• Home
  • Marketing
  • Marketing Mix – What Are The 4 Ps Of Marketing?
Marketing

Marketing Mix – What Are The 4 Ps Of Marketing?

Marketing Mix

Having the best product in the market never helps if the company fails to get the word into the market. Your target customers should have a good idea of what you offer so that the company is able to develop its brand in the marketplace. They must know what you are trying to offer. However, the strength of your marketing mix is the important thing that will enable you to achieve your marketing goals.

In this article, you will learn what a marketing mix is, its purpose, and how it works for different companies in different situations. In addition to that, we will also discuss how the marketing mix is performed with the help of the 4P structure, as well as the 7P structure. Finally, we will also discuss some other essential marketing tools. Hence, to find out more about the marketing mix read on through to the end of the article.

What Is A Marketing Mix?

What Is Marketing Mix

According to Indeed.com,

A marketing mix includes the tactics and tools you use to market your company’s offerings and influence customers to buy them. The best marketing mix is one that uses up-to-date market research and data-driven strategies to reach customers and drive sales.

In some cases, to develop a marketing mix for your business, you might need to change your current marketing strategy. If your marketing mix is not in a continuous state of flux, you must be doing something wrong with your marketing strategy.

You will need to understand that just because something worked for the business to get more customers ten years ago, or even three years ago, might not work at the present time. Hence, you will need to consistently assess your target audience from time to time. Apart from that, you must also evaluate your marketing tools as well as the marketing plan you use for the execution of the marketing process.

In a comprehensive marketing plan, there are multiple areas of focus if one takes the marketing mix into consideration. In most cases, a company’s marketing mix is classified into 4Ps – product, placement, price, and promotion.

Read More: Market Orientation – What Is It, And How Does It Work?

Why Is Marketing Mix Important?

According to Investopedia,

At its core, a marketing mix is focused on promoting a product or service to generate revenue for a company. On the whole, it integrates key marketing strategies that create brand awareness, build customer loyalty, and drive product sales.”

Rather than running through only one marketing message, effective marketing touches on various broad ranges. This helps the brand to reach a wider audience. Furthermore, with the help of the 4Ps of marketing, it becomes easier for marketing professionals to maintain more focus on the major things that matter.

It also gets easier for organizations to make more strategic decisions when they are launching a new product or revising an existing product.

What Are The 4Ps Of Marketing Mix?

What Are The 4Ps Of Marketing Mix

The following are the four P classifications of the marketing mix strategy in business:

1. Product

This is the product or service that the business offers to satisfy the needs and demands of customers. To market the product, the company needs to determine what differentiates it from competing products.

2. Price

Here, the business needs to find out what the actual price of the product is and what the consumers are willing to pay based on the demands of the product in the market. Marketers also find out the costs based on R&D, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution so as to do cost-based pricing.

3. Placement

It is also important for marketers to find out the type of product they are trying to sell to the consumers. They need to determine whether they want to categorize the product in the basic or premium category.

4. Promotion

These include the forms of marketing practices the marketers are willing to employ to promote the product in the market. Here, the budget is one of the major factors to consider. In addition to that, marketing professionals also construct a message based on the previous three Ps as they try to reach their target consumers.

What Are The 7Ps Of Marketing Mix? (Three More Ps)

What Are The 7Ps Of Marketing Mix (Three More Ps)

Here are the three more Ps that are also used in a business’s marketing mix:

5. People

People include the employees that are interacting directly with the consumers. In such cases, a business might consider showcasing a positive company culture, which becomes a part of their brand strategy. Many companies also include customer relationship management to increase customer loyalty.

6. Physical Evidence

Physical evidence might include the packaging of the product, as well as the structure and layout of the physical store. This is done to create a strong impression on the customers.

7. Process

Here, the marketers identify areas from the standpoint of logistics so as to ensure that customers are provided with a seamless experience of the product or service.

Other Helpful Marketing Tools

According to Investopedia,

Not all marketing is product-focused. Customer service businesses are fundamentally different than those based primarily on physical products, so they often will take a consumer-centric approach that incorporates additional elements to address their unique needs.

In addition to all the seven Ps, marketers also consider some other elements in their marketing strategies. Some of them include furniture, signage, and layout. In addition to that, marketers also study the needs and demands of customers (both present and future possibilities). To do this, they get feedback from customers and define the type of feedback.

Read More: Market Cannibalization – Definition, How Does It Work, Example, And More

Wrapping Up

The marketing mix is one of the most essential requirements for a brand if it wants to successfully promote its products and services in the marketplace. As per the strategy, companies make use of four Ps, namely, product, price, placement, and promotion. The ultimate goal of working with a marketing mix is to generate more sales for the business.

In addition to the four Ps, in some cases, three more approaches are integrated, namely, people, process, and physical evidence. This is done to reinforce a marketing strategy that is more centered on customers. Do you have any more information to offer related to the marketing mix? Share your information with us in the comments section below.

Read Also:

author-img

Soumava Goswami

Inspired by The Social Network, Soumava loves to find ways to make small businesses successful – he spends most of his time analyzing case studies of successful small businesses. With 5+ years of experience in flourishing with a small MarTech company, he knows countless tricks that work in favor of small businesses. His keen interest in finance is what fuels his passion for giving the best advice for small business operations. He loves to invest his time familiarizing himself with the latest business trends and brainstorming ways to apply them. From handling customer feedback to making the right business decisions, you’ll find all the answers with him!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Social Media Campaign

How To Run A Social Media Campaign At A Low Budget For An Aspiring Entrepreneur?

Do you want to run a social media campaign on a low budget? If yes, you have to identify some of the essential facts that can work well in your favor. The application of the social media campaign can work well for an aspiring entrepreneur. Young Entrepreneurs need to think out of the box and deliver their best effort for fainting the momentum in a competitive business world. Proper and effective use of social media campaigns can boost your business growth in a short time frame. Before knowing the details of the campaigns, tips, and tricks, you have to understand some essential facts that can work well for you. What Is Social Media Marketing? Social media marketing simply means using social media platforms and the networks that can help you market the company’s products and services to reach out to the prospects and the customers for steadily developing your business. Many customers are interacting with the brands using social media platforms. Therefore, social media campaigns can help your business to multiply at a rapid pace. Which Social Media Channels Can Bring In More Revenue In 2021-2022? The scope of earning from the social media campaigns is huge in 2021-2022. So let’s find out the channels that can provide you this opportunity to become the next Social media business tycoon. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. YouTube. Twitter. Snapchat. In my next article, I will talk about the daily subscribers of these channels. Stay tuned to get more exciting news about the social media revolution that is dominating the digital world. Benefits Of A Social Media Campaign There are several benefits of running a social media campaign at a low budget for your business. Let’s explore the facts to understand the importance of it. 1. Creates A Brand Recognition Creating brand recognition is one of the essential marketing goals for any company. Social media platforms can help you build brand recognition that will help your business grow at a rapid pace. In addition, social media platforms can help your business grow at a fast rate in a short time frame. It makes brand-building simple and effective. The chances of brand recognition will increase due to it. It draws the audience's attention even when you are not thinking about it. 2. Increases The Sales  Digital marketing professionals are of the opinion that they must allow the increase of sales for your business. With more visibility in place, your company gets more opportunities for converting potential customers to actual customers. It is the reason why social media marketing can help your business to increase its level of sales. Therefore, the proper execution of social media marketing plans can prove very beneficial for your business. Sales figures for your business will boost when you can build your business awareness in the best possible manner. Compare the metrics of the social media platforms to understand the current market scenario. 3. Measuring The Success With Analytics Without tracking the data, you cannot follow the performance of the social media marketing metrics. Google Analytics is one of the most advanced social media data that allows you to track the current market trend. It can help your business to grow at a rapid pace in a short time frame. Proper execution of the plans can help you properly achieve your goals. Your conversion rate determines which social media campaign will help you to get more profit. 4. Discover How To Connect With Your Audience When you monitor the social conversation about some of the specific topics then it can increase the level of social listening. In addition, it will help you to identify the trends that can work well for you when you want to engage in social media campaigns. You will know about the problems which will help you to create different types of content and will address those issues. It will help you to understand the tone and the language of your target audience. Once you know that accurately you can make your decisions for business development. 5. Cost-Effective Your customer’s queries can be resolved in a short time using social media campaigns. Moreover, it provides you maximum market exposure at a minimum cost. As a result, you can grow rapidly well in all aspects. It is the most inexpensive compared to other types of marketing tactics. Today 80% of the world’s medium and small-scale businesses are dependent on social media platforms. Always start with a small approach to achieve your big goals. 6. Helps You To Get Marketplace Insights Gaining the insights of market social media campaigns can prove to be an effective tool in your hand. It can help you to multiply your business rapidly. For that, you need to stay active in social media platforms for knowing the customer’s interest and opinion. It is one of the best research tools available to you. For developing your market intelligence, social media platforms can work well for you. Create marketplace insights that can work well for you. 7. Higher Conversion Rate The best part of social media platforms is that it can increase your conversion rate in a short period. The conversion rate of your business will increase when you make use of the best social media campaigns. Thus, it will help you to grow your business at a faster pace. It can help you personify your brand when sharing your content, commenting, and updating your social media status. When you compare the two aspects of social media marketing and traditional marketing, the success rate of social media campaigns is 100% compared to that of the other branding websites. 8. Better Customer Satisfaction Social Media Campaigns will help you to increase the level of your customer satisfaction. The reason is that you can instantly solve your customers’ queries through chat box messages, which will help you improve your brand loyalty. Proper application of the brand strategy can help your business multiply in a short time frame. In addition, a social media campaign can make things easier for you to achieve your business goals in the best possible ways. Ensuring customer satisfaction is one of the primary goals of your business that can work well for you. From the information above, we have got a clear idea about the benefits of social media marketing. Now it’s time to understand how you can implement those strategies for upgrading your business. Essential Social Media Tips For Your Business Are you not feeling excited to know the tips for earning money from Social Media Campaigns? I don’t think that you are feeling bored about it. So now, let’s get started on the most exciting journey about social media campaigns to earn revenue. 1. Start With A Plan It is easier to get started with a social media campaign, but you need to set a clear idea in your mind from where you will begin your business. Then, you can make use of social media platforms to increase the reach of your business awareness. Without a plan, you cannot achieve your business goals in the long run. First, identify the social media platform that can suit your requirement. It can be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest. Select any one of them that suits your needs. 2. Set Social Media Goals Create a business goal that possesses a SMART framework ( Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Result Oriented, Time Framed). It can help you to set the perfect social media marketing strategy to attain your business goals. You can set the metrics that can bring actual business profitability for your organization. For example, aim to acquire customers to raise your conversion rate, rather than simply racking the likes. It can help you to achieve your business objectives in a better way. 3. Competition And Research Make a comparative analysis of how your competitors are using the social media campaigns for multiplying their business. Proper competitive research can make things easier for you to know the market trends. Competitive analysis can help you learn what is working for you and what is not working for you. It is the fundamental aspect of a social media fundraising campaign. In addition, it is a great way to reduce your learning curve. You will get a clear idea of how you have to make your effort to understand the market trend. First, clear up your statement where your social media strategy is lacking. 4. Conduct A Social Media Audit Conduct a social media audit to understand where you are lacking and where you need to improve. What ways you can implement to increase the level of your social media audit. Time to time reviews can work well in your favor. It will provide you with a fair idea of where you stand and where you need to improve. A social media audit can work well for you if you want to increase your business output. Prepare your business plans that can work well in the correct order. 5. Get Inspired You need to look at what your competitors are doing online and where you need to improve. Take inspiration from the success of your business from other industries. You can go through the success stories of many business heads. Pay attention to what you are doing. You need to understand where you need to click, buy or follow. 6. Create A Social Media Calendar You can create a social media calendar that allows you to post consistently. It will enable you to get the most consistent results for your business. You can get the most consistent results for your business once you post relevant and engaging content regularly. It will help you identify which ideas you can automate and which to assign whether you are a contractor or an employee. It will help your business to move in the right way in a short time frame. 7. Decide The Platform That Is Right For You There are various social media platforms from where you can make your business promotion. First, you have to select the best social media platforms that suit your business domain. Here, the correct selection of the business domain matters a lot. It can help your business to grow at a rapid pace. You can create a strategy where it can help you to achieve better results for your business. For example, start a better work process that increases your conversion rate. It can make things easier and effective for your business. Likewise, social Media Campaign can make something practical and easier for you. 8. Be Visual Attention seeking is one of the essential parts of the social media campaign. It can increase your conversion rate, and Social media fundraising campaigns can become easier for you. First, however, you have to prepare your business plans correctly to achieve your objectives in the best possible ways. You need to design the correct strategy that can work well for you from all aspects. For example, visually-oriented platforms like Pinterest and Instagram can work well for you. What Is The Job Role Of A Social Media Campaign Manager? There are several essential job roles of the social media campaign manager. In this article, you will get the complete details of it. They can develop the campaigns all across the social channels. You can monitor the hashtags and trends. To make a detailed analytics report. A social media manager has to interact with customers and prospects. They can find and save online customers’ reviews. They can help you analyze the company’s long-term needs for framing the company’s social media strategy. These are some practical ways that can work well in your favor to achieve your business objectives in the correct forms. What Is The Average Salary Of A Social Media Manager? The average salary of the social media manager is between $71,067, and the additional compensation you will get is $5,440. These are some of the precise metrics that show the growth prospects in this profession. Final Words Hence, these are some crucial facts that you have to ensure while you want to develop your business correctly. Several factors can work well in your favor at the correct point in time. But, first, pick out the best solutions that can work well for your business in the long run. You have to follow some of the simple steps that can work well in your favor at the correct point in time. Then, if you want, you can share your ideas and opinions to develop a perfect business plan for your future and make things more accessible and practical. Read Also: Why  Create A Powerful Business Continuity Plan? What Is Network Marketing And How To Do It In 2021 How To Start A Business In 2021 – Best Business Strategies

Power Of Brand Storytelling In Marketing

The Power Of Brand Storytelling In Marketing

In an ever-increasingly competitive global marketplace, consumers find themselves bombarded from all angles with messages from companies vying for business. The power of brand storytelling cannot be underestimated — it’s a potent tool that, when used properly, can cut through the daily noise of other companies’ marketing, and connect in a more personal and lasting way with an audience. In a world driven by digital experiences, the art of storytelling is more important than ever, as it allows brands to humanize their identity, foster emotional connections, and build unwavering customer loyalty — the last of which is at a premium when it comes to repeat business. Digital experiences are dominant in the world of marketing and storytelling, but there is room for more traditional marketing techniques alongside that. Let’s take a closer look. Beyond Products And Services ‘Experience’ and ‘journey’ have become watchwords in modern marketing. In a marketplace saturated with similar products and services, brands are discovering that consumers are not merely purchasing a product; they are investing in an experience. Through storytelling, brands can make consumers feel that they are making not only a purchase but a lifestyle choice. A great example is Apple, whose brand narrative revolves around innovation, creativity, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. By telling stories that go beyond the features of their products and instead focus on how these products fit into the lives of their users, Apple has created a brand identity that extends beyond technology – it's about inspiration and lifestyle. It has also always appealed to the end user rather than focusing on business computing solutions. Fostering Emotional Connections Brand storytelling can evoke a sense of emotion in consumers — effective storytelling involves the customer in the spirit and mission of the brand. Take Nike's "Just Do It" campaign, for instance. The brand isn't sportswear; it sells the spirit of determination, the will to overcome obstacles, and the joy of achieving one's goals. Consumers are buying into empowerment and athleticism. Branding Techniques It’s no secret that digital channels are far and away the most popular in today’s marketplace — after all, everyone is glued to their phones half the time. Powerful visual imagery can indeed be communicated effectively via video campaigns and social media messages. But there is also space for more traditional methods — printed materials can also effectively build brand awareness and storytelling. Print also has a longer lifespan than digital content, which is often scrolled past. A tangible object you can read can often communicate your brand message more effectively. No matter what your product or service is, combining digital and traditional methods will increase your level of communication with your customers. Differentiation And Trust In a competitive market, where products and services often appear interchangeable, brand storytelling becomes a powerful tool for differentiation. When consumers are faced with a myriad of choices, they are more likely to gravitate towards brands with narratives that align with their values and beliefs. We live in an era where authenticity is highly valued, and brand storytelling serves as a vehicle for building trust. Consumers are more likely to engage with brands they perceive as genuine and authentic. Storytelling provides an avenue for brands to showcase their values, origins, and the people behind the scenes, creating a transparent and relatable image. The Everlasting Impact On Customer Loyalty While storytelling can be a powerful tool for attracting new customers, its real strength lies in its ability to cultivate customer loyalty, and this is the key to a successful relationship between company and client. Repeat business is at a premium, and when consumers connect with a brand's story, they are more likely to become repeat customers and brand advocates. This loyalty extends beyond the product; it becomes a loyalty to the brand's narrative, values, and the emotions associated with it. Starbucks is a good example of this. By consistently telling this story through its marketing and portraying itself as a home-away-from-home, Starbucks has not only built a loyal customer base but has also become synonymous with the experience of a comforting and welcoming environment. What Is The Importance Of Brand Storytelling, And How Do You Tell One? The brand story has its own importance. It helps the customer comprehend your position and identity in the business world. At the same time, brand stories help understand the reason behind your existence.  It will help an individual become your loyal customer. So, let's get going with the discussion so that you form a transparent idea. However, let's try to understand how to write down a brand story. Highlight The Conflict Within Your Story The readers come across hundreds and thousands of data and content. Hence, you have to create a level of interest and charm to connect with the audience. One of the first steps to create a brand story is to highlight the conflict within the story. If you evoke the crisis, only then can you make a storyline that arrests the attention of the audience. You Have To Create The Status Quo Another important aspect that is related to brand storytelling is the status quo. Consumers are faced with overwhelming amounts of messages from brands every single day. Getting your message across can often rely on effective storytelling and taking your customers on a journey with your products and services. Remember, a conflict helps force the protagonists to look for solutions. If there is no crisis in life, then life will be completely bland. In sum, the structure of your brand must first have the status quo, then the conflict, and finally, the resolution of the conflict. Brand Storytelling Story Telling Is Central To Content Marketing Employing brand storytelling is very potent. The humans react to the narrative in a complex way. If you successfully work on your storytelling, then it makes retention quite easy. You have to create the foundation of the story that is very much emotional. Again, good storytelling helps create authenticity. It is found in a study that around 90 percent of buyers believe in authentic stories. So, if you successfully create brand authenticity, then there is a high chance that you will quit strong marketing storytelling. Read Also: How To Improve Energy Efficiency In Your Data Centre Money Tap Loan App: Information, Eligibility Criteria, Interest Rates, Review & More Virtual Data Rooms: What They Are And Their Critical Importance For Businesses

Marketing Campaigns

Marketing Campaigns: How To Do It? – Steps To Follow

Good marketing campaigns stick with customers for a very long time, such that whenever they find something similar, they associate that with the brand. Basically, marketing campaigns make the company memorable to customers.  Here, the company gives a focused effort while promoting its product and services and thereby guides its consumers towards a desired action. A great marketing campaign also provides the brand with a unique identity, emotion, and personality. Hence, it is absolutely essential for businesses to perform great campaigns. In this article, you will learn about what marketing campaigns are and how they work for businesses and make them memorable. Apart from that, we will also discuss the major types of marketing campaigns that businesses use to attract customers. Finally, we will give you tips on performing marketing campaigns for your brand. Hence, to find out more, read on through to the end of the article.  What Are Marketing Campaigns? According to Investopedia, “Marketing campaigns promote products through different types of media, such as television, radio, print, and online platforms. Campaigns are not solely reliant on advertising and can include demonstrations, video conferencing, and other interactive techniques. Businesses operating in highly competitive markets and franchisees may initiate frequent marketing campaigns.” To perform marketing campaigns, businesses devote a significant amount of resources to doing so. However, with the rise in the level of internet usage, the cost of performing marketing campaigns lessened, as compared to marketing through traditional media options. You can actually design a marketing campaign to organize and strategize for the promotion of your company’s specific goals. You can do that by raising awareness of a new product or reminding customers of the company’s services. You can also create marketing campaigns to get feedback from your customers regarding your products and services. In today’s times, marketing campaigns involve the usage of a variety of tools and techniques to promote the brand and its products to the target customers. Some of the tools that companies use include various forms of media, email, social media platforms, print advertising, radio, television ads, pay-per-click, and more. Read More: Market Cannibalization – Definition, How Does It Work, Example, And More How Do Marketing Campaigns Work? According to Hubspot.com, “Successful marketing campaigns continue to focus on social media marketing and brand-building. Companies have focused on online communities to drive more engagement. Regardless of the type of campaign, the most popular marketing asset is video. This is followed by images, blog articles, infographics, podcasts, and other audio content.” You can basically design your brand’s marketing campaign with different goals in mind. You can do that by building a brand image, introducing a new product, reducing the impact of negative news, or even increasing the sales of products that are already in the market. Furthermore, once you define the goals of the marketing campaign, you can get a better idea of how much marketing is required by the brand to achieve positive outcomes. You can also find out what forms of media are the most effective for you if you want to reach a specific section of a population as your target market. Types Of Marketing Campaigns The following are some of the major types of marketing campaigns: Product Marketing Campaign Email Marketing Campaign Brand Development Campaign Content Marketing Campaign Public Relations/Awareness Campaign User-Generated Content Campaign Direct Mail Campaign Paid Marketing/Advertising Campaign Social Media Campaign Affiliate Marketing Campaign Acquisition Marketing Campaign You will have a variety of choices if you want to perform a marketing campaign. However, it is up to you what you want to choose for your brand. It depends on what the brand needs at the moment. Hence, you will need to get a full idea of your target customers as well as the performance of your products and services in the market. How To Perform Marketing Campaigns? - Steps To Follow Performing a marketing campaign is great and essential for brands. However, it can produce negative results if done the wrong way. It is serious stuff. Adobe Business adds here - “Creating a marketing campaign is no easy task. If you think a quick internet search will tell you everything you need to know, think again. There is no one true set of specific instructions for how to create a marketing campaign because there are so many steps involved, and you’ll need to make many campaigns based on your specific business goals and target audience.” Here are some of the major steps to follow if you want to perform a marketing campaign: Step 1: Determine Your Goals Like every project, you will need to be exact while defining your marketing goals, that is, what you want to achieve. Step 2: Budget The Campaign This goes hand-in-hand with the first step. The more aggressive your campaign is, the higher the budget shall be. Step 3: Find Out Your Target Audience If you know specifically which audience to target, you will get exceptional results with your marketing campaign if your message is right. Here, you will need to go for market research. Step 4: Create The Message If you do all things right and your message sucks, then there is no way your marketing campaign will be successful.  Step 5: Campaign Execution Once you have followed the above steps, you are ready to execute the campaign. You will need to do this after proper planning and coordination. Step 6: Analysis This is the final step, where you will need to analyze the results of the campaign. You must determine whether the campaign was able to meet its goals or not. Check out this YouTube video: How to Create a Marketing Campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dW5RJxX_gQ&t=99s Wrapping Up Hope this article was helpful for you in getting a better idea of what marketing campaigns are and how they work for businesses. If you are looking to perform a marketing campaign for your business, consider following the steps mentioned in the section above, and you will come out great. However, make sure that you look through examples of famous ones. You can also use marketing campaigns to rehabilitate your brand’s image if you have lost sales due to a negative image in the media. Do you have any more recommendations on how to perform marketing campaigns? Share your ideas with us in the comments section below. Read Also: Market Orientation – What Is It, And How Does It Work? What Are The Different Types Of Entrepreneurship? – Take A Look What Is Social Entrepreneurship? – Steps To Become A Successful Social Entrepreneur

Network Marketing

Network Marketing: What Is It? Is It The Right Option For You?

Network Marketing is a type of business model that constitutes a group of people forming a network to earn from sales commissions, as well as through new joinings to the network. This system creates a flexible approach to the business, where a new member (as a salesperson) also becomes a business owner. The system has been in existence for many decades and has evolved multiple times since. In this article, you will learn the essential details about network marketing (also known as multi-level marketing). You will also learn how network marketing works, as well as the types of network marketing options with the help of which businesses operate. Finally, we will also look at some of the major advantages and disadvantages of network marketing for businesses. Hence, to learn more, read on through to the end of the article. What Is Network Marketing? According to Investopedia, “Network marketing is a business model that depends on person-to-person sales by independent representatives, often working from home. A network marketing business may require you to build a network of business partners or salespeople to assist with lead generation and closing sales. There are many reputable network marketing operations, but some have been denounced as pyramid schemes.” The network marketing businesses that run through pyramid schemes focus more on the recruitment of salespeople. This is because new salespeople are required to pay upfront for expensive starter kits. For these payments, the people up the order in the pyramid get commissions. Most companies that you will come across run through pyramid schemes. Hence, if you are looking to join a network marketing company, make sure that it is not a scam. Most companies with pyramid schemes have been banned due to running scams. Therefore, research is essential before you are looking to join a network marketing business. Some of the most famous network marketing companies are Amway, Avon Products, Tupperware, Herbalife Nutrition, etc. Read More: Market Segmentation: Definition, Types, Benefits, And More How Does Network Marketing Work? - Types Of Network Marketing Every network marketing business focuses on sales as the most important factor. In such a business, a core sales team specializing in sales starts selling products and brings in new salespeople. Here, each of the salespersons in the core team brings in new salespersons, thus creating a new tier. Each of the salespersons in the new tier creates another tier in the same way. This is how the team takes the shape of a pyramid as the tiers increase. With more tiers, the team gets more salespeople, who add to more sales of the business. The salespeople earn commission based on the number of items they sell. however, there is an interesting catch in this business model. With each sale, the people up the order get commissions based on their rank. However, this feature is different in many companies.  Types Of Network Marketing The following are the major types of network marketing options: 1. Single-Tier Here, the salespersons in the team earn based on direct commission. Getting another tier of people is not compulsory. Here, affiliate marketing strategies come into play. 2. Two-Tier In this case, apart from earning direct sales commissions, salespersons also earn through commissions for new recruits. 3. Multi-Tier Marketing It consists of more than two tiers of people. Both direct sales commissions and indirect recruitment commissions are available in this case. Network Marketing - Scam Or Legit? Many network marketing businesses had their rise during the COVID-19 lockdowns. As people were locked in their homes, they were looking to make more money. Since the internet was a huge relief for many, and social media users grew, many people started online counterpart to advertise their products and brands. This led to many such businesses getting bigger. However, there were many scams as well. According to Wall Street Mojo, “By recognizing the potential for such gig works, many businesses exploited the people looking for jobs by making them pay upfront for training materials. Their objective is to earn money from people in the name of a business. Thus, the pyramid schemes focus not on customers but on workers who become the bait.” What Are The Advantages Of Network Marketing? Here are some of the major advantages of network marketing that you will benefit from: It helps to bring together people who are sales enthusiasts. For many people, it offers a secondary source of income by acting as an affiliate. They only pay those who contribute to sales, which is a gain for the business. The company does not need to think about recruitment or providing additional benefits to employees. In most cases, the business supplies quality products. What Are The Disadvantages Of Network Marketing? According to Entrepreneur.com, “Things can get sticky when a network marketing network compensates participants primarily for recruiting others rather than for selling the company's products or services. A network marketing system in which most of the revenue comes from recruitment may be considered an illegal pyramid scheme.” The following are a few disadvantages of network marketing, which you must be aware of: It is difficult to predict the production targets for the business. Manufacturers have a limited role in facilitating the distribution of the products. Too much focus on creating a pyramid of salespersons and earning through commission leads the business to trouble. New distributors have to spend a lot at the start. Many businesses are found to be scams. Read More: Micromarketing – What Is It? How Does It Work? Pros And Cons Wrapping Up Hope this article was helpful for you to get a better idea of what network marketing is and how it works. You might have already understood that it is mostly suits those people who have high energy and top-end sales skills. If you are confident about building a profitable business with a modest investment, network marketing can be a good option for you. You can choose a single-tier, two-tier, or multi-tier approach based on what you are comfortable with. However, research well before you join a network marketing company. Do you think this can really help in achieving financial independence? Share your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below. Read Also: Marketing Mix – What Are The 4 Ps Of Marketing? Market Orientation – What Is It, And How Does It Work? Market Cannibalization – Definition, How Does It Work, Example, And More