Jamie Stewart, Chairman of the UK DSA and Managing Director for Kleeneze Ltd, knows there is so much information available on the Internet today that it can be overwhelming for direct sellers, particularly those new to social media. That’s why he advises anyone running a direct selling organization to research and stick to trustworthy resources.

One of Stewart’s most trusted resources is the Direct Selling Education Foundation.

DSEF’s social media platforms—including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and the Foundation’s blog—offer valuable content that can help direct sellers build their businesses.

“The Twitter feed from the DSEF is top of my list,” says Stewart. “It’s not only a safe, trusted source, but has quality information that is aimed at supporting your direct sellers. I know many people within our business have put the information to good use—after all, it’s putting great information to use that really makes it valuable.”

Nancy Laichas, Director of Marketing & Communications at DSEF, says the Foundation’s social media platform allows DSEF to reach a whole new audience with the wealth of resources it has developed with partners like the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). “Tens of the thousands of small business owners, many of whom are direct sellers, now have access to free, credible information on topics like consumer protection, business ethics, personal finance and entrepreneurship skills,” she says.

The DSEF blog features interviews with industry executives, tips on running a business and selling, and guest posts from partner organizations such as CBBB, which initiated a blog post exchange with DSEF. Additionally, CUNA provides links to personal finance articles, and has partnered with the Foundation to produce YouTube videos on a variety of small business topics.

“Blogs like DSEF are valuable to industry veterans and new distributors alike because they provide regular direct sales-specific information” says Dan Macuga, Chief Communications Officer for USANA Health Sciences. “It’s valuable for distributors in that it provides a third-party, non-partisan look at the direct selling industry.”

For companies like USANA that are very active on social media, DSEF’s blog provides third-party content to share with people who are interested in learning about more than just USANA, but the industry in general.

“DSEF’s social media is also a great example of how to create a variety of practical content, such as ‘how-to’ posts packed with interesting facts and useful business-building tips, which even companies that are not as active on social media can easily share,” Macuga says.

One such example would be the “DSA Code of Ethics” videos on the DSEF YouTube channel, which demonstrate how USANA and other direct sellers operate with integrity. “The best-practices employed by DSEF complement what we’re trying to accomplish with USANA’s social media—we want to provide our Associates with entertaining and informative content they can share with their online networks,” Macuga adds.

Mannatech Vice President of Marketing Brett Duncan says that social media has made content more important than ever. “It’s not always easy finding enough content to fill in your editorial calendar for the week,” he says. “We use DSEF’s constant flow of great articles and tips specific to our industry regularly to help fill in those gaps. It’s been a surefire strategy for us, as we can rest easy knowing content is being created with our industry in mind by people who understand the industry. And it’s also given our sales Associates another place to gather with like-minded people even outside of Mannatech and take pride in their profession.”

Sarah Baker Andrus, Director of External Relations and Academic Programs for Vector Marketing Corporation, says she likes to follow the DSEF Facebook page. “Whenever I see posts on that page in my news feed, I always look at them for something of value to our field,” she says. “It’s quite common that the topic they’ve covered or the way they present something is salient enough and relevant enough for our business that we are able repost it and share it on our corporate page on Facebook. The value-add to us is something that we really appreciate. It gives us the chance to share good, generic business information with our field. We like that we are not only always posting information that is Vector or CUTCO specific. I love that DSEF offers information that is really helpful to growing your own business.”

Andrus also appreciates DSEF’s weekly email that explains what the Foundation is focusing on for the week. “My team is able to look at that and say, ‘Hey, here’s something we can piggyback off. There’s something we could add to. Or, that’s a good idea.’ I love the way that they are very proactive, and that they follow an editorial calendar they share with us so we can tie in whenever possible.”

The feedback coming in from the field is both positive and appreciative of the work DSEF does on behalf of those seeking reliable information on the industry.

Says Ally B., an Independent Silpada Designs Representative, “I just want to thank you for all the wonderful articles you post. I read them every day. They are so helpful. They inspire me to do more to promote my business.”

DSEF’s social media can be found at:

	http://dsef.org/category/blog-posts
	http://www.facebook.com/TheDSEF
	https://twitter.com/#!/thedsef
	http://pinterest.com/thedsef
	http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDSEF

To receive DSEF’s weekly email outlining the coming week’s social media topics, contact Nancy Laichas.