While doing some recent keyword research, I came to find that the term MLM MultiLevel Network Marketing is something that people are actually typing in. . .further evidence that there is some confusion about the various titles that apply to this type of business model. Hopefully this article will clear it up a little bit. . .
First of all, here is the formula. . .
Network Marketing = Multi-Level Marketing = MLM
I guess when people are searching for MLM MultiLevel Network Marketing, they have heard all three terms and just can’t remember which goes with which. That’s pretty understandable. In today’s network marketing industry, the three above terms are synonomous and can be used interchangeably.
In the beginning. . .there was just Multi-Level Marketing which was shortened to MLM. And this name refers to a type of business model which uses direct sales. So, simply put, instead of buying an MLM product in a retail store, you purchase it from a distributor.
Problems arose when Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) was mistakenly confused with pyramid schemes, also known as Ponzie schemes, which are illegal. There is something about the term “multi level” that sort of conjures up the picture of a pyramd, right?
So, that’s when the more diplomatic term “Network Marketing” came into play. It seemed a safer way to avoid the whole nasty pyramid image. And today, the term Network Marketing really is interchangeable with Multi-Level Marketing and MLM. The term network marketing originally referred to what we now just name “networking” but it has officially evolved to be synonomous with MLM and Multi-Level Marketing.
So, for those of you who are searching for MLM MultiLevel Network Marketing, I hope you have found your answer here!
I started network marketing less than a year ago and dove in full force. And yes, I did what the common newest of newbies does. . .I gathered all the MLM training material possible in a very short time and drove myself to madness with overwhelm. Eventually, when the excitement wore off, I slid back down to reality and took it all apart.
Although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to anyone else, trying out different MLM training material and programs all at once allowed me to get a fuller picture of what it was all about. Not everyone can afford to do it (and neither could I really) and I doubt that anyone would have the time to ingest more than one resource at a time, but I still feel that I’ve benefited from being a part of different programs and I’ve learned (and continue to learn) something valuable from each of them.
Was I overwhelmed all the time? Yes. Am I overwhelmed all the time now? Yes.
I believe that whether you’re new or experienced in internet and network marketing, there is always a feeling that you aren’t doing enough. . .you’re always behind.
So. . .instead of fighting the overwhelm, I just accept it as a fact of life and move on. . .and take the time to congratulate myself on what I AM able to accomplish. I’m curious. . .is that what you do too?
The resources that I recommend on the right-hand side of this blog are my top picks in terms of MLM training material so I thought I would just give you a glimpse into some of their various focuses and approaches:
Renegade Professional is an incredibly thorough training course which teaches you literally step-by-step, click by click, how to set up each piece of your web content that will start to bring you recognition (also called branding) and leads. But that’s not all. Mike Klingler, the founder of Renegade Professional, his partner, Ann Sieg, founder of the Renegade Network Marketer and the Renegade System, and their talented contributors walk you through each step of the 90 Day Action Guide to get you started.
You actually do everything right along with the video tutorials which is really cool!
But what I especially appreciate about the Renegade Professional approach is that it’s not all “how to” and methodical.
In Renegade Professional, you learn what you are doing, why you are doing it and how to do it right.
A great deal of emphasis is placed on having the right mindset and how to minimize overwhelm – and I believe a lot of those lessons are truly invaluable. Here are just a few things that you will learn how to do with the Renegade Professional MLM training material (this list is by no means all-inclusive):
- How to build your own list
- Sign up with and write articles for HubPages, Squidoo, Ezine Article
- keyword research and SEO
- Create your own blog on SqareSpace or WordPress
- Use Social Bookmarking the right way
- Use Twitter and Facebook the right way
- Create your own lead capture pages
- Build relationships with email marketing
- Create and share videos the right way
- Paid advertising like PPC (pay per click) advertising on Google, ezines and targeted website advertising
When you join Renegade Professional, you have over 100 hours of hours of detailed video tutorial lessons and 14 experts guaranteed to help you generate leads for any business.The site is constantly being updated to include new MLM training material with tutorials on the various aspects of internet and network marketing.
The next courses that I’ll speak about are McKay Earl’s 90-Day Marketer, 30-Day Marketer and brand new Network Marketing. When you join one, you automatically get access to all three.
There are two things that I love about McKay’s program.
1) It offers options for you and whoever you bring into the program. The 90 and 30 Day Marketers deal with online business training in general and niche marketing. And the Network Marketing course is specifically dedicated to our industry. When you join this program, you have access to all three. And if you are like I am, you sometimes sway back and forth between network marketing and online marketing. One thing that I love about working from home is that I can do all sorts of online activities and McKay addresses all of these. And the basic “good networking” concepts apply to everything you do online.
2) McKay’s MLM training material gives you the overall picture of what you need to be doing in your online network marketing.Sometimes you can lose track of what the real point is in doing certain things because you get caught up in the technical practicalities and details. And each specific aspect that you learn is important. . .but being able to keep it in the context of the big picture is even more important. McKay also hosts weekly training calls where he brings up incredibly timely and interesting topics and answers any questions that you may have directly.
I will continue to update this post with other MLM training material that I find especially beneficial. For now. . .happy networking!
Contrary to popular belief, setting up your own multi level marketing blog is one of the easiest ways to establish credibility and make yourself approachable in this cold world of online marketing. It’s also one of the least expensive ways that you can bring people into your business as customers or team members – in fact, it can be absolutely free like my blog!
Why would you want your own multi-level marketing blog?
First of all, it’s quick and easy to set up and can immediately establish you as a professional and authority in the industry.
It’s also a great place to refer family members, friends and others that you come across in your offline marketing efforts and that are interested in what you do. Besides being a great reference for people that you have contact with on a regular basis, your blog can actually attract people who you’ve never even met before.
If you already have an established team, you can also use your blog to communicate with them about whatever you feel is important: training calls, product information, new tools that can help them, opinions about news in the industry, etc.
How do you set up your own multi level marketing blog?
The first concept which should be clear in your mind is that you don’t want your blog to be all about your network marketing company and/or the products/services it offers. Instead, you could focus on a theme that your MLM deals with, like health or nutrition, or you can make your blog so that it answers questions and deals with problems in the network marketing industry in general (like this one aims to do).
The reason for this is that, although very few people will be interested in your network marketing company specifically, very many will have concerns about their health or some of the other themes that your company deals with. Or they will be interested in how they too can make an extra income from home. Or how they can start their own business that allows them freedom and flexibility.
Network marketing provides possibilities that people are looking for. . .and you can speak about them in your blog.
Your blog should give your visitors what they are looking for, offer instruction, advice and tips that can help them solve their problems.
Where can you set up your multi level marketing blog?
There are many platforms to choose from. If you are new to blogging, I highly recommend starting with Blogger because not only is it free, but you can actually earn money from the AdSense ads that are automatically placed on your blog. Blogger doesn’t offer all of the features that some of the other blog platforms (like WordPress and SquareSpace for example) do but it’s a great place to start and you can actually export your Blogger blog to another platform later on if you decide that’s the route you want to go. This blog started out on Blogger and I exported it to WordPress later on (which was much easier than I imagined).
So, let’s get started with your Blogger Multi Level Marketing Blog
After you’ve set up your account, the first thing you want to do is post an article that’s somewhere between 400 and 600 words long. You can write about anything at all that is related to the theme of your MLM company or network marketing in general and feel free to include your opinions and recommendations. . .that’s what blogs are all about.
Eventually, you will definitely want to do some keyword research to include popular search terms in your articles.
You can search for terms here https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal. This is how your posts can be picked up by the search engines so when people type in certain words, your blog will come up in the results.
How do you know who’s visiting your multi level marketing blog?
One of the main goals of having your own blog is to generate customers and leads for your business so it’s important that you have something incorporated that can capture the contact information of your visitors.
Set up an auto-responder account with AWeber, GetResponse, IContact, Oprius or any of the other services out there and put a form on your blog. I highly recommend Oprius since it’s both an auto-responder and an organizational service all in one. . .I for one need all the organization help I can get. You’ll have to offer something to your visitors in exchange for them giving you a contact name and email address, phone, or whatever other contact details you want. Some examples of things to offer include a free newsletter, a free e-book or free training.
If all of this seems overwhelming, just start with the multi level marketing blog itself and I can teach you the rest later in my free training. Remember that the key to maintaining an effective blog is consistency. Be consistent with your posts and offer original advice and opinions that you’ve accumulated in your network marketing experience. . .and you’re off to a running start!
Chances are you’ve run across the term “MLM scheme” and asked yourself what this is (and how to avoid it). There is a great deal of confusion when it comes to the terms network marketing, MLMs, multi-level marketing, pyramid schemes and Ponzi schemes. This article will clear some of it up.
To put it simply, Network Marketing, also referred to as Multi-Level Marketing or just MLM, is one business model for marketing and selling products and services. A company which uses the network marketing model will not hire a staff of sales representatives or human resources. They will not interview you to see if you are right for the job. Instead, they “allow” you to join the company as a member (by paying a start-up fee) and to spread the word and sell their products. The network marketing company also counts on you to recruit other members to help you sell the product. You in turn make commissions on the amount of products/services you sell and the number of people you can recruit into helping you with sales and recruitment.
Even though each MLM company differs in what products or services they offer, in their compensation plans, in their training and longevity. . .
. . .Network Marketing, Multi-Level Marketing and MLM businesses are ALL legal businesses that help thousands of people around the world.
Many people are surprised when they learn that companies like Shaklee, Avon and Mary Kay are all successful multi-level marketing companies.
However, MLMs are often confused with Ponzi or Pyramid Schemes. These are illegal establishments where members only make commissions when they recruit other members into the business. This is somewhat similar to what happens in network marketing but the trick with pyramid schemes is that there are really no products or services involved so no real value is really being offered to anyone.
One of the biggest reasons for the confusion about MLMs and Ponzi/pyramid schemes is that the latter were actually created by previously unsuccessful network marketers who weren’t able to make money by following the rules. So, they made their own illegal rules. In their early days, Ponzi schemes were more common because they weren’t recognized as such. Nowadays, the FTC clamps down on them very quickly if they do happen to crop up and they are usually shut down before they can do much damage. It’s precisely because of Ponzi schemes that Network Marketing companies are subject to VERY strict controls by the FTC to insure that an MLM is not or will not eventually become a Ponzi/pyramid Scheme.
So, the reality is . . .the “MLM scheme” doesn’t exist.
There are MLM companies and MLM businesses, network marketing companies and network marketing businesses, multi-level companies and multi-level marketing businesses. And then there are Ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes. Two separate animals.
It just so happens that network marketing companies are helping thousands of people around the world to start their own businesses from home. These new business owners include people who were laid off from their jobs, those who lost their retirement funds and need a new source of income, moms who have decided that they want to spend more time with their kids, etc. And most network marketers enter into the business because the products that they now sell had significant positives impact on their lives.
However, anyone who has done even the least bit of research about network marketing will have seen the famous statistic. . .the 97 % failure rate. Yes, this is also true. It actually may be a little bit less at the time of this article but around 97% of those who enter into network marketing fail. Does this make network marketing a scam or scheme? No. But it probably makes you wonder what it takes to be in the elite 3%.
For most of us, it takes training, work, dedication and time. If you’ve been told that you don’t need to put in any effort to succeed in network marketing, you’ve been told wrong.Period.
The appeal and benefits of getting into network marketing include residual income and the flexibility to set your own hours and be your own boss.
It’s also something that you can start out doing in your spare time and at your own pace. If you are interested in becoming involved in network marketing, you have an enormous choice of solid, stable and exciting options. You could join an MLM that offers travel services, skin care products, health products, green products, business development products, and so much more. The list goes on and on.
So, the good news is that the “MLM scheme” does not exist. Something that you may not have wanted to hear is that only a small percentage of network marketers are successful. Having the right attitude is a big part of how successful you will become but even more importantly, you need the right training and a system that can work for you as well as your team.
Have you been looking for a network marketing resource that’s an all-in-one guide to the industry and how to be successful? Something that you can turn to for all the answers, tips, advice and guidance? As you probably already know if you’ve even the least bit of searching on the web, there is quite a bit of information about network marketing online. Putting it all together is a little bit trickier.
The great news is that most of what you’ll find is informative, especially for newcomers to network marketing, and much of it is free.
If you are brand new to network marketing, you really do have the world at your fingertips.
You can get free e-books, free courses, free videos, etc., all willing to explain the basic ins and outs of network marketing online. But what I’ve found is that you need to get a hold of lots of these in order to put together your own network marketing resource that is tailored to you and then you can even start to come up with your own to offer your team and other network marketers. You must include your own personality in your network marketing efforts if you truly want to succeed in this industry.
As the internet continues to enable the success of more and more network marketers, they are now offering a lot of their expertise for free. It’s a great idea to start with this free stuff to learn the basics. Once you’ve mastered that and inevitably have more questions, you can choose to spend a little more money on a network marketing resource that goes into a little more detail.
Here are some basics to know before you start:
What is Network Marketing? Many people are confused about exactly what network marketing is (even if they are involved in it) and what it isn’t. The industry has undoubtedly suffered because of its structure’s similarity to Ponzi or pyramid schemes (which are illegal). Network Marketing is not only legal, but network marketing businesses continue to help thousands of business owners and serve millions of customers worldwide.
Establish yourself as an expert network marketer on the internet.
Write about what you’re learning or some techniques that work for you. Give a short how-to session about something related to network marketing. You can write single articles and submit them to the free services such as Squidoo.com, HubPages.com and EzineArticles.com. There are literally hundreds more but these happen to be viewed favorably by the search engines. The more articles you write, the more you will be seen as an expert in your field. Your content should be valuable advice that solves potential network marketers’ problems and answers their questions. Don’t even think about promoting anything until you first offer some good, valuable information.
You need to get people to come and see your web content. It’s important to offer valuable information, but if no one is coming to see it, you won’t get very far. Here are just a few free ways to get traffic to your web content. Comment on people’s blogs in a non-promotional manner and include a link to one of your relevant articles. Participate on Facebook and Twitter – make sure that your profile includes a link as well. Participate in internet marketing or network marketing forums. Your comments should be helpful and offer answers to questions and solutions to problems. You can include your link but you should not be pitching your network marketing company or anything else.
Keep in mind that a good network marketing resource should help you and others 1) to understand certain techniques or methods that are successful and 2) to learn how to put these techniques and methods to use 3) to know how to follow up once you’ve got some interest in you and your network marketing company.
If your goal is to learn for free, you might get one point from one resource and one point from another. If you have a little money to invest, you’ll be able to find a single network marketing resource that offers all three so take the time to pick the one that’s right for you.
Whether you’re a new network marketer or have been in the industry for a while, I bet you’ve checked out many a network marketing tool to grow your business.
You want something that you can trust and depend on to work for you consistently and give you 100% . . .and of course, something that doesn’t cost you a fortune.
Well, I have some great news for you! The very best network marketing tool is absolutely free and here’s the best part. . .it’s extremely easy to find. . .in fact, you already have it!
Because this “secret” tool just happens to be Y-O-U. . . that’s right, yourself.
Are you confused? Don’t worry. . .I’ll explain. . .
Let’s first back up a bit and discusss what tools you DON”T want to use in your Network Marketing. Do not try to promote your network marketing company with the tools that the company itself offers you: the fliers, the posters, DVDs and no, not even the website. You can show these to your prospects later on but here is the golden rule that you want to keep in mind.
The people that you are trying to recruit into your company (your potential future downline) do not care about the business that you are involved in. You might not believe that but trust me. . .they don’t.
It doesn’t matter how great you think the business is . .your potential downline does not care. So what DO they do care about? They care if YOU can show them how to be successful with this network marketing business. They care if YOU will be there to answer their questions and to support them. They care that YOU are excited about the business. In this exploding world of online network marketing, where it’s hard to find a person through all the hype and offers, your potential team members as well as your future customers are looking for someone that they can trust and count on. Someone who will lead them in the right direction. And above all, someone who is real.
They too are seeking that guaranteed-to-grow-your-business network marketing tool. So go out there and introduce yourself. Let everyone know that you’re here and you’re going to dedicate yourself to their success.
Here are just a few places you can go – these ar all quick and painless and they are all free. I will be updating this article continuously. . .
1) Set up a Facebook account. Let people know about your status. Make it interesting with comments like “Just helped someone get their first lead! I love my business!”
2) Register on Twitter and update your “tweets”. This is similar to what you do on Facebook. . .but do it in 140 characters or less. Again, make it interesting and make it personal and don’t be promotional. . .the name of the game is “offer value” and allow people to see what you are all about.
3) Set up and account at Squidoo.com. Include your picture and a small bio about yourself. Fill in whatever else you can. Write an article about yourself. It can be about how you help people succeed in network marketing. Or. . .it doesn’t have to be. Just write about something that you know bout and can help someone understand.
Make comments on other people’s hubpages. they will see your comments and take a look at your hub. This is how you start introducing yourself.
Realize that you yourself are the best network marketing tool and capitalize on that! More to come. . .
First off, let’s define what a funded proposal is and why it is an essential concept for any business and especially for network marketers . . .and even more especially, for new network marketers.
In a nutshell, an MLM funded proposal is a system that allows you to earn cash upfront so that you can build your network marketing business. Most of you have heard the sad but true statistic, right? . . .About 97% of network marketers fail within the first 3 years of joining the business for the following reasons. . .
1) they don’t have enough money to put into the business to keep it going so they end up leaving it by the wayside. . .and
2) they don’t have enough prospects to share the business opportunity with.
AND, not coincidently, about 97% of the people you contact to join you in your MLM business will say “No thanks”. That’s the truth.
But instead of letting this statistic intimidate you or trying to figure out how you can change it, what you need to do is accept that it is a fact – you are dealing with a 3% positive response and need to organize yourself appropriately. Not everyone is interested in what you have to offer – in fact, hardly anyone is! But that’s ok – because you can still turn the “no’s” into cash if you are using the right funded proposal.
For the record, I just love this concept and wish I had thought of it myself – it’s brilliant! Here’s how the MLM funded proposal works:
You offer something to your target audience (your potential downline) that they want. . . like a marketing system that can earn them money on auto-pilot. Remember, what is your target audience looking for? I’ll give you a hint.
They are NOT looking for some kind of product or service they can buy (or buy into), no matter how wonderful it may seem to you.
They ARE looking for additional income, a way to get out of a tiresome, low-paying job (or jobs), a means to insure retirement for themselves and a future for their kids, the flexibility to be able to work from home or whenever and wherever they want. . .the chance to spend more time with their families, etc.
So you offer them a money-making funded proposal system that will allow them to achieve their goals and dreams. There are many well planned out marketing systems available for you to offer to your audience – and they are all relatively inexpensive which is just one reason that people will choose a marketing system before they will choose to join your network marketing opportunity. They pay a low price for the chance to make a greater income.
You want to choose a funded proposal marketing program that allows you the flexibility to brand yourself and not just the system. If possible, you want one that actually trains you on how to brand yourself as it is doing the marketing for you. And by all means, choose a system that lets you keep the leads that the system generates for you.
The MLM funded proposal guarantees that you will not run out of advertising money before you really get going (obstacle number 1). Your funded proposal program should be on auto-pilot. It should provide much needed cash in order to pay for your advertising.
The funded proposal is not necessarily intended as a revenue stream in itself, but it can be.
Personally, I use the money I generate from my funded proposal program to further fund my advertising. The more I use it, the greater my advertising budget becomes and the more leads I generate. . .quality leads that are interested in ways to make money, such as network marketing.
There are many funded proposal programs out there on the market. They are essentially small ready-made businesses for you and for the people you are offering them to. All you have to do is plug into the system you choose, which should be quick and easy, and promote it or let the system itself promote it. The system is already set-up for you – completely duplicatable. . .the key to success in network marketing. You earn commissions as the program sells and the people who are buying the system turn into very qualified leads for your business.
The most profitable funded proposal that I’ve used is the StreamLine Funnel System , and it also happens to be the easiest.
This funded proposal is fully set up with an auto-responder follow-up series and my own landing pages which promote it. The advertising is done for me within the program itself but I can also choose to promote it with the various methods that I’ve learned throughout the training offered by the same system. Just extra ways to get extra leads. And the “brand yourself” training is so important! As you build your lead list, your income and your business, you also want to build your image. . .not just the image of some system. So, that’s what I really love about the StreamLine Funnel System – that I’m earning as I’m learning how to brand myself.
Now, will everyone who joins the system join my business? Certainly not, although the conversion rates for this particular system are much higher than others I’ve tried. But I am still earning commissions off the ones who don’t join my business. Money which I can pore back into the advertising part of the system or into my own marketing efforts.
As a newcomer to network marketing, the funded proposal has served as an essential piece of my online network marketing business, allowing me to earn money even when not everyone is joining me in my business. Isn’t that cool???
