Great ways to promote your direct selling business
So what can you do?
1. Business Cards – You can create your own or use a company like vista print to get your cards. Remember to include your name, phone number, email address and give an indication of the products/services you offer.
2. Flyers/Brochures: Advertise your new business in stores, community centers, mother and young children’s groups, your workplace, and notice boards in town halls.
3. Articles – I use EzineArticles but there are many others online. Articles are a great way to promote your business and will always contain a link to your blog or website along with your name at the bottom of the article. Article writing can easily become addictive and lead you to become a highly respected expert author.
4. Seminars/Webinars – If you’re building your own team, why not consider hosting a webinar to provide weekly or monthly product training with a Q&A at the end for people to get to know each other? Find out if your company offers a group webinar that you can invite people to.
5. Online Forums – Participate in online forums that relate to your chosen business, offer advice to other members, and place your link at the bottom of every reply to your website/Facebook page. Don’t use the forums for sales promotion – you’ll be banned for spamming!
6. Comment on blogs – Again – only comment on relevant blogs. As before, there are NO sales pitches – your goal is to get your name/business out there and not to spam.
7. Local Networking Groups – Get involved in local networking groups, I would recommend your local chamber of commerce or in my case the local women’s networking meeting that happens in my town every month.
8. Referrals – Your current clients are your best form of advertising. Ask or encourage customers to provide testimonials for your website or social media site. Ask customers to tell their friends about you if they are satisfied with the services/products you offer… Be sure to encourage them to tell you if they are not satisfied.
9. Buddy Up – Work with another local representative. This is ideal for events, store promotions and campaigns. It’s great to challenge each other too. We all like a little competition.
10. Prize Raffle – Offer a prize to the winning ticket you pull out of the box. Boxes can be left at fundraising events to encourage people to give you their contact details for future promotions and special offers. If you have the opportunity to volunteer at a local fundraising event, you can use the prize draw box and offer your most recent brochure to potential customers.
11. Use your business: This has to be one of the cheapest forms of advertising available. Most cities have local clothing printers where you can add a logo or label to a t-shirt from just £6.50; you may want to consider sweaters/fleeces, hats, and even bags…all great ways to promote your business, website, or blog.
12. Use your details – When you’re sending letters, emails, or just putting flyers through doors, make sure you give your customers your contact details. If they don’t know how to contact you, there’s not much point in contacting them in the first place.
13. Social Networking Sites – This is probably the most lucrative form of advertising out there. Sign up for LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest… This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many different sites online where you can meet potential customers and promote your products/offers.
14. Online Stores – There are 3 main online stores to sell your products: Etsy (if you sell handmade products), eBay, and Amazon. Familiarize yourself with listing fees before signing up and the commission payable after sales have been made. You’ll also need to be aware of PayPal’s fees if you’re using them to process payments.
15. Live, eat and breathe your new business. Talk about your business and products when you meet new people, you may be just what they’re looking for, whether it’s buying products or joining your team as a representative/consultant.
16. Learn from your upline. They’ve been there, they’ve done it, learn from them, they’ll get you where you want to be.
17. And finally… HAVE FUN! Enjoy your new business, if it’s not fun, you’re in the wrong business.
