Online Attraction Marketing CAN Be Duplicated – Well, Part of It!
Duplication, A Cookie Cutter Approach -- some rights reserved by goosmurf on Flickr
A fundamental principle in building a network marketing business is that the system used must be able to be duplicated by others. Today, many people are studying and applying methods taught by Mike Dillard, Ann Sieg, Mike Klingler and other online attraction marketers and applying this to their multilevel marketing (MLM) business. A common criticism leveled at such distributors is, “it cannot be duplicated.”
One thing is true. Duplicating the methods of online attraction marketing is not “simple.” It is not something that generates fast money. It requires effort over time. It can require learning many new skills.
By contrast, at least the introductory aspects of traditional network marketing can be easily taught and duplicated, and it can generate “fast start” bonuses in the first week or month. Introductory traditional marketing methods are easily duplicated because the goal is, “keep it simple.” For those satisfied with a very limited “extra hundred dollars” kind of residual income, the system works well. However, for most people, traditional marketing methods fail to create the income of their dreams, despite the ease of duplicating the introduction to the system. The principle reason is that a very large pool of prospects is required to build a large MLM business (despite the misleading notion that you “only need four!”).
It doesn’t take long for a new distributor to go through their “warm market list” and then face the need to find more people. Traditional MLM marketing gurus encourage their people to make a warm list of up to 2000 people (Yarnell and Yarnell, Your First Year in Network Marketing)! Very few people can or will do this. This means that the average networker will have to go through a lot of “no” responses in order to find the unusual person who can or will come up with a 2000 person “warm market” list. But wait- if the original marketer has a very small “warm market” list himself, what are the chances of his finding someone that can or will produce a 2000 person “warm market” list? In short, there is a circular logical fallacy. In any case, sooner or later, every marketer is faced with finding more prospects. That’s where most people quit. They are faced with two possibilities (without going to the internet, that is):
- Extend their list of prospects by approaching their cold market. These methods include cold-calling purchased leads, speaking to people at random in malls, classified advertising, “bump-intos” and more. Most people are either unsuited for this activity from a personality point of view, or simply label such methods as harassment and refuse to do it.
- Extend their list through networking. Join Toastmasters, the Chamber of Commerce, Business Network International (BNI), and other social and professional groups. Good idea! This is also called person-to-person attraction marketing. Not everyone is suited to this from a personality point of view, however.
By the way, typically, neither of the two above general categories of extending one’s list is easy to duplicate. It is possible, but not as easily done as the traditionalist’s introductory, “play this video for your warm market.” Frankly, like internet attraction marketing, both of the above methods require learning a lot of skills and then require a great deal of time in order for the method to generate an income.
In other words, apart from the introductory aspects of traditional network marketing, the rest of the required activities (after the individual has finished their warm list) require quite a bit of learning and persistence in order for duplication to take place. Just like online attraction marketing methods.
One last aside: Network marketing isn’t for everyone. Networking and getting referrals is not for everyone. Those who choose to do network marketing bring their skills and personality with them and may be more suited to one type of marketing than another. People are more apt to persevere, a quality required for any business enterprise, when they are suited for what they are doing and enjoying what they do. Perseverance is required for all methods and systems of MLM, traditional or otherwise.
When people are enjoying what they do, and are willing to persevere, duplication does not necessarily have to be simple! Here is something else: which is more important for you to accomplish in developing your OWN home business: a) a simple duplicatable system, or b) a position of influence.
With that in mind, let’s consider various aspects of internet attraction marketing to see what and how it should be duplicated.
Duplicate my Brand? No!
1. Should I expect my distributors to duplicate my business name, my brand, my niche, my unique selling proposition (USP)? No!
Internet attraction marketers each need to identify their own niche and USP. They need to develop their own personal brand. So I do not expect my distributors to copy mine. However, it is a good idea to have a system for training my distributors how to identify their niche and develop their online brand? Yes, and this training should be easy to duplicate! (See #6 below.)
2. Should I expect my distributors to duplicate my blog site, lead capture page, newsletter, or web of content (articles, bookmarks, videos or other means of driving traffic to my central hub)? Of course not!
Internet attraction marketers each need to create their own content. The goal is for each person to have their own business, to be independent of other entities. In any case, if people duplicate my content, it dilutes or destroys my own work as well as their own work with regard to SEO. Article directories, for example, want original material. On the other hand, it is a good idea to have a standardized training system for learning how to do these things. It’s the training system itself that should be duplicated. (Again, see #6 below.)
3. Should I expect my distributors to use their MLM company replicated web sites? Yes and No.
MLM company replicated web sites allow for some minor customization but are created and controlled by someone else, notably:
- the network marketing company, and/or
- a star distributor of the company, with the approval of the company
If you are using them as your primary web page (central hub) and directing all of your web traffic there, then:
- you are not creating your own brand,
- you are not using attraction marketing,
- that use of the site will not be successful,
- and no, that practice should not be duplicated.
So it depends how these sites are used. Such sites should not be used for marketing your MLM product or service. It is certainly possible to use such sites to facilitate the sale of your MLM company product or service after a person has been attracted to your brand or your content and has indicated an interest in your niche area.
4. Should I expect my distributors to duplicate the specific combination of online marketing systems that I am using (meaning my inclination to focus more on, say, online video than articles, blog posts, a web site, social networking, etc)? No.
Different business owners will have differing initial abilities, interests, and skills that will indicate working more on one type of online system than another. Some people are better writers (which may indicate using blogs and article writing); some are better speakers (which may indicate using video or podcasting). Their interests and skills may lead them to use different online media than I use. They should not duplicate my combination of online methods; they should develop their own.
So it is better to have downline distributors learn and implement systems that fit their personalities, interests, or skill sets. Once again, it is a good idea to have a standardized training system for learning how to do any of these things. It’s the training system itself that should be duplicated. (Again, see #6 below.)
5. Should I expect my distributors to duplicate my core skills that are applicable to and required by any system one uses for MLM marketing? For example, should these skills be duplicated:
- Ask a potential partner valuable questions?
- Listen effectively to a potential partner – listen to what is meant, not just what is said?
- Explain (verbally) your opportunity in an attractive and legally compliant way?
- Follow up with customers?
The answer is – Yes! Attraction marketing, whether online or offline, is a contact sport! Talking with prospects on the telephone is a given of this business, yes, even with online attraction marketing. Relationship building must be mastered.
Duplicate Use of My Recommended Training Site? Yes!
6. Should I expect my distributors to duplicate the training I provide with the distributors that they recruit who wish to do online attraction marketing? Sure!
It is a good idea to have a standardized training system for learning how to do all of the marketing systems, including the ones that you are NOT good at doing. How is that possible? There is only one way: At least some (if not most) of the how-to training will need to be outsourced.
You will need to make use of an existing online MLM attraction marketing training site. Choose one that you feel is most comprehensive and encourage distributors new to online marketing to use the recommended training site. Here are three possibilities that will enable you to provide duplicatable training:
- The Renegade Pro site
- The 90 Day Marketer site
- The Magnetic Sponsoring site
- The Leaders Club site
(NOTE: The fourth site listed provides traditional MLM training. You can recommend this site to individuals who are not interested in online attraction marketing but seem well-suited for person-to-person networking.)
In short, as an online MLM marketer, there will be things that you will not want your distributors to duplicate! And of course there are things that you will want them to duplicate, but you will not have the time to provide the needed training yourself. That’s where you refer distributors to a standardized online training service. Your role is to guide the new distributor to the service, make suggestions about getting started, and provide encouragement and feedback regarding their progress.
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I am reading great websites like this one, trying to get my head around all the terminology, does anyone know of a good resource for this? Thank you.
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