Home based businesses, whether it’s Network Marketing, Direct Sales or something like Etsy can be a fantastic way to make money on the side, or for the super ambitious, leave their day jobs altogether and commit to working from home full-time. We have made a fabulous life from our home-based business and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Before the digital revolution, your success in building your side business relied on your connections and ability to network with people in the real world. The same remains true today except now; you also have the opportunity to foster relationships at scale online.
Using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social platforms, gives you a competitive advantage to reach out to more potential prospects and customers than ever before.
The right attention at scale online is the new way of doing business, if you can figure out how to do it the right way.
Promoting your network marketing business on social media isn’t like promoting traditional products and services. There’s still a great deal of misunderstanding surrounding network marketing, direct selling and other person to person businesses. It requires a bit more creativity and strategy – a “selling without selling” approach.
We want to help you understand the art of building your side business online without pissing everybody off (and actually building your business – the right way).
Here’s how:
1. Keep it personal and DITCH the PITCH
When it comes to marketing on social media, your biggest asset is your network; it’s your family, friends, friends of friends, kids’ teachers, neighbors, and so on. Or that is how it used to be.
The good news. It doesn’t have to be that way anymore. You have access to the millions of people now (who aren’t your friends and family). So, you have no excuses anymore (whether you want to admit it or not).
You may think it’s better to separate your personal life from your business as most business owners do; and, you’ll quickly realize that even the people you’ve known forever won’t be keen on following your business account out of fear they’ll be guilted into the dreaded pitch.
You need to understand the value that you bring outside of the product that you sell.
Education is the key to driving curiosity and connection.
For example, check out our Facebook page and look at our content strategy. Would you even know which network marketing company we work for?
Want to learn more about health? GOOD. We got you covered.
What about plant nutrition? Are you eating the right vegetables? Don’t worry, we got you covered there too.
When we decided to DITCH the PITCH and started helping people become better on a personal and professional level, our business grew even faster!
2. Nurture your online network to move offline over time
Engage! Start conversations. Start being the one person in your social network that actually gives a shit about everyone you are connected to. This is the simplest way to start building the right relationships with the right people, over time.
The more you share, the more people will know you care.
Think about all the noise people are making online. How can you use quality content as a way to start getting people’s attention and eventually their time?
The good news. It doesn’t even have to be your own content. Use third party content and add your commentary in the copy. It really is that easy when you are getting started.
Ask yourself, who in your network do you look up to? Why do you look up to them?
One simple guess, it’s because the content and ideas they share make you better personally and professionally. They inspire, motivate, and educate you in a way others have not.
This is the goal of nurturing a real online relationship. Content is the bridge that creates the conversation and keeps it alive.
The real trick is how you engage with your network online and organically get them to grab a cup of coffee with you offline.
Nurture online. Build the real relationship offline. Ask for their business over time. It really is that simple.
3. Be creative in the way you present your products
Influencer marketing is a buzzword in the online world. Here’s the good news. YOU have influence whether you know it or not.
Even if you have five followers. You have the power to influence a total of five people.
You also have the power to annoy the shit out of them and be the opposite of influential.
Have you ever heard of a Tower Garden? Probably not.
Have you heard of eating greens? Probably!
Either way. Our strategy is to use our products in a way that educates and drives interest without ever actually talking about the product by name. Check out our Healthy Greens series on our Facebook page.
We are using our influence and our products in tandem and nobody even realizes it (until they have been following us for a while). There is an art to this.
One great example would be Elizabeth Ryder. Do you follow her?
Most people would never guess by seeing her content for the first time that she has a successful network marketing business. But they know she has influence in the health and lifestyle world. She offers valuable content aside from the products she represents.
In Conclusion
How do you know when you have mastered the art of selling without selling on social media?
The hard answer, it takes time.
The easy answer, when your audience starts to grow online and organic conversations start to move from online to offline.
That is when the magic starts to happen!
Try it. We dare you!
