I’m going to take a wild guess and say that many of you who are building your businesses online didn’t go to school for marketing or business management. And even if you did, building a business on social media is a whole different story than brick and mortar. In this blog, I’m going to explain the #1 mistake I’m seeing from network marketers, direct sellers, and coaches/course creators. Then, I’ll share the best ways to fix it. 

Improper Use of Social Media

One of the most common questions I hear from entrepreneurs is – how am I supposed to get customers if I don’t post about my products/services? There’s a much easier way than to spam and send cold messages and flood your timeline with photos of your products. You will still post about your business and its opportunities, but not in a spammy, scammy, sleazy fashion.

We are so lucky to have social media as a place to build our businesses. Think about it: I used to go door-to-door selling Cutco Cutlery Knives. I would get doors slammed in my face, pushed out of a house, and cursed away. Social media is a place where anyone can build their business whether introverted, extroverted, or anything in between. Every time I ask an entrepreneur why they started their business, it’s usually because they intend to help people. Social media gives you the opportunity to share with the world about your products/services to help people. Let’s learn how to do it the correct way.

Online Marketers BIGGEST Mistake

Many people who use social media to showcase their business only come on looking for a way to sell. What does that mean? They’re spamming their timeline with photos of their products, they’re cold messaging everyone on their friends list to “please buy my products”.

You’re looking for the wrong thing. Instead, ask yourself how can you leverage the power of social media to inform people about my business?

This is where people get stuck. That’s ok – I’m here to help!

Facebook was designed to connect college students together. Social media was literally made to connect with like-minded people. It was made to socialize, stay updated on current happenings, inspire others, entertain, and educate. It was not made to come on and be sold to. Social media is not technically an e-commerce website. Here’s the cold, hard truth: You are using social media wrong and that’s why no one is interested in your products/business.

How to Properly Market Your Biz

Get social.

Think of other ways to market your business in a way that doesn’t blatantly show your product and ask people to buy it.

Here’s an example…

Say you’re a direct seller and you sell lashes for a company.

What NOT to post: “These are 5 reasons why you need to wear lashes and these are the ones you should buy (insert your product here)”.

What’s wrong with that? First off – you’re blatantly listing your product for sale and essentially telling people to buy them, not inspiring them to buy them. Secondly, you’re not providing any value with this post.

What you SHOULD do instead: Go Live on Facebook and do a tutorial of ‘5 Hacks to Walk Out the Door In Minutes’. And in that tutorial, list one of the hacks as throwing on some lashes on and say “These are the ones I use, say ‘ME’ in the comments if you want to learn more!”

This is not spammy, scammy, sleazy. This is you giving value and sharing five of your favorite tips to getting ready in minutes and including your products as one of the tips. Learn to sell through your education.

Your homework: Ask yourself why you were on social media before you became a network marketer, direct seller, or coach. Find ways to educate people about your business in a way that provides value to them.

I hope this explains a little bit better on how you should approach marketing your business on social media. If you would like to see me talk more about this topic, check out my latest #getLIT training!

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