This seems to be a trap most of us fall in to when we start our networking careers. You decide you believe in the concept of networking and now it is time to pick a company. Most of us probably join the first company which presented the concept of networking to us but then we failed miserably with that company. (That is to be expected since 97% of people in networking fail to build any type of income.) So, what now? You love the concept of network marketing and believe in your soul that it will work. This is where a lot of people mess up big time. When you start joining each and every company that comes along, you will totally lose your credibility with all people who know you. If you are promoting Company X this week and then Company Y next week, people will start running the other direction when they see you coming. It's called the NFL or No Friends Left league.
Not only will you lose your credibility with the people you know but what about the people who did believe you and joined your downline. What are they supposed to think now? They believed in you enough to join your team and now you are switching teams or are you just joining more than one team? See how confusing it can be. I actually had this happen to me recently. My leader in a Company P started promoting another company. I had seen the new company being promoted around different sites but I have to say I was surprised when I received a personal message from my leader promoting the new site. This made me think he wasn't as committed to Company P as I had thought he was originally. So, he lost a little credibility with me.
Now, I do want to say here, it is possible to be promoting more than one company if there is a funnel affect which leads back to your original company. With today's networking and traffic exchange site, it is quite possible to build an income from more than one place.
So where does this leave us? To keep your credibility, you should only promote one networking company. No this doesn't mean you can join one company promote it then join another company and promote it. YOU need to investigate the company and the product and only join if this is the company for you. Then promote, promote, promote and you will succeed. Your friends and your downline will thank you and appreciate what you have to say even more.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Art of Marketing
At the young age of 10, I was asked to sell my first item to raise money for the school band. I suppose this was the start of my marketing career. Many years later, I am still marketing items but no longer door to door.
The "Art of Marketing" has become big business thanks to the age of the Internet. You may never see another person face-to-face and still make a nice living through this portal we call the web. There are thousands of so-called "gurus" out there that are willing to teach you how to market your merchandise. They usually give you a free ebook to get you started. Then, slip in the $29.95 Tell All Secret Book that you just have to have to succeed. Some of them make you feel like if you don't buy this ebook, then you will never know the secret. You want to know what I think? There is NO SECRET. Yes, you can quote me. Be sure to tell everyone you heard it here first. There is NO SECRET to marketing. There is NO MAGIC words you can use to get people to purchase your products. The truth to the matter is this: It's All About YOU! Think about it. Would you buy any product from someone you didn't like? Would you buy any product from someone you didn't trust? Would you buy any product from someone who might not be there tomorrow?
So, what does this mean for your marketing career? It is really quite simple. Become a likable, trustworthy, person of character who people can find if they need you. YOUR next question is "How do I do that?" Start by stopping. Stop pushing your product on every passer by you meet. Then, start developing a relationship with your potential customers. Become an expert in your field so potential customers will look to you for advice. Make your presence known where your potential customers hang out. It really is a matter of marketing yourself and not your product.
I have listed some general ideas to help you. Start today. Put that product down and pick up a mirror. Would you buy a product from yourself? That is the best place to start.
The "Art of Marketing" has become big business thanks to the age of the Internet. You may never see another person face-to-face and still make a nice living through this portal we call the web. There are thousands of so-called "gurus" out there that are willing to teach you how to market your merchandise. They usually give you a free ebook to get you started. Then, slip in the $29.95 Tell All Secret Book that you just have to have to succeed. Some of them make you feel like if you don't buy this ebook, then you will never know the secret. You want to know what I think? There is NO SECRET. Yes, you can quote me. Be sure to tell everyone you heard it here first. There is NO SECRET to marketing. There is NO MAGIC words you can use to get people to purchase your products. The truth to the matter is this: It's All About YOU! Think about it. Would you buy any product from someone you didn't like? Would you buy any product from someone you didn't trust? Would you buy any product from someone who might not be there tomorrow?
So, what does this mean for your marketing career? It is really quite simple. Become a likable, trustworthy, person of character who people can find if they need you. YOUR next question is "How do I do that?" Start by stopping. Stop pushing your product on every passer by you meet. Then, start developing a relationship with your potential customers. Become an expert in your field so potential customers will look to you for advice. Make your presence known where your potential customers hang out. It really is a matter of marketing yourself and not your product.
I have listed some general ideas to help you. Start today. Put that product down and pick up a mirror. Would you buy a product from yourself? That is the best place to start.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Social Networks Dominate Top 10
Social Media sites are growing at an unprecedented rate. The top 10 companies today, according to Alexa.com are as follows: 1. google.com, 2. facebook.com, 3. yahoo.com, 4. youtube.com, 5. live.com, 6. wikipedia.com, 7. blogger.com, 8. baidu.com, 9. msn.com, & 10. qq.com. It is amazing to me that 7 of the top 10 sites are social networks. The list is growing even stronger day by day. Although, the one time giant, Myspace as fallen to number 17 there are several new companies rising to the top.
The release of Google Buzz has everyone talking, blogging, posting and tweeting. The reviews are mixed, so far, as with any new media. LinkedIN has been climbing the ranks and has broken into the top 20. It has a more business like feel but is still used for networking. Friendster was hot when it busted onto the scene but has been dropping steadily over the last few months. Their current rank today was 213. Then there is a young company called Peoplestring. This company just turned 1 year old on February 7th. They are rising in popularity at an alarming rate. Their current rank is 1116 which has rosin over 2700 point in the last 3 months.
So what will make you a loyal member of any social network site? Of course, it is a pain to start over at any new site. You have to upload your favorite pictures and import all your contacts. It's kind of like moving, it's never enjoyable but always worth it once you get there.
For me, I am being drawn to Peoplestring. Surprised? I was too. I have joined all the popular social networks but I end up spending most of my time at Peoplestring. Why? Because they pay me. Yup, you read that right. Peoplestring is paying its members. You know all the advertisements you see at the side of the pages. Those advertisers pay to be there. The big companies are moving their ad money online where the people are hanging out. Peoplestring is sharing 70% of that ad revenue with its members. So, If I can hang out and chat, email, shop, google, and get paid from a site, you are darn right, I am there. Why wouldn't anyone want to get paid for doing what we all do everyday anyway. To me, it's a "no brainer."
So, check out the new sites, the latest buzz, or the next big thing and then come hang out with me on Peoplestring. We can get paid together.
The release of Google Buzz has everyone talking, blogging, posting and tweeting. The reviews are mixed, so far, as with any new media. LinkedIN has been climbing the ranks and has broken into the top 20. It has a more business like feel but is still used for networking. Friendster was hot when it busted onto the scene but has been dropping steadily over the last few months. Their current rank today was 213. Then there is a young company called Peoplestring. This company just turned 1 year old on February 7th. They are rising in popularity at an alarming rate. Their current rank is 1116 which has rosin over 2700 point in the last 3 months.
So what will make you a loyal member of any social network site? Of course, it is a pain to start over at any new site. You have to upload your favorite pictures and import all your contacts. It's kind of like moving, it's never enjoyable but always worth it once you get there.
For me, I am being drawn to Peoplestring. Surprised? I was too. I have joined all the popular social networks but I end up spending most of my time at Peoplestring. Why? Because they pay me. Yup, you read that right. Peoplestring is paying its members. You know all the advertisements you see at the side of the pages. Those advertisers pay to be there. The big companies are moving their ad money online where the people are hanging out. Peoplestring is sharing 70% of that ad revenue with its members. So, If I can hang out and chat, email, shop, google, and get paid from a site, you are darn right, I am there. Why wouldn't anyone want to get paid for doing what we all do everyday anyway. To me, it's a "no brainer."
So, check out the new sites, the latest buzz, or the next big thing and then come hang out with me on Peoplestring. We can get paid together.
Marketing Mistakes on Social Media
There are several marketing mistakes I have noticed on the social media sites. And the cause of these mistakes is impatience. Most people don’t want to take the time to be social on the social media sites. Some one has told them: “Hey, social media is a great way to market your business.” So, they jump right on and start posting their links. BIG MISTAKE. I have to admit, I made the same mistake. I guess I was so bad I had friends who wouldn’t even return my direct messages. That’s bad. But, it didn’t take me long to learn this was pointless.
Mistake number 1: In your very first contact with a person you talk about your business or give them your link. Think about it. Is this how you would like to be approached? Wouldn’t you want to know the person a little bit first. When someone tells me they can show me how to make $10,000 in 30 days, this is my response: Really, and how long have you been with this company? Most of the time they answered, well I just started but….. Conversation Over on my part.
Mistake number 2: Friending Everybody. Now I know you have to start somewhere so take this in the context that you have developed a few hundred friends all ready. At that point, you need to start building relationships. Start learning who people are, what are their interests, and what companies do they represent? If you show genuine interest in a person, more than likely they will show interest in what you do. I think it is important, at this point to start weeding out your contact list. Why keep a contact when you absolutely know you will not do business with this person? You, also, need to categorize each person. Are they a networker? Do they represent a certain company? Did you like each other?
I am still learning the everyday little nuances of using social media. I hope I can keep learning what works and help others to succeed in networking.
Mistake number 1: In your very first contact with a person you talk about your business or give them your link. Think about it. Is this how you would like to be approached? Wouldn’t you want to know the person a little bit first. When someone tells me they can show me how to make $10,000 in 30 days, this is my response: Really, and how long have you been with this company? Most of the time they answered, well I just started but….. Conversation Over on my part.
Mistake number 2: Friending Everybody. Now I know you have to start somewhere so take this in the context that you have developed a few hundred friends all ready. At that point, you need to start building relationships. Start learning who people are, what are their interests, and what companies do they represent? If you show genuine interest in a person, more than likely they will show interest in what you do. I think it is important, at this point to start weeding out your contact list. Why keep a contact when you absolutely know you will not do business with this person? You, also, need to categorize each person. Are they a networker? Do they represent a certain company? Did you like each other?
I am still learning the everyday little nuances of using social media. I hope I can keep learning what works and help others to succeed in networking.
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