Using networking as your main source of marketing
You might have heard of a recent, popular trend in marketing called network marketing? For many people it sounds like a bad word because they know that network marketing means selling something to their friends. They associate network marketing with huge scams and giving their money away. Although it is true that some network marketing has been implicated in what are known as "pyramid schemes" there are reputable businesses that use the system appropriately. Amway and USANA are just a couple that have made millions and which deliver a very beneficial and desired product. For these companies network marketing has been the solution to competing in a very close market. If you are running a business or thinking about starting a business you might want to consider network marketing as an option. But should you only use networking as a way to market and sell your product?
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It is generally never a good idea for a company to use only one form of advertising or marketing. You never know which method will really reach people, and using many diiifferent types of marketing can help you to reach a broader customer base. However, networking can be a great form of marketing if you have the right product and the right sales staff.
Amway has been very successful at marketing their products through networking because social relationships are a great place to share products. This is largely because friends like many of the same things and want to know about the products people around them are buying. We trust our friends and expect that they have our best interest in mind.
One of the only real flaws with the networking model as the sole form of marketing for a business is that it relies on an often untrained work force to sell the product. You migth know everything about your product, but do your best friends? Will their friends know anything about it when they try to sell it to someone? Although network marketing often works because people only get paid when they succeed, this doesn't guarantee that they will succeed.
Your product's name will only be as good as the friendships that are used to sell it. This means that your product image will be quite volatile. In many cases people who try to network a product do so inappropriately. They try to force themselves on their friends in awkward ways that only lead to problems.
This is partly why only using network marketing is a bad idea. Use some traditional advertising to inform the public about your product and to help them gain a positive impression of it. Traditional marketing will also help to take away some of the bias towards network marketed products and sales people. If you notice, Amway markets its products in ways other than just through social networks.
A good plan would be to utilize both network marketing and other marketing strategies. This will help to ensure that a positive, professional image is conveyed. Be sure to train your network employees so that they don't misrepresent your product. If you go with a purely network approach it will also change the very way you distribute products. Unless you only want products moved by an independent sales staff you need to advertise using other methods.
Before you make the switch to network marketing make sure that you fully investigate what you are doing. Observe how successful companies operate and how they use networking to market their products. With good combinations of marketing you will find business success.
