Most traditional network marketing/multi-level marketing/MLM superstars got there by working hard and duplicating other successful MLM superstars. They were successful by building their network with face-to-face connections.

Unfortunately, social distancing requirements have interfered with traditional face-to-face techniques and slowed their business growth. Even most MLM superstars are finding it difficult to expand their businesses  quickly this way these days.

Many are doing well, simply because they already have an extensive downline and are floating like boats on the tide of downline and customer purchases. Even the superstars are looking for other ways to build, not just maintain, their businesses.

Over this series of articles, I will discuss how network marketers can enter the world of online marketing. And it will be much easier if they duplicate expert online network marketers to create  websites, emails, text messages, and automated email campaigns.

In future articles, I will also discuss online tools you can use to bridge the gap between traditional face-to-face network marketing and online marketing to grow your business more effectively.

Network marketing — Online

Let us start with some of the advantages of online business building vs. traditional network marketing. With online network marketing you can:

1. Get your message in front of huge numbers of people
2. Sit in front of your computer rather than stand in front of people in group meetings
3. Scale your business with automation tools
4. Use low-cost or free online tools to make and nurture relationships, both personal and business
5. Build your business while you sleep

Online Challenges for Network Marketers

Online marketing can be a challenge for traditional network marketers for the following reasons:

1. Successful network marketers build relationships, not one-time customers.
2. It is more difficult to “wow” a prospect with an online product than with a product in your hand in person.
3. Online marketing, when done the wrong way, can instantly put you out of business. (e.g. making false claims online)
4. Online marketing can gobble up lots of time and money if done wrong.

In the end, most network marketers fail at online prospecting because they just do not know how to do it with the amount of money and time they have.

The Secret is: Duplicate the Experts.

The cool thing is that if you properly duplicate experts who understand both online and network marketing, you can be successful, too.

Duplicate experts who understand BOTH online and traditional network marketing.

Whether you make the millions that the gurus claim or exit the experiment with an empty wallet and no hope, depends on you and how you do it. Going online the right way is critical if you want online success. But how do network marketers go online without breaking the bank and their ethical boundaries? And how can YOU successfully add an online element to your network marketing business?

Traditional Network Marketing

It is About Relationships

Network marketing is a relationship-business approach that requires time to develop both business and personal relationships. Long-term network marketing success does not benefit from single high-end purchases or low commodity priced sales. (e.g. Amazon)

Network marketers have unique products that are slightly higher priced and are looking for more than just customers sales.  We want other like-minded network builders so we can tap into the higher bonuses our companies offer leaders. In other words, our real money comes from the network development and not on individual product sales.

Online is different.  How?

Many network marketing distributors are looking at online marketing to build their personal and business network but are turned off by the traditional online high-pressure “BUY NOW – 10 minutes left” mindset.

Online marketers see a huge ocean of potential buyers and if they are too pushy for some people, there are always plenty more fish in the sea .

Network marketers, on the other hand, tend to value each prospect more and  develop a long term relationship with them beyond the sales.

In addition, it is vastly different to prospect someone online than meeting them at a grocery store and “wow”ing them with your product or service. You cannot say, “Hey, smell this essential oil” over a zoom call or on a website because they will not get the “experience” of the product.

Although some distributors send product samples to prospects before doing their “online class,” they usually go broke doing so.

What do you REALLY want?

Now, this is going to blow your mind if you focus on prospecting for product sales. Are you sitting down?

What do you really want, more customers, or network builders? Think about it? If you look at your company compensation plan, which type of signup will pay you more money in the long run? Where are the bigger bonuses hiding?

I have been around network marketing for over 25 years and have not seen ANY network marketing company that pays more for signing up customers than for building up a network of leaders of leaders of leaders, etc. Dig into your company compensation plan if you do not believe me. It is true. Trust me.

The Good News

Do you know it is MUCH easier to prospect ONLINE for network builders than customers? It is much easier to find people online who want to better the lives of themselves and their families than to sell more oils, pills, diet drinks, etc.

Many people are looking, even as you read this right now, for money-making opportunities because of their current financial situation. In fact, many of them have less money to buy your “starter” kits than they did just 6 short months ago.  They need money!  And they need it NOW!

They are looking for you and your opportunity, not your products. How will they find you? How will you connect with them?

Focus on people who are looking for you and your opportunity, not your products.

Is Your Mind Blown Yet?

Is smoke coming out of your ears or not?  Consider that YOU ARE ONLINE RIGHT NOW reading this to figure out how to find these people and bring them onto your team to help them (and you) reach your financial goals, together. They are doing the same thing, online, in reverse.

How to build relationships online?

So, the question is, how do you leverage the internet to find the ones who are “looking” for you and what you have to offer? The answer is you get to develop websites, campaigns, and emails that guide the potential perfect future team member through an enticing journey, so they stay curious and engaged with you and your content.

At some point, they will say, “How do I get involved with this? With you?  I’d like to learn more.”  Done properly, this begins to happen from the first website or email they receive until they are ready to join your team.

Of course, it takes expertise to implement this. And the fastest way to do this is to use expert developed templates for webpages, emails, and automated campaigns using a system to both find and nurture them.

The next article discusses expert websites templates. The other stuff will come in future articles.

A gift for you…

Free Download – Mind Map of this article

I have created a visual diagram that provides a high-level overview of this component of how to add online prospecting to your traditional network marketing business.

The next article will get into,  how using expert designed website templates will help you more quickly get the right message in front of prospects so they will give you their name, email address, and phone number in exchange for a gift you provide to them. The gift can be as simple as a checklist, useful diagram, or single-page how-to guide.