What is Network Marketing?

by: EJ Saunders

Network marketing is a marketing concept that was developed over a century ago with the inception of door-to-door and multi-level marketing. The concept has evolved over time and has been adapted specifically for use on the internet. The advantage of network marketing on the internet is that your ability to network, to reach people nearly anywhere in the world, is virtually limitless.

Network marketing requires a great deal of tenacity and dedication; it also requires a mindset that nearly anyone you know or meet, that anyone with whom come into contact is a potential customer. Because everywhere you go and everyone you greet are potential business opportunities, being prepared at all times has traditionally been very important for network marketing.

On the internet, your potential customers can't see you, but that doesn't mean your image is not important. In fact, your virtual image, presence, and identity are even more important than ever, especially in network marketing.

Internet image. In the offline world, people buy from people they trust. They put their trust in people who give them the right feeling. When they meet with the seller or walk into a store, their instincts guide them as much as anything else does into being a customer. On the internet, your customer's first impression of you is likely to be a landing page, splash page, home page, or banner ad. Your words and brand are your image, so it is critical that the words you and the image you portray exude confidence, reliability, and legitimacy.

Presence. Run a search on nearly any topic and you'll get a list of thousands to millions of website choices to go to. How do you get your customers to come to you? Primarily, it's by being at the top of the list. It's no different from yellow page ads. Why are there so many businesses in each category that start with A, AA, or AAA? Because yellow pages are listed alphabetically. On search engines, it's much more complicated, but the idea is the same: you want to be that AAA listing. Search engine optimization is a primary function of network marketing. You have to draw your customers to you by layering your website with topical, relevant, well-written information.

Identity. Building relationships with people through network marketing requires you to be approachable, believable, and credible. You have to establish yourself as an expert in your given field. The best way to do this is through blogging. By developing a blog and blogging regularly, potential customers will get to know you, come to understand your depth of knowledge, and recognize you as a credible source.

Network marketing requires a mindset completely unlike that of the typical corporate or government employee. You literally are what you sell. You have to have enthusiasm, faith, dedication, and optimism. You have to be willing to change from "do the least possible for the paycheck" to "the more I do, the more I earn." With that attitude, the sky really is the limit.

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About the Author:
E.J. coaches people on how to build a network marketing business on the internet. For more information visit: http://www.mymlmstrategies.com

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No. of Times this article has been viewed : 418
Date Published : Feb 17 2009

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What is Network Marketing?