Network Marketing (MLM) Attraction Marketing Training & News

I got lost a couple of weeks ago when I was driving my girls to their Sunday Stage school. Now don’t laugh…there was a diversion on the road and I missed the turning. We were chatting and there were some confusing cones … Long story.

Anyway I went round and round for quite a time until I managed to figure out a new route to get to where I wanted to go.

At one point I really felt like screaming (I might have done)

My eldest daughter was very calm and did the equivalent of ‘phone a friend.’ She phoned my husband who tried to figure out where we were and help us find our way.

I wasn’t able to fully listen or pay attention though because I was still driving and kept having to make new decisions about which way to go.

Frustrating! If you’ve ever been lost then you know exactly what I mean right!

My youngest daughter was moaning about missing her dance class and being late.

So what’s the lesson for social media?

Well it occurred to me that there is so much information about what to do with social media; but not so much about what to do when it all goes wrong!

Here are some tips for what to do when you get lost online and are facing stressful challenges:

1) Stop everything (like I should have stopped the car)

2) Don’t panic. Take a deep breath. (I definitely should have done that!)

3) Know that FAST can be SLOW. (Driving round and round did not get us there any faster!)

4) Figure out where you are. Phone a friend who knows ‘the area,’ ie; ASK FOR HELP.

5) Then concentrate long enough to LISTEN to their suggestions. (I didn’t do that either!)

6) Follow them and get yourself out of the sticky situation (so you don’t lose your work etc.

7) Take a break and re-evaluate where you are

Create a game plan (get help if needed) so you can move forward in the best way to achieve what you want

9) Listen to yourself too! When I slowed down and took a few minutes to think clearly I found my way back to the place I recognise and just started again.

10) Know that frustration in business and social media (and driving!) is quite normal. Be prepared to push through the obstacles and the reward will be all the greater.

I hope that helps. You must have a social media strategy for your MLM business or you too might find yourself going round and round with no destination in site!

Yesterday, I blogged about taking the initiative to learn new social media and online skills to grow your business and how this will position you for a flood of new leads and candidates for your business as we move into the golden era of Network Marketing.

Today I want to go into more detail about the correct strategy that I mentioned because many people are valiantly starting to build their social media empire, but in the words of my 10 year old daughter it is very ‘random!’

Random and business do not go well together. As with any marketing, you require a strategy, consistency and time management skills. We’ll get into some of this today, and as I scale up my Social Media campaign I will pass on the gems I discover, and the frustrations I overcome along the way.

The feeling of being overwhelmed can come from having too much information and not knowing how to start applying it. Another thing that trips people up is poor use of time. This is something to sort out immediately because it is key to your success in every area of your business.

Enthusiasm and energy are great qualities to bring to your business. Poorly channelled however they can have a boomerang effect. With ‘offline’ marketing if you ran around accosting people and pushing your information on them they would run a mile and not even take a look.

It is the same here online. If you jump around randomly from one group to another posting comments and pitching people, not only will you set yourself up to look foolish but you will also be very ineffective with your time.

You will end your day feeling exhausted, head spinning and have nothing much to show for it. This business is about providing value and building relationships. Social media gives us the perfect setting in which to do that. (This applies in many fields other than Network Marketing of course)

What can you do to get organised? Here are 3 key areas that need to be addressed:

1) Correct Strategy.

Here you will need to create your marketing plan. It’s not so different from any other marketing plan you may already have for your activities. If you don’t have a long term marketing or action plan then really now is the time to make one!

Here you want to select at least 3 methods of Social Media to master. If you try to learn everything at once you will get a headache! Select the 3 that appeal to you the most, bearing in mind that you work better when you are having fun with it.

You might be the type who enjoys writing (as I do) so here is your chance to fulfil your dreams of being a reporter, or an author. You don’t have to be great at it; you just need to start to develop your skills. The rest will come because you’re enjoying it and want to improve. Practice really does make things get better. So you could have 1 of your methods as Blogging and/or Article Writing. (I’ll blog about how to blog and write articles in greater detail very soon because that is a whole subject on its own)

You can choose 2 others from a vast range of methods and tools available such as Networking on Facebook, My Space or Video Marketing. There are hundreds of Social Media sites and forums where you can become a member and start creating a trail of valuable content. I’ll give more detailed info on this also as we progress.

Make sure to select your 3 methods, create a plan so you can remind yourself what you are doing everyday because it is just too easy to be online and off track!

You’ll want to specifically write down the actions you intend to take i.e.: create profile on Facebook, add friends and network for 1 hour, 5 days per week.

2) Consistency.

Yes we’ll harp on about this one again! Sorry chaps, I know if you’ve been in Network Marketing for any length of time this one will be familiar to you. Most people fail to produce momentum because they fail to be consistent. If you’re plan was to invite 2 people per day to review your business opportunity, but you only invite 2 per week the results will obviously not be there.

With attraction marketing you are approaching it differently and attracting people to you everyday, and when the time is right you will introduce them, or they will find what you have to offer through your content, if they are seriously looking for solutions.

However if you do sporadic activity on Facebook, blog 3 times in your first week but don’t look at your blog again for a month, you will not be consistent and therefore will not build the following and network that you need to find the right candidates for your business. This is clever stuff!

Seriously its just common sense and I recommend you get a ‘workout partner’ who is on the same track as you. You can be accountable to each other and that way even if you are very undisciplined you will succeed.

3) Time Management.

This is a huge subject and if you can find the time you should read some books on it… Just kidding, schedule it into your time so your personal development becomes a priority. My favourite books are ‘Eat That Frog,’ by Brian Tracy, and ‘The Four Hour Work Week,’ by Tim Ferris. They’re both great but the latter blew my mind. Tim totally changed the way I think about using my time.
Just because we are using Social Media tools it does not mean that we work on semi focus, distracted mode because we jump from one activity to another like headless chickens. To produce quality content and to build a marketing campaign we need to be focussed.

So on a final note make your plan and make your schedule. Keep them on your wall or in your diary so you follow them each day. On your schedule you need to divide your hours available i.e.; if you are part-time and have 15-20 hours per week to do the business then allocate a portion of those hours to your primary methods of marketing.

Allow some time for making calls and networking with your qualified prospects. As you generate more and more interest in what you have to offer, you’ll need more time for this but initially blast off with your marketing campaign and build up consistently. Try to do something towards your campaign every day and stick with it so that you stay in the game long enough to see results.

See you at the top!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Henke coaches people to be more successful and to have more fun in their home business. Get Million Dollar Training Info by subscribing to the Professional Networker blog

By Rachel Henke, (c) 2009 If you’d like to use this article for quality content on your website or blog please do so with our blessing but ensure the author’s links remain intact.