We live in a time where generating network marketing leads has become easier than ever before.
Long gone are the days where you would have to go knocking from door to door or scouring the mall for people to talk to.
The invention of the internet has been a game-changer, not only for network marketing businesses but for all businesses in general.
Times are changing rapidly and it’s easy to miss something at the blink of an eye if you don’t keep up.
When I first started building my Forever Living business some 14 years ago, I did it predominantly with the use of Facebook. Now there is a multitude of powerful ways one can generate MLM leads both online and offline.
In this article, I give you some valuable advice on how to prepare before you market for leads, how not to generate leads and ways you can find the best leads.
So grab yourself a cuppa or pour a cheeky glass of something red or white, settle in and let’s dive right in.
Before You Begin Marketing For Leads
The most important thing to do before you look to generate any leads is determining who your target audience is and where you will potentially be able to find them — physically or virtually.
First and foremost, get clear on the need or want your product or service can address. For example, joining your network marketing business can help a person fulfil a need for more income.
Or, perhaps the wellness products you sell can assist people in their desire to be strong and healthy.
When you are clear on the above you’ll be able to identify the people most likely to have that need or want which = target audience.
My target audience is mums, particularly mums who are stay-at-home and looking for a way to generate income while still “mumming” it 24/7.
Remember that no matter what method you use to generate MLM leads, your target audience should always be kept top of mind when it comes to the strategy and message you use.
Always consider their needs and desires, and how you or your product or service can help fulfil them—think like an entrepreneur!
Read my article,‘13 Tips When Presenting Your Network Marketing Opportunity To People’ here.
7 Ways To Generate The Best Network Marketing Leads
1. Create A Website
This is what I did and it’s been one of the best business decisions I made for myself.
I advise checking the policies of the company you’re working with to see what their terms are regarding websites. I know with Forever Living they allow you to have your own.
Having your own website is not only a powerful way to differentiate yourself from your competitors, but it also gives people a way to find you!
If you find that you’re not allowed to have your own website directly related to your network marketing business, then you could make one that has a focus on a topic related to your business.
Building a website is a lot simpler than you think! There are tons of videos on YouTube that teach you how to build using a platform like Squarespace, Wix and WordPress etc.
If you don’t have time see if you know anyone who builds websites or have a look at Fiverr for a web developer.
2. Build Your Personal Brand
This ties in with having a website. Having a personal brand makes you look professional, offers you credibility and can help differentiate you as a leader in your business.
If you are generating leads online you want to make sure you’re not some ghost people are struggling to find any information about.
People will often buy into you first, as a brand before they look at what you’re selling.
Having a strong personal brand means you need to establish yourself as an expert in that field.
You can do this by creating content of value that speaks to your target audience — like what I’m doing with this blog article.
Also, utilise your social media channels with more personal information about yourself and “behind the scenes” of your day-to-day.
This helps to show people more of who you are, your authenticity and honesty. They’ll be able to witness your journey from the beginning and this will give them confidence that they too can walk a similar path.
These personal touchpoints help people to trust you which is usually what happens first before they trust your MLM company to make a buying decision or join as your down line.
3. Build An Email List
Email marketing continues to be a powerful tool in not only generating leads but also in communicating with them.
When looking to build an email list it helps to have a website so you have a platform where you can drive people to.
One of the best ways I have found to acquire better quality leads is by offering something of value for free to anyone who subscribes to my email list.
For example, I often create eBooks packed with valuable content that can help my target audience in some way. My ‘How To Work From Home: The Ultimate Guide’ eBook was a great success and I received plenty of quality leads through that offer.
Make sure the offer you want people to sign up for is going to provide more value than what your blog or social media posts offer.
Having someone’s email address gives you direct access to communicating with them, and this is where you can really begin to build trust.
Read my article ‘9 Network Marketing Tips For Starting An Online Business in 2020’ here.
4. Develop A Referral Program
This can work well for building a customer base for selling products. Sometimes you may find that you pitch the business opportunity to a person and they decide they want to rather be a customer at this time.
This is great, get them in as a customer and who knows they may decide to build a business at a later stage.
What you can do is ask your customers or even people who aren’t initially interested to refer others who they think may really love the products. In them doing so you could offer them a discount on their next purchase.
Many times people you talk to won’t be interested in buying right away, but they may know people who are.
Customers who are happy with the product and service may want to share your product or business—use this to your benefit.
Similar to other businesses, people who are referred by others are easier to convert to a sale than people who weren’t because they’re usually coming to you with some interest in buying.
Read “23 Reasons Why Network Marketing is the Biz To Be In Right Now”
5. Host Informational Webinars
Hosting your own webinar is a powerful way to attract people and build your MLM leads list.
I host a free 30-minute Zoom presentation every week on a Monday which covers:
- Who the MLM company is, its products and track record.
- The different income opportunities you can explore.
- How you can build this business from the comfort of your home with only a laptop and wifi.
This gives people the low down on what you’re offering and you’ll be able to gauge how interested they are.
It’s also extremely convenient for both parties. People don’t always have time to drive somewhere to meet you for a physical meeting.
Hosting an online webinar also opens you up to people from all over the world who can attend and learn more about your offer.
Make sure you receive an email in exchange for booking the webinar. Best way to do this is to have a landing page on your website where people can sign up.
Webinars are also great for using them as an educational platform or a way to get to know people better by holding a Q&A.
6. Blog
A blog is an incredibly effective marketing tool for a network marketing business as it gives you a way to offer your target audience value without going in for the hard sell.
A blog can also bring organic leads to your website if optimised correctly for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Don’t worry if all of this is shooting over your head, it did mine too in the beginning. Do your research and have a look at Neil Patel who is a great resource when it comes to blogging for marketing success.
A blog simply provides your readers with free tips that connect to your service or products as a solution to any problems they may be facing.
And this is how they can find you through Google — by searching for ways to alleviate the pain point that your blog will solve for them.
Having a blog puts the power back in your hands.
Social Media Expert Chris Brogan says “no matter what, the very first piece of social media real estate I’d start with is a blog.”
One may not see it as social media, but it is and it’s the most important piece of internet real estate you can put into place because it belongs to you entirely.
Blogging expert Michael Hyatt says it this way: “You wouldn’t build a house on a rented lot, right?”
What both experts are referring to is the fact that your social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn…they’re all “rented lots.”
You don’t own them and if you do anything that goes against their Terms of Service you’ll wake up one day to find your accounts have been removed, blocked or completely cleared.
Your blog is your very own piece of real estate. As long as you don’t use a freebie entity like Blogger, Weebly or Tumblr then you “own” it and will have all the control over it.
7. Use Social Media To Generate Network Marketing Leads Online
As mentioned above, social media is a “rented lot.” So Don’t put all your eggs in one basket and make sure to diversify.
However, with that said make the most out these powerful platforms while you can.
Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms around and you have the opportunity to meet an endless supply of people who may be interested in your MLM business.
If you reach out and connect with 10 new people a day, think about how this can help your business improve.
Once you connect with people and become Facebook friends, you now have an opportunity to find out what problems they face in their life and then YOU can solve their problem.
AND, by posting about your lifestyle and what you’re up to, these people will get to know you. Many of them will be curious about what you are doing and how you are doing it.
Here are a few powerful ways to use this platform:
- Make sure you have a Facebook page so that you can run lead generation ads. This could tie into your free eBook offer as an example.
- Post your blog articles so that you are providing value to your community and linking back to your website.
- Take advantage of Facebook Live to reach even more people. This shows people you’re a real person. It also helps to gain their trust since they can see you, hear you and ask questions. It gives you an opportunity to educate your viewers on something that can help them in their life. This will depend on the interests of your target market.
YouTube
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world with over 1 Billion active monthly users.
By creating videos that help solve a problem for your audience, you can capture the attention of so many new people.
YouTube is one of the most effective lead sources because like Google users are searching for answers to their problems. They are looking for guidance and solutions to problems they may have.
When you create quality content that provides value to your target audience, you will attract the right people to you.
LinkedIn now has over 500 million users globally, making it a popular place to collect new network marketing leads.
Make sure before you begin any networking for your business on LinkedIn that your profile is up to date, that it looks professional with a high quality photo of you and details about your company and what you do.
Once that’s done, join some LinkedIn groups for network marketers. In these groups, you should always be contributing valuable information, not selling. This is important!
By contributing valuable information to the groups, you’ll notice people start to reach out and express interest in your business.
As soon as you can, move the conversation to the phone to determine if the individual is the right fit for your business.
Another way to do things on LinkedIn is by searching for contacts who fit your target audience using specific keywords and then connecting with those people. This is a great way to grow your network.
What Not To Do When It Comes To Network Marketing Leads Generation
1. Buy Leads
Buying leads is like a shot in the dark, you can’t be sure about the quality and legitimacy of those leads.
I feel it’s something that can be a bit risky, so I would suggest doing research on this first before choosing this route.
Read “7 Business Motivation Tips For A Booming Network Marketing Business”
2. Avoid “Link Barfing” or “Link Spamming”
This is when people spam their referral links all over their social media in the hope that someone will actually click on it, which 99% of the time doesn’t happen.
I would suggest avoiding doing this at all costs! Especially with Facebook updating their Terms of Service if they feel you are spamming they can block you.
It also leaves a bad impression on others on how they will perceive you if they feel like you’re forcing them to react through your links.
People don’t like a hard sell, they much prefer to feel like they are the ones with the buying decision.
Read “Network Marketing Business Setup: What I Wish I Knew Before Starting!”
3. Spamming Your Social Media
Spamming social media with your opportunity is NOT lead generation, I repeat it is not lead generation! It’s pitching and selling and the reason it’s so ineffective is that people hate being sold (as I mentioned above).
People use social media to connect with friends and consume content. They are not there to get pitched and sold on stuff.
You want to use social media and the internet for generating network marketing leads. Once you get them offline then that’s when you pitch them.
Want to know ‘How Social Networking Doubled My Business’? Get my book here.
Ready To Generate More Network Marketing Leads?
With the power of the internet, working from home has become easier than ever. We have access to so many people we would never have known before.
This has made building a network marketing business much easier than the old school way of finding people in malls or door to door.
I hope that you found this article helpful and that it’s given you some solid insights so you feel confident in where and how to generate leads.
I’d love to hear from you, so please leave your comments below and feel free to ask me any questions you may have about my experience with generating leads.
Please click the social icons below to share this article with all those in your inner circle that you feel it will bring value to, until next time.
With love,
Nat
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