Is the Network Marketing Social Media Craze Helping or Hurting You?

Social media is a pervasive social force in the world today.  In addition to being a social platform it has essentially become an online market place.  It is the inorganic version of a shopping mall where people gather or hang out for social interaction and commerce.  Yes, this is over simplifying it to a degree, but the purpose will become apparent.  As a network marketing professional, you have a great deal of potential in the online market place – that potential is both good and bad, depending on your focus.  It is no wonder that there is a network marketing social media craze erupting.

It is common sense that if you want your marketing to be effective you have to go where the people who represent your target market live – and these days they live on social media.  But, there is a fundamental difference in the social media space and the organic space of traditional markets.

People go to social media sites to be “social,” vent their frustrations, share what’s on their mind, connect with friends, and yes, to market, buy, and sell.  However, the bulk of people on social media sites are there for recreational and interpersonal purposes, not commercial.  That creates a special problem for the network marketer.

When Is Social Media Marketing an Intrusion?

The dynamics of social media are not simple.  There is one thing for sure, people on social media are just as averse unsolicited electronic network marketing pitches as they are in person.  The difference in social media is they can make you digitally disappear from their life with the click of a mouse.

Social media network marketing requires special skills, patience, and tact.  You absolutely must build rapport first, and be sensitive to the meaning in the textual interaction.  Without facial expressions and voice inflections you don’t really know the depth of perceptions on the other end of the bit stream.

Social media network marketing is an intrusion when it’s forceful, pushy, direct, and one-sided.  if you aren’t showing interest in the other person and sincerely trying to build an electronic rapport, it’s game over.  Then it is an intrusion and you’re going to get unfriended, deleted, and banished.

As a network marketing professional you should consider it your responsibility to learn social media marketing skills and techniques.  It’s the future, and the learning environment is going to be one of constant and rapid change.

Control Your Social Media Habits, or They WILL Control You

Let’s start with a major issue – focus and priority.  If you use social media for casual, personal purposes, it is pretty likely that you are seriously diluting your business use of social media with your personal habits.  Network marketing is about connecting with people, but you have to be very deliberate with how you do that – whether your are on social media or the good old fashion person-to-person organic interaction.

If you’ve ever been part of an on-line community for purposes of business, you’ll see that in nothing flat the site gets overrun with people dumping a plethora of irrelevant content all over the place.  They talk about their cats, their bosses, whatever happened to them that day, they say “hi, guys!  Glad to be here!!,”  and it goes on and on.  If you join in the dialog, your are seriously diluting your business and personal effectiveness.  And while one of the benefits of a social media community is connecting people, many people don’t really get that a “community” has a purpose, and that purpose is to be a platform for exchange of relevant content,  not your personal agenda or lack thereof.

As a network marketing professional using social media as a tool, you need to not be part of the irrelevant content.  In fact, you need to get out of any conversations that are detracting your from bringing value to the market place.  Your social media habits will either make you or break you – they will control you!

 Adding Value in Social Media Requires Focus

If you want to add value to the social media community, and in so doing grow your network marketing business, then you need differentiate yourself by providing relevant, value-added content.  This can be in the form of sincere interest in someone’s post, compliments, gratitude, or useful information.  If you can find a honest, sincere, and useful value to be delivered, then it is probably relevant.  What you put on your hotdog at lunch is NOT relevant.

Your focus when you log into any social media site should be one of two things: 1. you’re there for business; 2. you’re there for personal purposes.  Which one is it?  Learn to differentiate your focus so you don’t dilute your business  and personal effectiveness, nor make you personal social media time too commercial!

Network marketing social media is about adding value, just like “old school” person-to-person networking.  If you keep your focus on adding value you should be just fine.

Five Simple Priorities for Being Effective in Social Media

Here are five simple but effective priorities that should help you stay focused on your network marketing business purpose when using social media:

1. Have a definite purpose for your social media interaction – set objectives that support your business growth.
2. Set a specific amount of time each session that you will spend focusing on your business development, and move on to your next priority when the time is up.
3. Do not engage is irrelevant dialog.  Be polite if it comes your way, but terminate the involvement.  Be consistent in this, no matter who is on the other end of the mouse.
4. If posts to your site start to become irrelevant, delete them.
5. If you enjoy casual social media interaction, set up a different page so your business site doesn’t get cluttered and irrelevant.

Remember, your social media footprint is public and visible.  If the majority of your social interaction is irrelevant to your network marketing business, then your business effectiveness online will soon become irrelevant.  Prospect will check out your online footprint, and if it doesn’t reflect the professional image and leadership they expect, your chances of bringing them on your team are greatly diminished.

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Here’s to fun, profit, and lifestyle in your network marketing business!

All the best,

Dana