Network marketing, also known as Multi-Level Marketing (MLM), is big business worldwide. Some estimates suggest that the industry was worth a staggering US$ 200 billion in 2018 and that figure is expected to grow steadily in the coming years. Its no wonder that some rich and famous people like Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki have often described network marketing as a business of the future! 

Some of the most successful network marketing companies include Avon, Tupperware, Forever Living Products and WorldVentures. 

There are many advantages that people enjoy in network marketing that have contributed to the growth of the industry. In this article, however, I will not delve into those advantages. I will look at how you can get to use social media to grow your network marketing business so that you can generate more sales and grow your team.

Let us look at each social media channel in-depth.

1. WhatsApp

I have started with WhatsApp because it is a popular social network in Africa and the world over. If you use it effectively & consistently you are bound to get some great results from it.

First off, you need to have a WhatsApp business account to promote your network. A WhatsApp business profile will allow you to put a description of your business, location, email, website, catalog etc.

This information will provide convenience to potential customers and downliners. They can also see that your business is organised. You can download WhatsApp business for free on Google Play here.

Another way to use WhatsApp is to join as many business groups as you can so that you can circulate your adverts. This is a great way to get new prospects. For your adverts to be effective, you need to make sure that they are written in a way that can attract potential downliners to want to learn more. You can find some WhatsApp group links here.

For example, if your network marketing business is in the health and wellness category (which most MLM businesses are), then you need to show your prospects that they can help people get affordable alternative medicines and make money at the same time.

You will also need to make other adverts that market the products that will be selling. I have seen ads from people selling Superlife stem cells explaining how these products can help cure many diseases cheaply than using conventional medicines. Please note I am not neccesarily endorsing these products but I am just using them as an illustration. 

Another great way to market your products in the WhatsApp business groups is to share testimonies from previous customers. Testimonies are a powerful way of convincing potential customers as they are seen as social proof. So if your business has testimonies do not hesitate to use them.

Another effective way to use testimonies is to have some members of the MLM business share their experiences. You can also have another ad with testimonies from downliners whose financial circumstances have improved through the MLM business. 

This is will go a long way in attracting other potential downliners to the business.

Supporting your downliners is a great way to build your team in network marketing. You need to have a WhatsApp group with your downliners where you attend to their questions, mentor and motivate them.

For instance, you can share with them some tips for answering the most common questions you get as you market the business. This will ensure your team grows together and you also reap the benefits from the efforts of your downliners.

Having Network Marketing Presentations on WhatsApp

Another great way to get potential customers and referrals on WhatsApp is to create your own group for regular presentations. Use the following tips for effective presentations 

• Hold presentations in the group at set times, say 7 pm every evening. Use images of products or logo of the MLM for the group icon. You can also use the group description section to write a bit of stuff about the business.

• One important task is to have as many people as possible join your group so that you can have high chances of getting interested people. Spread the group link -with some text describing the business and benefits- in as many business groups on Whatsapp as possible so that many people can join. You can even ask your friends to help you spread the link if they are in any business groups.

• Also share the link on social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. You will also need to join a number of Facebook groups to spread the link. It is beneficial to also look for themed business groups e.g groups that have the term ‘work from home opportunities’ in their title as the people there are more likely to be receptive of your message. Setting up sponsored Facebook ads with the link may also be a good idea.

• There are bound to be spammers who will also join your group. You need to keep them at bay by allowing only group admins to post before the presentation is done. Before the scheduled time of the presentations, keep sharing the link in the group so that those who would have already joined can share the link with their friends 

• Ensure that you begin your presentation on time and make it as detailed as possible. Make it clear that people can benefit from the MLM business either by buying high-quality products or by becoming members who earn commision from sales. This will keep peoples options open.

• Allow for questions after you are done but make it clear that non-group related questions will lead to instant removal. Answer all questions convincingly, this means that you need to have in-depth, hands-on knowledge of the MLM and its products and operations. 

• Use images, flyers (like this one for Longrich), pdfs, short videos and other convincing evidence e.g of members who are getting monthly bonuses. You can also share your testimony of how you have benefited from being part of the MLM both from using the products and from referral bonuses.

• Create a second group of interested people from the first presentation. These are people who will be showing interest in your MLM but may not be ready to join yet. Keep nurturing them through motivational quotes and other updates eg new testimonials both from members and customers. You can also send them screenshots of earnings by other members. Also, if possible, announce to the group when a member decides to join the MLM business.

• Destroy the first group after the presentations and questions are done.

• The trick lies in holding these presentations regularly eg Monday to Friday. Make sure you keep spreading the link wide so that you get a continuous supply of fresh prospects.

• As you hold these presentations compile an FAQ post from the questions you will be getting in the presentations. Use this FAQ both in future presentations and in your groups with your team.

• Aside from the group, you can also make use of the WhatsApp 24-hour status updates and post images and quotes about your MLM. For example, you can put a logo of your MLM with the caption ‘I earn passive income every month’ Want to get paid too? Inbox me for details

You can read this article for other tips on growing your business using WhatsApp.

How to Promote your Network Marketing Business on Facebook

Facebook boasts of over 2.5 billion monthly active users worldwide and this makes it a great channel for getting new customers and downliners.

Promoting your MLM using Facebook Groups

You can either create a Facebook group or a page. There are differences between the two that you need to be aware of.

A Facebook page is more like a ‘personal’ profile for businesses, public figures, and organizations and it also acts as a place to create an authentic representation of the business.

On the other hand, Facebook groups are intended to be meeting places for like-minded communication. They are ideal for people who share common interests and want to express their opinions in a safe forum.

Another critical difference is that posts on a page will have limited reach. This means that they will be seen by a few people who follow the page unless you sponsor them. Group posts, on the other hand, tend to have a higher reach and easier interaction between members.

You can research further on the differences between the two and decide what’s best for your circumstances. Alternatively, you can contact me and I will help you choose.

Lets us look at how you can use a Facebook group for your MLM.

You create the group and send the link to interested people eg from your WhatsApp presentations. You can then post relevant stuff and quotes in the group. You can also ask other group members to share the link with their friends and help you grow your audience.

Make sure you fill in all the details about the group i.e description. This will make the group discoverable by other interested people. Also, use the right images from your MLM. Make sure you post on a regular basis and I would suggest at least once/day. Encourage members to participate and respond to all comments and questions. You also need to enforce rules in the group so that non-related chats are weeded out.

Outside of the group, you can join Facebook business groups and post promo ads about your MLM and ask people to inbox you to learn more. 

Promoting your network marketing business using Facebook live

Going live on Facebook is also a great idea when promoting your network marketing business. Facebook gives preference to live videos. As a result, they are seen by many people and this means you will be able to reach out far and wide. The following are ideas of what you can do during a Facebook live:

-Share a testimony, either your own or interview a downliner or upliner enjoying benefits from the business or interview a customer benefiting from the products

-show evidence of a payout

-live stream a presentation held at a venue 

-live stream a video of yourself out and about having fun as a result of the flexibility you enjoy through your MLM business

–do a live video comparing your MLM products vs other products to show their superiority

One of my clients is a South African mom who works from home called ‘Samu Gumbie the Mompreneur’. She is great at doing Facebook live videos promoting her businesses. She is part one network marketing company called Longrich and she once did a live video comparing Longrich sanitary pads and other alternatives. You can see the video here.

You can see her Facebook profile by clicking here. Her website is samuonline.com. She has been able to get massive results from these Facebook live videos and you can ask her for tips on how she does it.

Promoting your network marketing business using Instagram

Instagram is a great channel to use for promoting your MLM business using images and videos. As you are probably aware, pictures and videos are the most engaging forms of content on social media platforms and they receive more clicks, likes, and shares than anything else. You can use this to your advantage.

You need to create a compelling profile that highlights your business. You should use the same handle that you use on other social media platforms like Facebook so that people can easily search for you. You also need a neat, professional looking picture. In your bio, you should also have a link to your website or other social media pages.

You can do live videos on Instagram just like on Facebook and you can use the same tips suggested above.

Regularly post images and videos and make use of hashtags to extend your reach. If you are not sure about hashtags you can read my article titled ‘How to use Hashtags to promote your business on social media.’ 

Remember not to be too ‘salesy’ all the time.

In other words, use the Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook philosophy created by Gary Vaynerchuk. The bulk (80-90%) of your posts should be about providing helpful tips or content for your followers, while the remaining 10-20% should direct them to your products or opportunity.

How to promote your network marketing business on YouTube

YouTube is one of the most popular websites in the world after Google and Facebook. People spend a lot of hours watching video content on the platform and you can use this to your advantage.

One great advantage of using YouTube is that it’s more difficult to produce video content as compared to text. So if you can produce videos you will be a step ahead of others who do not have video content.

You will need to create a YouTube channel for your business and you can learn to do so here.

You can use YouTube for explainer videos to break down some concepts of your MLM business. Like this video showing six ways to earn in AIM global.

You will need a YouTube plan to help you succeed. Some tips here are:

• Set as a goal to release a new video a week.
• Use FAQ’s as content ideas for your videos. Answer the most pressing and pertinent questions that your customers or downliners have in separate videos (in other words, be strategic, so you can create content people actually want to watch)
• Be consistent. View YouTube marketing as a marathon and not as a sprint
• Learn how to use the best descriptions, titles and tags for your videos so that they can show up in search results when your prospects are searching.

How to promote your network marketing business on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional network. This makes it a great place to reach out to professionals who are open to finding other ways to generate a side income.

You need to have an optimised profile with a professional photo and description. People are going to look at your profile to learn more about you. Make it clear so that it is easy for them to know what you are about.

Linkedin also has an option that allows you to publish articles and you can write an article promoting your MLM there.

If you have a website you can post links to the website there as well. 

You can also share your links to the WhatsApp group for presentation to get interested people to attend the presentation.

Conclusion

A lot of people are on social media and if you leverage the platforms well you can see phenomenal growth in your network marketing business. You need to ensure that your profile on each platform sells you as a network marketer. You also need to remember that all your posts should not be about your business as this can end up boring your followers.

Your aim is to attract prospects and this takes time. You need to be consistent over a period of time and you will see results.

Are you in network marketing? Are you using any of these social media platforms? How are they performing for you? Are you going to try any of the tips I have suggested? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. You may also want to share the article with your friends who may find it useful. 

If you any questions you want to ask you can also make use of my Ask Me Anything page. I respond to all questions.

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