam – and it’s only Wednesday morning!
Great post Brett. Thanks for tipping me off to it!
Network Marketing is a very good way to promote your products in a short period of time.:~*
Network Marketing is a very good way to promote your products in a short period of time.”,.
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