Tag Archives: attraction marketing

Automated Marketing: Two More Myths

Last week I wrote about the Myths of Automated Marketing (http://danniellewood.com/blog/the-myth-of-automated-marketing-systems/). While that post was pretty long, it wasn’t a complete list of the myths (used as sales points) that the inexperienced fall for – believing these things are what will help them succeed with an online or home business. Today, I’m addressing 2 more myths.

Website Provided: These days, there’s not a system out there that DOESN’T provide a website for its affiliates (distributors, representatives, marketers, or marketing executives – whatever term the company uses to refer to its sales force). Most of the time, the site is some form of capture page (also referred to as a squeeze page), where your visitors have to provide their personal information (name, phone number and email address are common) before they can get any details whatsoever. But even if they’re not a capture page, they are still “cookie cutter sites.” Meaning that you and every other person representing that company, product, or service will all have the exact same webpage, with the same content, and the same meta tags. (Meta tags are what search engines use to know what a site is about, so that they can know when to bring it up in the search results for their users.)

What’s wrong with that?

  • First of all, do you like putting your personal info into online forms? Sure, it says your info will never be used for any other purpose, nor sold to someone else, nor will possession of that info be abused. But don’t ya hate it when you’ve already forgotten whatever promise they failed to deliver on and they’re still calling or emailing you? If you’ve made a real connection or otherwise established a relation ship with them, regardless of whether or not you decided to work with them, it’s different. But here you are months and years later, and you’re having to opt out of a database that you don’t remember subscribing to.
  • Secondly, search engines prefer to show unique content, so are only going to show the longest-running site with that content. If any of them at all! So how are you gonna be found amongst all those other reps who are depending on that same webpage to represent you on the internet? That’s not gonna happen. So, if you’re even thinking about plugging into a system that promises to provide the system and all the content for you, you gotta just know that you’re sabotaging yourself from the start with duplicate content as everyone else who buys that same system! You need unique content.

Marketing Training Provided: Here’s where all systems are not created equal. It’s unfortunate in this age of technology that there are still many companies that either don’t offer any training at all, or the training provided is cursory, at best. And too often, the companies, systems, or teams that attempt to address this issue fully, are apparently teaching the same ineffective techniques as everyone else.

I bet that if you’re one of my fellow online marketers, you’re doing some (if not all) of these:

Shout!

Trying to be heard over the noise.

  • Posting ads on sites such as CraigsList, FreeClassifieds, etc.  The only people seeing your ad are you and everybody else looking for free marketing. And do you really expect them to see your ad and decide they want to stop what they’re doing and work with you instead?
  • Posting status updates on social networks (facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc.) that don’t even pretend to be anything more than a link to your company site, or an invitation to look at your business. It’s a SOCIAL network. If you’re “all business and no social,” people start tuning you out – if not limiting, stopping, or ignoring all your posts, feeds, or shares. It’s not attractive – and certainly NOT attraction marketing.
  • Inviting all your online friends to meet you for a google “hangout” or some such online “event,” which, again, is nothing more than an invitation to look at your business. Do you realize that many of your guests are merely there to find prospects for their businesses?
  • Distributing flyers all over town – putting them on cars in parking lots, in mailboxes, on doors in apartments & condos, on power poles, or walking from business door to business door with your business card or brochure in hand. I don’t know about your town, but in my town some of these are illegal. Others dangerous (walking through parking lots, or along city streets). While others, unless you’re a professional talking to other professionals, aren’t really worth the hassle.
  • Paying for ads in magazines, newspapers, or online – or joining a co-op for paid ads. Unless you’re a pro, or someone on your co-op is, you’re only gambling money away here. It takes really good headlines and kick-butt sales copy to create a productive ad. Is this a wise use of your money at this point in your career?

While those are all effective to a limited degree, the most responses you’ll get are from reverse-marketers. And to be effective, massive action is required!

First, you have to really dedicate yourself to putting in the time and effort to do the work, be creative about it so that you stand out above the rest, and learn to quickly sort through the tire kickers and time wasters.

Second, you have to be 150% dedicated to sticking to your support team and sticking to the system they have in place to help you succeed. Don’t try to go it alone, re-invent the wheel, or tweak the system. If there’s anyone on your team who’s successful (and that success was created WITH THIS SYSTEM), then the system obviously works, so plug in and don’t deviate.

BE UNIQUE! All that said, the one thing you’ve gotta understand about these two myths is that you still have to be unique. You can’t depend solely on the cookie-cutter company-provided website, and you’ve got to get some outside marketing training from an independent system.

Once you’ve reached a level of success so that you have the funds to reinvest into your business, THEN you can start marketing yourself as a guru, and either get educated on paid advertising, OR pay a pro to do it for you.

In the mean time, plug into a proven system. Such as the “Ultimate Marketer’s Tool Box.” You can find the details here: http://www.GottaHaveAPlanB.com.

Begging For Help With Your Business?

Ok, so you’ve started working from home and don’t know what to do. Maybe it was 2 seconds ago or maybe it was 2 years ago. Either way, congratulations on having the courage to step up. First you realized that you just had do do something to take control of your life, then you took action on it.

But if you’ve been with your company for more than a week (or two at the most) and you still don’t know what to do, then…

I’ve got some bad news for you:

You’ve partnered with the wrong person. Maybe even the wrong team. Nope, I’m not gonna say you’ve joined the wrong company, because, statistically speaking, there are very few “bad” companies out there. If there’s anyone with your company who is making at least $100,000 per year, then you’re with a good company.

The very moment you started your business relationship (commonly called enrolling or signing up) with your business partner & mentor (commonly called your enroller), he should have helped you set up your next action steps and set an appointment for your first training session. So if you’re looking at a week or more back and either of you haven’t been on vacation and unreachable, something’s wrong. And if the person who’s unreachable is your enroller, then they should have had your session(s) set up with another teammate so that you could get to work (when you were ready) instead of waiting on them.

In my business, it’s not unusual for someone to ask for details regarding training and team support. We’ve already demonstrated team support by this point, but I know I’m dealing with a very sharp individual when they want to see our back office, the automated systems that are in place and get familiar with more of my teammates. Once they’ve joined, they’re considered my business partner and teammate, and are provided not just my contact info, but the contact info for at least 3 other teammates.

Here’s what to do about it.

Here’s where you have to take responsibility. If you’ve not heard from  your enroller, then contact others on your team. If don’t know who to call, then contact the company to get that information. Here are two things to remember:

  1. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
  2. It’s your responsibility to do the work required to succeed.

You’re not in business alone. You have a team of business partners. So if you’re lost, you gotta squeak (reach out for help) for anyone to know and provide that help. At the same time, you’re wasting everyone’s time – including your own – if you’re asking for help, but not making sure you understand what to do and how to do it, and DOING it.

Begging for help!

Begging for Help!

What do you you when you’ve begged for help, but can’t get it?

Well, you stepped up and took action by starting the business, so don’t be afraid to cut your losses and join someone else. Either with the same company or with a different one. While it’s good to have persistence, refusing to give up, think about it this way:

If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’re getting.

How long are you willing to do that to yourself? And if you do, by some miracle, sign up a new referral (business partner) yourself, are you going to sentence them to the same lack of support you’ve had to deal with so far? If your enroller and team isn’t there for you, then they’re not gonna be there for your new folks, either. Would you sign up with you, if you knew that was gonna happen?

That will kill your confidence, further hindering your success.

So, if you want to stay with your company, go out & research the top earners to find out what makes them and their team successful. (If your company has leader boards, you’ll see their name there – google them if you have to.) Find out if your a part of their team or if you can plug into their system. If not, contact your company to find out what the requirements are for you to change teams.

If you’ve learned some things about your company that leads you to believe that maybe you’d better find something else, then… research other companies. Google “top MLM companies” and find one that has products or services that you can be passionate about. Then research the top earners and contact them, find out why they’re successful and what systems and support they have in place to help new people.

In both cases, keep in mind that the top earners might not necessarily be the best person to partner with. They may have been with the company for a long time, and therefore built up their income slowly with “old school” methods. Nothing wrong with that as long as they and their team also have embraced the internet and “new school” methods, too.

The sooner you do this, the better for you, your business, and your team!

Network marketing, affiliate marketing, and direct sales are the best vehicle for the average Joe to become financially independent. Even franchises are poor distant cousins in this regard – but that’s another blog post. If you’re looking for a business and a real team that offers real training and support, OR if you’re already in a business and are looking for a plug & play system that can help ANY business succeed, feel free to contact me: 678-696-1696 or danni@danniellewood.com.