With so much communication happening on social media and on the internet in general, it can be beneficial for you to take advantage of this resource. It is possible to find new customers online as long as you remember an important thing about direct sales: relationships. Even though you are venturing into cyberspace, building relationships is still a necessary part of running a successful direct selling business. Here are three ways for you to get started.
- Join and interact with a group online. Most of the most popular social media sites have groups to join for special interests. For example, a new direct sales consultant found a group on Facebook specifically for work-at-home moms in her town. After joining, she promptly began interacting by asking questions, commenting on others’ posts when she had ideas to contribute, and sending friend requests to those she has met in real life so they could see each others’ news feeds. Groups such as these contain like-minded individuals who can join forces, network with each other, make referrals, and provide support. Local groups are especially effective because you can meet others initially in an online setting, but follow through in real life so you can continue building the relationship.
- Follow and interact with online leaders in your industry. If you don’t already know the names of your industry’s leaders, make it your priority to find out. Ask your upline, refer to your company’s corporate website, and search other direct selling websites. Choose a few who seem to contribute regularly to online discussions (blogs, articles, etc.) and follow them on social media. Twitter is a great forum for such discussions, since the microblogging site provides maximum exposure. Once you get a sense of how these industry leaders interact, get in on the action. Post questions, share success stories, and retweet (repost with credit) posts that are important to you. Keep in mind that most industry leaders have thousands of followers, so you may not get a specific mention or reply, but you are continuing to learn from the best and getting your name and brand out there.
- Start a simple blog and/or be a guest blogger for established sites. Start your own blog using a free web publishing service like WordPress or Blogger. Be yourself, share your experiences, and invite others to interact. You’ll make connections and continue building relationships that can translate into new customers. If you really enjoy blogging, offer your services to established sites in your industry as a guest blogger. You’ll make a bit of extra money and increase your name recognition.
The direct selling industry as a whole is continuing to evolve as we find new ways to use the internet to our advantage. Jump right in, use your existing people skills, and build those online relationships to find new customers.
Do you have additional ideas about finding new customers online? Please share them in the comments sections below!