Attraction Marketing Techniques: What Network Marketing Has Needed For a Long Time

Attraction marketing techniques take network marketing to a whole new level. If you’re familiar with the old school methods of cold calling, approaching strangers in grocery store checkout lines, and hounding your family and friends, then you’ll welcome the new way things are done.

I still get that sick feeling in my stomach when I think of picking up the phone and calling people who were less qualified to be in my downline than Brittney Spears is to be a NASA engineer. I’d make every excuse possible not to start dialing those numbers. I remember being ashamed to tell people I was a network marketer.

Now, using attraction marketing techniques, that feeling is gone. Once again, network marketers can hold our heads high and be proud of what it is we do. And what is it we do?

In the new world, we have become purveyors of much-needed information. We provide value in the form of ebooks, videos, and articles. We offer these free of charge for all interested.

Ironically, the more we do this without expectation, the more our business grows.

Explode Your Business With Social Media

When I first heard about social media, I got excited. You see, I'd done network marketing the old fashioned way for years. Yes, I cold-called leads, placed flyers on cars, and even approached strangers in grocery store checkout lines. Then I discovered the Internet.

The Internet, while much more effective than traditional methods, still didn't quite do it for me. I mean, yes, I was able to build a decent-sized downline using only traffic exchanges and email marketing, but there was that coldness that persisted. Even though I recruited people, I also lost them almost as fast. Something was missing.

I found that "something" in social media. Social media, you see, allows us to do network marketing the way it was meant to be done, only on a much larger scale. Let me explain.

Originally, network marketers would tell their friends and family about their products and their business. Bear in mind, these were people who trusted you and believed in what you had to say. They would then tell their network of friends, and so on. Huge downlines were built this way, and fortunes were made.

This beautiful simplicity didn't last long, however. When marketers exhausted their warm market, most adopted the belief that "everybody is a prospect." Network marketers began deserving their reputation as the most obnoxious people on the planet. But that's not all . . .

Advertising itself displayed a lack of integrity, and people stopped believing what they were being told. Couple that with some ethically-challenged network marketers who scammed a lot of people, and you can see why many people mistrust you the instant they find out you're a network marketer.

With social media, we create our warm market. We do this by providing valuable content and establishing relationships. There are several ways to do this.

Writing articles is just one way to provide value. You can also make videos, comment on others' blog posts, or release an ebook. The key is to make sure your intentions are pure. If you come off as a salesperson in any way, you'll get shut down, and your credibility will be blown.

Your mindset needs to be one of giving. Instead of focusing on generating leads for your business, focus on getting as much value out there as possible. Ironically, this generates more leads than ever. Plus, they're super, high-quality, pre-sold leads.

This is how you create a warm market.

Why do I say this is how network marketing was meant to be in the first place? Well, think about it. In the old days, you told people who trusted you about your products and business. Once you build a warm market with social media, you're doing the exact same thing.

Social media is the future of network marketing. If you're not doing it, your business is doomed. If you are doing it, and doing it right, I'll see you at the top.

The New Network Marketing Gold Rush

Very recently, more than 11 million Americans discovered job security is a myth. Many of these people now look elsewhere for security and, with the global power of the Internet, most are finding they no longer need an employer. Leading the way in this newly-discovered paradigm is network marketing.

Yes, network marketing’s been around since the 1950’s. So what’s the big deal about it now? Well, back then you sold your products to your neighbor, your family, or your friends, and if they liked the product (and you) enough they would tell their friends about it, and some of these people would eventually become interested in the business end as well.

In one sense, network marketing has become easier and, in another, much more difficult. It’s difficult, because most of us are immune to most forms of traditional advertising. The average person in the US sees or hears 5,000 ads every single day. Is it any wonder people ignore you when you try to tell them how great your product is? They’ve heard it all before!

It’s easier now than it ever has been thanks to the Internet. We don’t have to approach strangers in grocery stores, place flyers on cars, or call strangers to sell them on our business. The Internet killed all that. I say good riddance.

To effectively market network marketing on the Internet, however, you need a light touch. If you come out selling, today’s market will shut you down and turn you off. The days of commercial interruptions are over. Even the geniuses behind television don’t know it yet. Who needs commercials when there’s TIVO?

In today’s market, content is king. You’ve got to educate yourself, effectively increasing your value, and then pass that value on to others. Today, people will only follow you if they sense you have something of value to offer.

So how do others know you have value? Easy. You give it away. After you’ve taken some courses, you simply give away that knowledge to others in the form of articles, videos, or even ebooks. If you do this in exchange for people’s contact information, you can build a sizeable list fairly quickly.

This list consists of people who are no longer unfamiliar with you. They’ve read your work, probably view you as an expert on your subject, and have received value from you. They are no longer cold prospects.

So, what kind of emails do you send to your list?

Well, if you try to sell them on your business, they’ll probably opt-out of your list. No, you’ll want to continue to provide them with value. When they’re ready to make the move to join your business, they’ll contact you. This is the essence of attraction marketing.

With more people today than ever before looking to start a home based business, and with the ability to reach millions of people across the planet 24/7, the future has never brighter for network marketing.

Those who realize this today will be tomorrow’s millionaires. Bank on it.

The Ugly Truth About Network Marketing Success

So you’ve decided the old-school network marketing techniques don’t work anymore, and you’re ready to take your marketing online. Great! Now, what do you do?

Now, before you start blogging about how awesome your company and products are, there are some things you need to keep in mind. These will keep your expectations realistic, and that will insure you’re not one of the 95% of all network marketers who never make any real money doing it.

The first thing you need to realize is that network marketing on the Internet is hard work. Honestly, if you can’t devote a minimum of 3 to 4 hours a day/night on your business, your results are going to be slow coming. Just like everything else in life, you get back what you put in, and 30 minutes every other night just won’t cut it.

You’ve also got to think about educating yourself. Unless you’re already familiar with blogs, autoresponders, YouTube, social media, and the like, you’re going to have to do your due diligence and learn about the tools of the trade. This will take time, energy, and some money.

Am I trying to scare you away? In a sense, yes I am. You see, I’ve been doing this a while, and there’s always a chance that if you like what I’m saying that you will want to become a member of my downline. If you’re lazy and have unrealistic expectations, you’re wasting my time as well as yours.

I know you’re used to seeing all the eye-popping ads that promise to make you three thousand dollars a week in 90 days. Come on, do you really believe that crap?

Which brings me to my second point: If you’re in a program you like, stay there. Why? Because jumping from program to program kills your credibility as a marketer. Focus on your primary business and resolve to make it happen NO MATTER WHAT.

If you’re like most of us, you’ve quit companies before, believing it was somehow the company’s fault you weren’t successful. Well, here’s a news flash: You can be successful in virtually ANY network marketing company if you have the skills.

So the next time you want to quit your company, don’t. Ask yourself what you’re not doing to be successful and then make the necessary changes.

Don’t get me wrong. There are some crappy uplines out there. If you find yourself in one of those, you’ll have to look outside your company for support. The good news is that there are generic teams that provide excellent training. Some charge a small fee, while others are completely free.

Another point to keep in mind is that nobody is going to build your business for you. I know there are many ads out there that claim the opposite, but if you really believe them, I invite you to join their program and write the expense off as a “stupid tax.”

As if all this were not enough to discourage you, here’s one more fact you should know: If you’re looking to get rich quick, then network marketing is probably not for you.

For instance, my company offers a 14-day free trial period which is mostly in place so people can sample our products, become familiar with the team, and decide if our opportunity is a fit for them. Too often, however, people mistakenly believe that they’re somehow going to start making big bucks before their free trial is over.

Ain’t gonna happen.

To be honest, I wouldn’t even expect a check from the company for at least 90 days, and then it probably would be a tiny one. My point is that it takes time to set up a business and be profitable. If anybody tells you otherwise, they’re lying to you.

If you’re out of work and can’t pay the rent next month, you don’t need a business. What you need is a job, and then a business.

Anybody who has ever been successful in network marketing has taken the time to educate themselves, for the most part has stuck with the same company, and built their business themselves. It’s hard work, and there are no shortcuts. Progress is sometimes painfully slow.

If you exercise patience, however, you have the power to make every dream you ever had a reality. Only you can decide if the price is truly worth it. You can always choose to stay where you are. Is that acceptable to you?