So what are some of the more common forms of advertising that I see Network Marketers and other influencers using to try and gain business? Well a lot of what is being taught in direct sales is presentations and promotions. There is a new flavour every month, and the focus is more on the new then it is on being consistent with what actually works. They are trying to be better then, instead of trying to be different. Different is what creates real influence, and you can't stand out when you're doing what everyone else is doing. Some of the common tactics I see most used are promotions, fear based marketing, aspirations, peer pressure, and added features to try and differentiate and drive sales. They think that by using these tactics they are adding value, but in reality they are just disguising these novelties as innovation.

When you have a product that really works to drive results, you don't need manipulation. In fact I know from experience that when you show up and share what is real, people are far more receptive to learning more and they will be more likely to lower their resistance to what you're offering. Thats why we teach our teams and students to be a human first and a marketer second. And how do we do this in a way that leads to real conversations and real results? 

1. Branding

People buy from people whom they know, like, and trust. While most network marketers are focused on being the best copy cat and trying not to reinvent the wheel, the leaders who are attracting a team of influencers are doing this by who they're being in addition to what they are doing. When it comes to marketing and selling, it's not about having the right personality, it's about knowing how to connect with people's needs and desires, being relatable, trustworthy, and likeable. Building a brand is how you build an audience and a business on social media, and this has little to do with your product, and everything to do with who you are. Your brand is made up of your story, your  knowledge and experience, your vision for where you're going, and your unique perspective... coupled with how you solve people's problems. This is your brand...who you are and how you serve.

2. Connecting

There are 2 ways in which we connect...through our content and through conversation. You want to be focused on creating content that can lead you to a deeper conversation with the people you are attracting into your network. This is how they get to know you and you also get to know them. A mistake a lot of business owners make when they are creating content, is they are lacking that personal connection. And I don't mean the cold marketing messaging. I mean networking and getting to know whose in your friends/followers list, and whose paying attention to what you're doing. You want to always create real interaction, and you also want to pay attention to whose name keeps coming up in your notifications. Check your friend requests, your stories, your posts, birthdays, memories, and notifications and start connecting! If you want engagement, you need to be engaging. 

3. Leading with Value

Leading with value is all about educating, inspiring, and entertaining your audience. There is a saying I learned early on in my Network Marketing career that has always stuck with me..."You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want. The best way to do this is to brain storm the struggles and pains your target audience has, learn all about it and how you can help them overcome it, and then share this throughout your content. You want to consistently drive home the message about who you are, why you do what you do, and how you help solve people's problems. This is what will lead to those deeper conversations with the right people, and when you ask the right questions and provide the solutions, you won't struggle with follow up and close. Learn, implement, and teach is the mindset you want to adopt for your marketing.

4. Exposure, Exposure, Exposure

Exposure starts from the moment you meet someone, to every encounter you have with them through out the journey you take together...from the moment you connect to when they become a lead, prospect, customer, team member, and beyond. In your business you want to be omnipresent and top of mind with your people and create brand loyalty. This starts on your social platform with content, being present in communities, connecting one on one, and leading people into your marketing and sales funnels so you can continue building the relationship inside of your groups or in your email list. 

Consider the experience you want them to have and the nurture system you want to create that keeps them coming back for your products and your service. What can you create that is different and fills their needs? What offers can you create and integrate in your brand that can serve your overall purpose of how you help your niche? This can include anything from your communication and how you give back to your customers and team, incentives you create, customer loyalty programs, ways you can stay in touch and new products or offers you can create to continue helping them solve their problems. But the key is having a way to consistently expose them to your brand and communicate your message