How to Grow Your Health and Wellness Business With Social Media Marketing

If you have a home-based business in the health and wellness industry, then you are probably looking for more ways that you can promote your company, and the products and services that you offer. With all of the technological innovations created in the past few years, you will find a wealth of social media opportunities that you can employ for your business.Network marketing works wonderfully on many of the social media sites. When you start an account on one of the sites, such as Facebook, you need to make sure that you start the account in the right section. Since you are a business, you will want to set up a business page. Rather than being overly promotional with all of your posts, make sure that you provide good content and tips for the people who are fans of your page. The same holds true for Twitter and other similar sites. In some cases, when you promote too heavily, the site can ban you.If you haven't already started a blog, now is the time to do so. Those who have products that cater to women may want to check out some of the successful women bloggers and see what it is about their sites that make them so successful. In most cases, you will find that the blog posts contain useful information and sometimes a touch of humor. In your own blogs, you want to be able to connect with the readers, to make them feel as though they know you. This will build trust in the health and wellness products that you offer.Social media marketing offers many great opportunities to find new leads and to grow your business. You need to make sure that you check out all of the different social media sites and see which ones can offer the most exposure. Choosing to use popular sites, such as Facebook and Twitter is a good idea because so many people use them. However, check sites that are dedicated to the health and wellness industry as well.If you are an entrepreneur, you will want to take advantage of all of the different social media outlets. Those who are new to their business may also want to find specialized training that will be able to help them learn the best ways to use social media marketing successfully.

My MLM Mistakes and What I Have Learned

I certainly made many mistakes when I started out in MLM. In his song "Second Wind" Billy Joel says your mistakes are the only things you can truly call your own. And yet, I believe many people make the same mistakes I did. Here are just a few:Not reading the policies and procedures (didn't know they existed!)
Believing someone who told me their compensation plan was "the best around"
Believing someone could pay me full-time to assist them in building their team
Blasting my opportunity at people without building relationships
Buying leads
Renting expensive booth space at trade showsMy turning point came when I found a mentor, mastermind group, and training system and was shown the error of my ways! What did I learn? Your company policies and procedures is your contract with the company and you MUST read it! What other contract would you agree to without reading (or having your attorney read?) It covers the conditions under which they can terminate your business. It tells you if you can keep earning a check should you decide to stop working the business to retire or due to illness. It even sometimes gives an indication of how long the company plans to be in business and if they really believe in the MLM business model.There are many types of compensation plans. To compare them fairly you need to level the playing field. You need to crunch the numbers and figure out how much sales volume you need, and how many people does that translate to in your downline (or as retail customers) to make the kind of money you want. It is also useful to know what it will take to break even on your monthly expenses, since if you are breaking even you can stay in business forever! There is more variation in those numbers than you might believe, as much as tenfold or more! You can't believe it when someone tells you they have the best compensation plan, until you compare it to others.MLM is like any other business, it has a "gestation period." It will not turn a profit overnight. The less experience a person has, the longer it will take to learn the necessary skills. It should be viewed as a 2-5 year plan. So if someone, especially someone with no prior experience in MLM, offers to hire you away from a full-time job and pay you to help them build their team when they are first getting started, RUN! Someone who already has a large and successful team can afford this overhead, but not someone new and inexperienced.In fact, if someone tells you that you can afford to leave your full-time job when you start MLM and that you will quickly be earning just as much, I wouldn't believe that either. I would keep the other job and build your MLM part-time. Even Tom "Big Al" Schreiter gives that advice! Buying leads is a waste of time and money. They are not as targeted as they are advertised to be and most of them are really looking for a job, not a business opportunity. Many times the person who tells you to buy them (and to keep trying for at least 90 days!) is actually earning a commission from your purchases! You can learn how to generate better leads for less money.While you may find some good leads by renting space at a home show, health fair, or trade show I never had much success and I know several other people who did not break even on it. You must consider not only the cost of the booth, but the cost of materials you will hand out and any prize you give away. Plus you need signs and banners, a way to get people's curiosity up so they will stop, and a way to get their contact information. The only time I rent booths now is if they cost no more than $30.I hope you can learn from my mistakes! The key is to find a great mentor who has already "failed forward" and can save you some time (and money). I'm happy to help!

GPT - The Marketing Business Model For 2010

In every industry/business and in life there comes a point where major change occurs. Unless you adapt with these changes you stand to lose out those who embrace it. Change in everything is inevitable, it is a natural part of evolution and order. As humans who like to be within our comfort zone, we do not always see change as a positive force and we tend to view it with suspicion, hostility and with fear. Fear is of the unknown and we have a certain degree of comfort in our current zone no matter how 'hard' or relatively uncomfortable this is. It is what we know and usually predictable and we derive a certain degree of comfort from this. Moving out of the 'comfort' zone can make us fearful and our conscious mind and ego will do their best to bring us back to what we know. Most people stay within their 'zone' as change would be too uncomfortable, but those who change are the ones who stay ahead of the pack and lead. Becoming a leader is a central part of being an entrepreneur, you see the opportunity before it even becomes one and this is what sets you apart.For the last 20 years or more the network marketing industry has been at the forefront of the home business industry in the US and to a lesser degree in the UK. Thousands of people have made a living or sometimes a fortune by pitching their family and friends and total strangers. They have spent a huge amount of time hosting home parties and bigger meetings, they have spent hours prospecting on the phone trying to sign up and sell to others and spent thousands of $$ buying leads that might (or might not as is usually the case) prove to be profitable. We all know that the bigger the downline the bigger the pay check at the end of the month. For many thousands this proved to be a very profitable way to spend their time, however, for the majority this proved to be fruitless, soul destroying and bankrupting. Then, as happens in nature a new force comes along that not only challenges the old order but completely obliterates it forever. Those who are able to adapt to the new way survive and those who do not will die - The survival of the fittest.A few years ago a force so powerful, so big, so influential and so new arrived in the world of business. This has completely changed the 'old school' regime and revolutionised how business is done, business will never be conducted the 'old' way again. That 'something' is the 'internet' aka WWW. The internet and related technology has proved that it can reach a much bigger market place - the world. It has shown that it can automate your efforts and can provide leverage by doing the job of many people at once and it can be doing this automatically.Along with this automation and leverage a new business model was born because the old outdated model no longer fit the new system. A model that takes advantage of the new timesaving systems to make life easier more enjoyable and enhancing the quality of life beyond all previous recognition. This is a model for 2010 where 'lifestyle design' and quality of life is king. No more career path, long hours and promotion as we have woken up to the fact that it is what we do 'outside' of work that is the most important.GPT - Get Paid Today is that new business model where a 'downline' is no longer required for you to earn upwards of $5,000 per month; where you no longer have to wait for piddley commission checks because you 'get paid today'; where you no longer earn piddley amounts per sale but earn anywhere between $900 and $9,000 per sale; where you can work 4 or 5 hours per day during hours to suit you. GPT is the new model and is here to stay and smart marketers are now reaping the rewards of embracing this new model.So, stop using the worn out, inefficient and labour intensive old model and upgrade to the new yet proven model for 2010 & join the time and money rich elite who truly do design their dream lives.

Secrets to a Successful Online Home Based Business - Are There Really Any Secrets?

With millions of successful online businesses in operation today and millions more guaranteed to be opened in years to come, it appears that there are no remaining "secrets" to what makes an online business profitable. The businesses currently in operation have become the successes they are today using a wide variety of marketing strategies and business philosophies. It seems there is no one way to do it right.The fact that so many very different businesses can be so successful at once shoots a huge hole in the theory that there are secrets you have to know in order to be successful online. Yet, that doesn't mean there aren't some basic business skills which will increase your chances of becoming the next big online success.Learning New Skills...Business online and business in the offline world are two very different things. There are some skills and knowledge sets that you have to learn if you want to make it online. The best way to learn these skill sets if you are completely new to the online business world is to hire a mentor or coach who has years of experience to pass along. Many of today's successful online entrepreneurs got into the game faster by doing this.You could learn these skills as you go along, but that will mean being extremely patient as each step of the process will take awhile to figure out. If you don't have that patience and want to start turning in profits faster, you will need someone to guide you.Of course, it doesn't take much effort to find free articles online and read about strategies for online marketing, but when it comes to actually putting those strategies into practice and knowing exactly how and when to use them is something entirely different. A coach will come in handy when you are actually trying to make something work.Copywriting...Copywriting is also a big aspect of online business, but luckily it is something most people can improve upon with time. In the meantime, many successful online businessmen are now outsourcing work. There are thousands upon thousands of freelancers now working online, which makes it easy to find someone with top notch skills and pay them to do your copywriting.Of course, the more money you spend outsourcing work the less profit you get to keep. This means you should keep working on your own copywriting skills so that one day you could do that aspect of the job yourself and save some money.Mentor and coaching...So, how would you go about finding a coach or mentor who really knows their stuff? You might think of finding someone who is a member of an elite group of successful online entrepreneurs. Some of the biggest online earners are now going into the business of passing their knowledge down to beginners who want to be just as successful. This means you could learn everything from a professional who has already made a nice living for themselves.In many ways, the online business world is one huge community of people who for the most part are trying to look out for one another and create even more opportunities to go around. The fastest way to make a living online is to become a member of that community and learn from those who have paved the way before you.

Pure3x Business Opportunity Review

Pure3x is a multilevel network marketing business opportunity based in the health and wellness industry. The company is based in Salt Lake City, Utah and its products are touted to be specific to health orientated needs. The company also believes it has a compensation and business plan that is as simple as their product... so is it true?Purex3 products are energy drinks, three flavors to be exact and with their own nutritional aspects. Pure Renew is said to deliver a powerful energy boost through its high vitamin content. Pure Revolution is about maintaining ones health through a high content of fruits and vegetables. Passion is the newest, so new in fact that I was unable to get any information on this particular product.The business opportunity is based in the network marketing and multilevel marketing industry. Through individual sales of the product itself one can create income. Building a possible substantial income would come by recruiting others into their own business opportunity with Pure3x. The compensation plan is based on a 3x12 Matrix compensation plan which means that you will have a team of 3 individuals on your front line that can run up to 12 individuals deep. The cost to start the opportunity with the company comes with a $45 dollar sign up fee that does come with a starter kit.The compensation is paid in two ways; the first through the retail sales of the products themselves, the second through the total volume of team members. Unlike many of its competitors that pay out on a Personal Volume (PV) or Commission Volume (CV), Pure3x pays out on the actual retail sales of its members and down lines of its team leaders. This can be an advantage to the distributor because it would mean that any sale made of the energy drink packs creates commission. Looking into the compensation plan however, it would take a substantial amount of sales each month to create or leverage a truly desirable income that many look to attain in these types of opportunities.Multilevel marketing companies based in this industry are highly saturated and it would be of great necessity that you brand yourself quickly through massive action. There are only a few tools that come with this business such as a replicated site online. For those who have some Internet marketing experience this could be a good way to create a small income over time. For many though, Internet marketing is unfamiliar and could create a stumbling block that will need to be overcome.

How to Start Your Marketing Business

I'd like to introduce you to a business idea! The business idea is very simple - you buy and consume a product and then build a residual income by marketing this idea to other like-minded people who do the same. The greater the network of consumers that you build - the more money you will make. It's a really simple idea - yet many people overlook that this way of making money even exists. In fact, it's been around for ages, has been occasionally misrepresented by the media and has for some people become a lifestyle and a full time business. It's called network marketing - marketing a product or service through your own network of consumers.Let's say you are a person who would really like to start a business on your own but you don't have your own product idea and don't know exactly what to do to get started in business for yourself. The greatest challenge for most people is coming up with a product idea for their business. There is a solution. What if the product was already provided for you and all that you had to do was to find the actual consumers for the product? Then all you have to focus on is building your network of consumers - the actual people who would buy the products through you.Let's face it - starting a business is the surest way to become financially successful. Why? Because when you are a business owner you tend to serve many people with a product or service instead of just serving a single person, your boss, with your services. And the more people you serve the more money you will make - it's really simple mathematics. When you are in business for yourself, your income is determined by the number of people that you serve with your products - the more people you serve, the more money you will make.So the product is provided for you, the shipping and handling is done for you, the promotional material is done for you and all you have to do is use the products and find new people who would like to do the same. If you are ready to get started right away and start building your financial future then I'm here to help you and assist you in building your business.

Network Marketing Works For Those Who Work Hard

As we all know, there are literally hundreds, even thousands, of ways to market your business these days and radio, especially talk radio, can be an extremely effective means of advertising. Recently, we received a response to a radio ad about how important it is to implement a "Plan B" you can count on during these difficult times. A well-educated, professional gentleman, who is obviously looking for his own Personal Stimulus Package, called for more information. During the conversation, he responded with one of my all-time favorite lines, "My friends failed at network marketing, so I don't think it's for me."If you have been in network marketing any length of time, you have heard this comment before; but, this time, I couldn't stop thinking about it because here is an individual who was basing an important personal decision on the simple fact that his friends said it didn't work. My concern, at this point, was not why his friends failed but why he was allowing their failures to influence his decision. The response to his comment was priceless, "I also know a lot of people who have failed at network marketing, but I chose not to be one of them."Yes, unfortunately, some people do fail at network marketing but there are also many people who choose not to fail. Your decision not to fail is where your success begins. Network Marketing works for those who work hard, are not influenced by the failures of others, and who know that it takes hard work to be a winner. So, surround yourself and be positively influenced by those who are successful in this awesome industry. Make new friends with people who have ambitions and goals similar to yours and be determined to prove to others that you have made the choice to be successful in network marketing.

Changing Horses in Mid-Stream

As I was reading chapter 7 of "Think And Grow Rich" today, which is about definite plans, an old phrase popped into my head. Believing as I do in the law of attraction, I knew it wasn't an accident so now I'm writing about it! I am sure you've heard the saying, "don't change horses in mid-stream." Is that always good advice? Two situations occur to me where you might just want or need to change.Napoleon Hill stresses in this chapter that when a plan isn't working, you need a new plan! I see so many people in network marketing sticking to suggestions from their sponsor or upline because they have been told, "the more Nos you get the closer you are to a Yes." Michael Dlouhy, author of "Success In 10 Steps," calls this the biggest lie in MLM! And I believe Mr. Hill would agree, based on what I read. If you keep hitting your head against a brick wall (my idea of hearing "No" hundreds of times) it just might be time to figure out how to target different people, or in a different way? Just thinking...I believe if Edison had not changed strategies a few times we would not have light bulbs today! So if what you are doing to grow your MLM business isn't working, it might be time to try something different.Now, the second situation is more controversial. Many people feel that out of loyalty you should never change companies. Certainly if you change frequently, you will lose respect from people and not get anyone to join you. But I believe certain circumstances warrant a change. Some religions tell you that divorce is out of the question, yet I believe that when any type of mental or physical abuse arises, or when a partner develops dangerous substance abuse problems, it warrants saving yourself. Here are some of the situations which I believe could warrant looking for a new opportunity:
The company goes public
You read your policies and procedures (or they are modified) and discover things which are not in your favor
Your compensation plan changes and it is not in your favor
There is a shake up at the top and you no longer can trust the people running the company
The company files for bankruptcy
You discover that your upline has been lying to you, or has not acted in your best interest
You discover that the company is in any way illegal
You might question the first bullet. My reasoning is that public companies always answer to stock holders first. Of course, there can be unscrupulous people at the top of private companies as well. But at least you can check them out in advance and normally don't need to worry that they'll be "voted out." And you don't need to worry about stockholders causing changes for their profit that are not in your best interest. Remember, as a distributor you are not even an employee; you are an independent contractor.In most business dealings, if you discover that you are likely to lose everything it is considered advisable to cut your losses and move on. I consider the remaining points to fall into this category. Certain clauses in policies and procedures foretell the company terminating you for any reason they want, shutting down, or changing to retail channels. Any of these of course mean your business is gone (maybe overnight!) Compensation plan changes can severely cut your income. Changes at the top can cause policy changes or compensation changes.I also believe you must be able to trust your business partners and that discovery of unethical behaviour is grounds for finding new partners!Remember, you are talking about your future here. If your MLM opportunity is your retirement plan, your intended income for the rest of your life, you need to protect yourself! Look at it with a critical eye and be sure you are in the right place.

Earn Extra Cash Online With Free Advertising

Article marketing is one the most effective and underrated methods of free advertising. This method involves writing articles, preferably dealing with subjects that are similar to your business interests, and submitting them to article directories. The best article indexes are highly visible and have a large number of visitors that are searching their site for articles. When a visitor reads your article, they may be inclined to click on a URL and visit your website. The more articles that you can produce and submit to the article directories, the number of potential visitors to your site increases exponentially.There has been an explosion of free classified sites on the Internet. Free online classifieds are an effective and efficient way to promote and advertise your business. These sites have a tremendous amount of traffic. People can search them by subject, location, and price, which provides targeted traffic to your advertisement. As more people migrate to the Internet, free online classifieds will continue to increase in popularity and importance.One the newest, most valuable ways of earning extra cash online involves using social networking sites to promote your business. There has been a proliferation of social networks, some with millions of users. These sites represent one the most useful collections of demographic data ever created. As a result, business owners who learn how to harness this information will be in a solid position to advance their business interests. Direct advertising entails promoting and advertising amongst your network of friends, while indirect advertising allows you to create a page or form a group that interested parties can join. Most web analysts predict an explosion in social networking that will revolutionize the way businesses market and promote their goods and services.While there are other forms of free and inexpensive online advertising, even fledgling business operators can utilize these three methods. Although these advertising methods may require some considerable legwork, there are a large number of service providers that can assist you in implementing these strategies. If business owners can effectively utilize these tactics, there businesses will have increased visibility, higher traffic, and improved profit margins.

Network Marketing - What We Can Learn From a Game

I've mentioned many times how fond I am of Facebook. It's truly my favorite social media network for a multitude of reasons.One of the things I like about Facebook is the opportunity to play their games. There are many developers that put their games on the network for the entire Facebook community to enjoy. There are a few games I'm especially fond of. One of the games is a treasure hunt type of game. You collect treasures trying to complete collections. Each collection completed earns you game dollars.Anyone who is your "friend" on Facebook is automatically your friend in this game. When I first began playing the game, I only had a handful of friends on the game as most of my friends were not playing. Within the game you are able to trade with other friends. I quickly learned I needed a larger team. I began taking part in discussions on the message boards and quickly grew my number of friends.There are so many lessons to be learned here:1. People are attracted to others who share a similar interest. By saying yes to being my friend, they know I might trade treasures with them. In network marketing, grow your circle of friends by letting people know how you can help them. People want to be with those who help them.2. Being known as someone who is helpful will help you grow your group. I talk daily on the discussion boards. I help anyone who asks. I give away treasures, asking nothing in return. You can do this in network marketing. Share your knowledge. Share your resources. Help other people and they will come to you.3. People help in many different ways. In the game, I give treasures to a particular man. He and I happen to play another game and he gives me puzzles for that game as he's at a much higher level than I am on the other game. In network marketing, give away your time and knowledge. You might find customers, you might find team members, you might find someone who can help you place an ad or you might find someone willing to let you guest write for them on their blog. Each of these things will help you grow your business.4. I check each day to see what items my friends need. Someone who didn't need an item yesterday, might very well need it today. The same is true in network marketing. Someone who wasn't interested in joining your team last year might now be interested. Life and situations change. Find a way to keep in touch with people so that if they want what you have, you'll know.These are just four lessons that can be learned from playing games. Think about the games you play and how you can relate the strategies back to your network marketing business.