Does this sound familiar?
You joined a network marketing team, excited to get started.
Your Upline told you, “Go out on social media today and tell everyone what you’re doing. If you don’t, someone else will sign up your friends before you get to them.”
Eager to have your friends and family come on this journey with you, you grabbed some pictures of products and the company logo and started posting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter … any place your friends and family hang out.
And if you were really ambitious, you started looking for places other network marketing folks hang out and posted there as well. After all, you never know when someone will be ready to jump ship.
At first you got no reaction – no likes, no comments, no shares, like your peeps were avoiding you.
Then it started, the nasty comments … the requests to stop … and finally the unfriending.
Not a stampede to join you.
Not a rush to get your products.
Just an unexpected backlash that almost made you quit.
Stunned, you asked your Upline … what happened?
Let’s Talk Message to Market Match
Unfortunately, this scenario happens every day.
And the result isn’t hard to understand.
You see, your friends and family go on social media to keep up with what’s happening in your life.
They’re expecting to see your A side – the pictures of you having fun, traveling, eating in great places, partying with friends and family, trying to pick out a new car or pair of shoes.
They’re NOT expecting a sales pitch from you.
They’re NOT expecting to feel that you’re coming for them.
They’re NOT expecting to be put in the awkward situation of choosing between you and your opportunity.
Because that’s what it feels like.
If they’ve ever been backed into a network marketing opportunity in the past and it didn’t work out, your post will bring up all those negative emotions.
Your continuing refrain about how you can help them make money – especially when they’ve already tried and failed – will make them want either to avoid you or to defend their belief that network marketing is a scam.
And your posting the name of your company will give them ample ammunition. All they need to do is go on the web and find all the negatives on your company already out there and throw them back at you.
So do you stop using social media to market?
Absolutely not! Social media is a great way to connect with people who need what you have.
| So keep reading because I’m about to reveal to you 3 Great Tips for using Social Media differently to get the results you really want. |
Tips for Using Social Media to Market
Tip 1 – Create Curiosity
First, use your posts to create curiosity.
When you’ve taken the time to learn about your company and its products, start posting a little at a time – about benefits and lifestyle – not products and company.
Get people wondering about what you did to create the income for that mini vacation.
Get your friends scratching their heads over how great you look – lost weight? Better skin? More energy?
Think about what you’d like to see if one of your friends started a new business.
When they’re curious enough, they’ll reach out to you.
At that point, you can take the conversation offline and share what you’re doing.
The difference here is, they reached out to you so they won’t feel like they’re being hunted or backed into anything.
And when you share, if they say “No thanks”, that’s cool. Let it go. Don’t destroy your relationship over an opportunity. You never know, they may be back at a different time.
Tip 2 – Educate, don’t sell
Use some of your posts to educate, not sell.
Talk about a problem and how to solve it – in small sound bites so you don’t overwhelm your audience.
Don’t mention your product or service.
Use your posts to establish your authority, so people will trust you; and engage over the topic.
If your education is sound, people will ask what solution you use.
Then you can take your conversation offline.
Again, if they say “No thank you” it’s no big deal. Let it go. Maintain the relationship.
Tip 3 – Watch for Ways to Help and Offer Your Solution Respectfully
If you stay alert – online and offline – you’ll hear people complain about something you can help them with.
However, it isn’t fair or smart to take a run at them in a football tackle.
Better to use the Learn, Stir, Cure, Ideal Future State approach taught by Andrew McShea.
Listen to the person’s problem.
Ask probing questions to get to the bottom of what will happen in a worst case scenario.
Ask what would happen if the problem or problems could be solved.
Partner with them to envision their life when the problem or problems are solved.
Offer your solution respectfully.
In this approach, by the time you offer your solution you will be viewed as a collaborator, not a sales person; and your prospect will be more open to really looking at what you have.
Conclusion
When you’re ready to expand your audience, there are ways to do that that won’t have your prospective friends running for cover.
Ready to learn more?
Click here to grab your FREE copy of Social Media Recruiting Frenzy by Julie Burke
