Network marketers will find the internet to be a great place to go to advance their business.
Going online will not only increase a network marketer’s exposure, but it will also enable him to make the shift from the dying old network marketing model which involves lots of meetings, prospect lists, and cold calls, to the up and coming new model. The new model focuses on “attraction marketing,” and involves providing high value content in order to pre-qualify prospects who are interested in the kinds of solutions your network marketing business provides.
Websites
When people think about taking a business online, they assume that the first thing to do is to set up a standard website. This may be a good assumption for a traditional brick and mortar business, but not necessarily so for the network marketer who is coming online.
There are a couple of reasons why this is so.
The first reason is that if people are going to find you, begin to relate to you, and ultimately buy from you online, it will take more than just putting up a website. You need to learn how to make yourself accessible online, and how to set yourself apart from others.
The second reason a network marketer may not choose to build a website as a first step is because your standard website will not adequately develop the kind of relationships a network marketer needs. Network marketing thrives on relationships, and to build relationships online you need more than a typical website.
Enter social media sites.
Relational Media
The internet has entered a new phase, which is referred to as Web 2.0. Characteristic of this new wave of activity is interactive websites. That is to say, a major attribute of these sites is the ability to interact with the site’s producer or authors of its content. This means that relationships can now be more easily formed on the web, and this has led to a phenomenon known as “social marketing.”
It also means that people can find you, because search engines like fresh, updated information.
This is great news for internet marketers, because it means that they are able to build what their business needs, and that’s relationships with prospects.
There are various media now available for developing these relationships. These include online articles (Ezine Articles), content sharing (Squidoo and HubPages), video sharing (YouTube), bookmarking (del.icio.us, Digg, Furl), and of course, blogs, and now microblogs (like Twitter). Although you will not be able to focus on all of these, they are all available to you — at little or in most cases no cost — so you can get your presence on the internet in such a way that you become known as a valuable resource in your field.
The value of this for your business is tremendous, because it means that in time people will want to come to you.
Putting it all together
The prospect of getting a network marketing business online may seem daunting. Especially for those with limited computer experience. But this is something that is doable, even for someone who’s a novice.
For one thing, when getting started online, there is no need to do everything at once. A network marketer can start with a vehicle he is comfortable with (like a blog or a content sharing site), and then develop his marketing strategy as he goes.
Also, there is excellent training available to put it all together. I’ve found Marketing Merge to provide extremely simple and systematic instruction for every facet of developing a network marketing business online. Magnetic Sponsoring also has a good reputation.
Getting Started
So, how do you get started if you want to take a network marketing business on the internet?
I’d start with a simple blog where you can relate some aspects of yourself and your business, and get comfortable using an interactive website. I’d also begin sending out some emails on a regular basis to pass on some tips and build your relationship with those already interested in your business (later, you can make this automated). Then, as soon as possible, I’d get some training to learn how to strategically bring together other online media for your benefit as a network marketer.
Throughout this process, consistently work to build a web of content that will attract others to you as a leader and provider of quality resources.
Taking your network marketing business online is a smart idea, and it’s an idea you can implement one step at a time.
You can learn more about taking your business online here.