If you're a
network marketer and you're still clinging to old school ways of building your
business brick by brick and person by person, you may be missing out on the
major trends shaping the future of the network marketing industry and the
future of your business.
While
building relationships will always be important to your networking success, you
now have access to online tools and techniques which will help you sort and
qualify people so that you are only talking to those who are interested,
serious and ready to get started. Wouldn’t that be cool?
What's great
about most internet marketing tools is that you don’t have to be a geek or
techie to use and understand them. If you can click a website and write an
email, you already have the skills you need to get started with these FIVE
'must have' network marketing tools:
1. Landing
Page - A Landing Page is where you offer value (free stuff) and prompt people
to opt in to receive MORE value (free stuff). Once they are subscribers you can
continue to build upon your relationship and ultimately prompt them to make a
purchase.
Building a
list of qualified and interested contacts is the lifeblood of successful
network marketing and a landing page is where it all starts. This simple page
can be created with basic site building tools or by plugging into a service
that provides you with templates. Don’t want to spend time learning this stuff?
Then hire someone if you have to. It's THAT important.
Creating and
promoting a quality landing page is the most effective way of building an email
list. It also gives you flexibility so you can promote whatever you want and
make changes at any time. Oh yeah... your landing page HAS TO HAVE a compelling
offer in ordert to encourage visitors to opt in to your list. Don’t have free
goods to give? Consider an affiliate system/product/service that you can offer
which provides value AND allows you to monetize in some way.
2. Your Own
Blog - A blog represents your online persona and it is an absolute requirement
if you want to do business on the Internet. This is where you can post
articles, rants and raves, insights, videos and more. Readers love smart and
interactive information and where readers go, search engines follow.
There are
many free and easy to use blog applications and a lot of nifty and useful 'add
ons' where you can really trick out your blog and create a site that is fun,
useful and all your own. FYI... this is different than your landing page and
overt selling on your blog will be the death of it.
3. Social
Networking – Unless you have been living under a rock, you should have a
profile already or at least know about social media sites and how they have
exploded in the last few years. If you haven’t already, go to Facebook and
Twitter immediately and create a profile.
If you enjoy
social networking there are many more sites you can consider and join. They are
an ideal place to make friends and meet new people. Again, no overt selling!
Treat these sites as a party where you can socialize and add value to the
conversation. You'll be a social pariah that everyone avoids if all you do is
talk about business and your network marketing deal.
Social
networking also allows you to share a more personal side of yourself, create
trust and build upon relationships. I suggest though that you keep your
personal and professional profiles separate.
4.
Autoresponder - This may be the most valuable network marketing tool you use. A
good autoresponder application will do much more than provide you with the
ability to send automated emails and create consistent communications that you
can set on auto pilot.
Programs
like Aweber and Get Response will also provide you with tools for creating
custom opt-in forms, comprehensive list management tools, tracking and analysis
reports and much, much more. Your autoresponder is the doorway through which
your subscribers enter your world. Find one which is going to be easy and
attractive and grow with you over time.
5. Skype –
The internet can be an indifferent and impersonal place. And though online
tools and techniques are useful and essential, in the networking industry you
still need to talk to people.
That is why
Skype is such a fantastic tool. The video phone function of this application
gives you the opportunity to talk face to face with anyone in the world without
leaving home and without long distance phone charges. Skype also offers basic
conferencing functions and other tools for customizing your profile and preferences.
In a global
economy and an industry that demands personal interaction at some level, Skype
is an essential tool for easy and effective communication with your leaders,
prospects and associates whether they are across town or on the other side of
the globe.
To be
successful in network marketing today requires that you learn and implement
these basic tools. And while the internet allows us to reach more people, to
create auto pilot functions, to monetize in new and lucrative ways and to
attract new prospects while we are doing other things (like sleeping or going
to the beach) network marketing will always be a business about relationships.
Don't forget that as you put these tools to work for you.
My background is in traditional marketing. Recently I found a way to use my marketing skills to generate leads, add value and create lasting relationships online. Check out my free training at http://bobhebertonline.com/a-simple-system/
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