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:
Tags:
Related Articles
Rogue Ways Of Marketing Your Business
In the middle of a cost of living crisis, every single penny that you spend on promoting your business needs to see a good return on your investment. Markets are contracting, and your share of that market will contract with it unless you put yourself out there and make more noise. Getting rid of marketing spending in order to save money is a false economy. A better approach as times get tough is to be more clever about your marketing. Turn the volume up, adopt new and different strategies, and push your own boundaries. Seek out activities that require very little cost but could elevate you above the general hubbub and give you the added exposure that is going to bring customers to your door. While every business is different, we’ve highlighted some of the ways you can take your marketing to a different level with a minimal budget and potentially good return. Ultimately what you decide to do will depend on your particular sector, but we hope that these ideas will get you thinking outside the box and encourage you to explore different marketing paths. Here Are Six Prime Ways Of Marketing Your Business 1. Newsjacking Newsjacking is the art of taking popular and trending news stories and linking them in some way to your service or product on social media. This could be anything from wishing members of the Royal family a happy birthday, to having an opinion on the latest contestants of Love Island, to making jokes about the latest political shenanigans. Newsjacking can generate more press, increase brand awareness, and attract new eyeballs to your business. 2. Customize ALL packaging This is particularly important for businesses with a physical business - whether you are selling luxury high-end products or basic ranges, your packaging is a constant vehicle for brand awareness. Going through the entire life cycle of a product, from design to delivery, every stage has opportunities to customize with more brand identity. From the packaging on the shelves to the plastic pallets that are used in transportation. 3. Sponsor a local artist to create a mural on your wall Does your business have a physical building? Could you maybe seek out a local artist who could paint you a mural on a large empty wall? You need to pay the artist (they do, after all, need to make a living!) But not only does it create a show-stopping public visual representation of your brand and company for all to see, but it can also produce its own press and publicity as something interesting and unusual. 4. Do a TikTok dance video with employees You may want to get your younger employees involved in this - but there’s usually a song and dance trending on social media. Set aside a few minutes each day to practice, and then make it a big social event among your employees for the actual filming. It’s a great team-building exercise. 5. Engage on social media Do you regularly post on social media? Even if you do, you need to do more than just post. You need to engage - as this is your opportunity to talk directly with potential customers. Take some time out each day to go through and engage with the posts of people you want to be targeting. Not only will this increase your presence in front of them, but it will also help with your own algorithms and get your own posts trending on more timelines. 6. Source support from your biggest suppliers The better you do, the better your suppliers do - partner up with your suppliers on different marketing activities and seek both financial and practical help and support from the. Read Also: 6 Tips For Growing Your Small Business And Boosting Your Bottom Line A Brief Guide To Business Integrated Planning The Resources You Need To Start Your Business
January, 01 2023
Webinars For Marketing: A Powerful Strategy For Ceos To Boost Business
Creating something new is always exciting. Entrepreneurs are the pioneers of newness. They have their vision and try to implement it into reality. In our society, the dream comes true when you execute it with passion and intention. This is so true for CEOs who are eager to change! Well change is the only constant in the business processes, and a CEO needs to understand it if they want to boost their business. In this rapidly evolving digital landscape, CEOs must harness the power of digital marketing. Innovation is the key to business success, and retaining the attention of the audience is a must to gain a competitive edge. Businesses that provide ceo jobs also seek a person who can give them the unparalleled ability to foster connections and industry trends and position the company at a certain level where consumers would prefer it. A highly engaging audience would always prefer to picture and absorb insights about your services and products. This is where the importance of webinars comes in! Ways To Create Effective Webinars For Marketing Webinars have become an indispensable marketing tool for businesses of all sizes. It's an effective way to connect with your audience, build brand awareness, and generate leads. However, creating a successful webinar is not as simple as hitting the record button. To make your webinar stand out, you need to plan, prepare, and execute it flawlessly. Here, we will explore some proven ways to create effective webinars for marketing to help you boost your business. From setting goals and objectives to crafting a compelling presentation, we will cover everything you need to know to create a winning webinar. As a CEO, you must follow all these steps to ensure that you have engaged your audience properly to leverage your business process. So, let's dive into the realm of marketing through Webinars! Define Your Goals And Objectives As a CEO who wants to boost your business through webinars, it's essential to define your goals and objectives beforehand. Having a clear understanding of what you want to achieve will help you tailor your webinar's content and format to meet your specific needs. Are you looking to generate leads, educate your audience, or promote a new product/service? Knowing your endgame will help you plan your webinar more effectively and deliver a compelling presentation that resonates with your target audience. So, take a step back and consider your objectives before diving into the planning process. Know Your Audience Understanding your target audience and what they care about is crucial for the success of any business, including yours. As a CEO, it's important to conduct thorough research to learn your audience's pain points, preferences, and interests. With this information in hand, you can craft a compelling webinar topic that resonates with them and addresses their needs. By doing so, you can capture your audience's attention and increase the chances of generating leads and driving business growth. Consider The Right Format Webinars come in various shapes and sizes, from panel discussions to live demos and Q&A sessions. Selecting the right format is crucial to ensure that your webinar aligns with your goals and caters to your audience's preferences. The format you choose will depend on the type of content you want to present and the level of engagement you seek from your audience. For instance, if you want to showcase your product's features and benefits, a live demo might be the best format. On the other hand, if you want to discuss industry trends and invite experts to share their insights, a panel discussion might be more appropriate. By understanding your audience's preferences and the type of content you want to present, you can choose a format that resonates with them and increases the chances of success. Craft A Compelling Presentation Content is king, and to create a webinar that captivates your audience, you need a well-structured, informative, and engaging presentation. Your presentation should be designed to provide value to your audience while showcasing your brand's expertise and authority in the industry. To create a compelling presentation, start by defining your topic and outlining the key points you want to cover. Make sure that your content is relevant and tailored to your audience's interests and needs. Use visual aids such as images, graphs, and charts to support your message and keep your audience engaged. Remember that your presentation is not just about delivering information; it's also about building relationships with your audience. Take the time to understand their needs and concerns, and address them in your presentation. Show that you value their time and attention and that you are committed to providing them with value. Refine It As a CEO, delivering a successful webinar is crucial to boosting your business. To ensure that your webinar is a success, it’s essential to rehearse your presentation ahead of time. Rehearsing your presentation allows you to identify any weak spots, technical issues, or other problems that might arise. By rehearsing your webinar, you can address these issues before going live and make any necessary revisions to ensure that your presentation is flawless. Don't be afraid to make revisions if something doesn't seem to work. Tweak it until it's perfect so that you can deliver a compelling and engaging webinar that resonates with your audience. Remember, practice makes perfect! Promote It A fantastic webinar means nothing if nobody attends. So, develop a comprehensive promotional strategy to drive registrations and generate buzz around your event. Promoting your webinar is just as important as creating it, and without a solid promotional plan, you risk not reaching your target audience and missing out on potential leads. To promote your webinar effectively, start by identifying your target audience and understanding their preferences and online behavior. This will help you determine the best channels to reach them and tailor your messaging to resonate with them. Consider partnering with industry influencers or thought leaders to co-host your webinar and tap into their existing audience. This can help generate buzz around your event and expand your reach. Engage Your Audience Keeping your audience engaged throughout the webinar is crucial to its success. Encouraging interaction by asking questions, conducting polls, and inviting attendees to share their thoughts via chat or social media is a great way to keep them engaged and interested in the content. As a CEO, it's important to actively engage with your audience and respond to their questions and comments to build a relationship and establish your brand as an authority in the industry. By fostering a sense of community and engaging with your audience, you can make your webinar more memorable and increase the chances of generating leads and driving business growth. Follow Up To Analyze Results Is the webinar done and dusted? Well, not right now! You are far from it being completely over! After the job is done, it's time to follow up on the whole process. Find out the attendees and send them a thank you email. After that, review the engagement metrics, feedback, and any leads coming from it. To drive tangible results to your effective webinars, put in the necessary efforts it deserves. All the best to harness the power of webinars! Read Also: What Is A Bear Hug? Let’s Discuss The Benefits Equity Theory: A Balancing Act For Modern Workplaces What Is A Distribution Channel? Essential Things To Know About It
January, 01 2024
Market Segmentation: Definition, Types, Benefits, And More
Marketing is only successful for a company when the company markets to the right people in the right way at the right time. This is where market segmentation comes into play. It helps businesses tailor their sales campaigns and marketing plans to target niche customers while making the promotion engaging and the product appealing. Businesses do market segmentation to narrow down their target market. In this article, you will learn about market segmentation and how it works for businesses. Next, you will also learn about the major types of market segmentation that marketers use for promoting products and services. Finally, we will also look at some of the major benefits and limitations of market segmentation. Hence, to learn more about this marketing strategy, read on through to the end of the article. What Is Market Segmentation? According to Investopedia, “Market segmentation is a marketing term that refers to aggregating prospective buyers into groups or segments with common needs and who respond similarly to a marketing action. Market segmentation enables companies to target different categories of consumers who perceive the full value of certain products and services differently from one another.” Here, the marketers of a company first find out the target market and then divide the market into small groups and subgroups. In this case, consumers in the small market segments share similar interests, needs, and characteristics. As a marketer, if you target a small group of a large market, you will be able to connect with consumers who are more likely to pay for products that appeal to them directly. Basically, if you use market segmentation, it will be easier to manage a large audience and segment them to create a personalized and targeted market experience. With market segmentation, as a marketer, you will be able to focus more on your marketing efforts towards your individual customer segments. This will help you to cater to the specific desires and needs of your target customers. Read More: What Is Continuity In Business, And Why Is It Important? How Does Market Segmentation Work? According to G2.com, “Market segmentation aims to introduce a tailored message that will be received successfully. This is advantageous for companies with a product or service in the marketplace that boasts multiple benefits or uses for different types of customers. Accept the fact that you can’t be everything to everybody, and as a marketer, you can’t solve everyone’s problem or appeal to every single person.” Hence, market segmentation is a useful and effective growth strategy that marketers implement to reach strongly with their offerings to the target audience. To identify different market segments within a market, companies use three criteria - The segment’s common needs (Homogeneity) The uniqueness of the group from others (Distinction) A similar response to the market (Reaction) Let’s take an example of an apparel store having different market segments for football players and basketball players. Being part of different groups, football players and basketball players respond to different advertisements. If the apparel company understands the uniqueness of these two different market segments, branding will be easier for them. What Are The Types Of Market Segmentation? The following are some of the major types of market segmentation that marketers implement to find out their niche market: 1. Demographic Segmentation Here, companies break the market segment into common demographics based on gender, age, income, race, education, occupation, and more factors. With this segmentation, companies assume that individuals belonging to similar demographics have similar needs. This is one of the most common methods of market segmentation. 2. Geographic Segmentation Here, the marketers segment a particular population based on factors like physical location. In this case, they assume that people living within a given geographical area have similar needs. It is a great strategy that larger companies use if they want to open new branches in a new place or want to expand their operations. 3. Psychographic Segmentation Here, the company tries to segment a population based on personality, lifestyle, opinions, and interests. This makes it one of the most difficult market segmentation approaches. This is because these are difficult to achieve since objective data are not available on these traits, and these traits change easily. However, if done properly, these provide the strongest results. 4. Behavioral Segmentation In this case, marketers depend a lot on consumer actions, market data, and the consumers’ decision-making patterns. Here, the grouping of the consumers is done based on how they have previously interacted with markets and products. The previous spending habits of the consumers show what they actually want. What Are The Benefits Of Market Segmentation? According to Shopify.com, “It’s easier to reach, target, and engage customers with a niche business that specifically appeals to a segment of the market. Use this strategy to identify the most profitable segments for your business. Remember, market segmentation isn’t a one-off activity, as consumer preferences change and new competitors emerge.” The following are the major benefits of market segmentation: Better resource efficiency The brand image gets stronger It creates a higher potential for brand loyalty Targeted advertising is better Market differentiation is more effective What Are The Limitations Of Market Segmentation? The following are a few limitations of market segmentation that you need to be aware of: The upfront marketing expenses are higher, as companies spend a lot on gaining data. Since a large market is under consideration, the product-line complexity increases as a result. Misassumptions are common, and this creates a lot of risk for marketers. The process of market segmentation can only be done if the data is reliable. Hence, it depends a lot on the source of data. Read More: Business Continuity Plan – What Is It, And How Does It Work? Wrapping Up With the help of market segmentation, marketers try to identify targeted groups of consumers so as to tailor their own products and services to make them attractive to the customer group. The segmentation is done in four main ways - demographically, geographically, psychographically, and behaviorally. With the help of market segmentation, companies can minimize their risks by finding out which products are the ones that are most likely to earn the attention of the target market. What do you think is the most important benefit of market segmentation? Share your opinions with us 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
September, 09 2023
Market Cannibalization – Definition, How Does It Work, Example, And More
Market cannibalization is one of the worst things that a business can face with its products and services. It mostly happens when a company comes in with a new product for the market, and because of this, the demand for its original product starts to decline. This leads to the business experiencing losses not only in sales but also in revenue and market share. Hence, due to this fear, many companies hesitate to develop new products. In this article, you will also learn about market cannibalization, how it works for businesses, and the ways in which it affects a business’s market as well as its product line. We will take a look at the phenomenon with the help of a simple example. Finally, we will provide you with tried-and-tested steps to prevent market cannibalization in business. Hence, to learn more, read on through to the end of the article. What Is Market Cannibalization? According to Investopedia, “Market cannibalization is a loss in sales caused by a company's introduction of a new product that displaces one of its own older products. The cannibalization of existing products leads to no increase in the company's market share despite sales growth for the new product.” It works in most cases where the earlier product, as well as the new product of the business, share a common base of customers. It can also happen when a fast food outlet or chain store loses its customers after a store of the same brand starts operating nearby. It also happens when the new product is almost the same as the product that is already existing. Both these products have the same target audience. However, the introduction of the new product in the market puts the existing products of the business out of the market. This, in turn, affects the business a lot, as the business faces stagnant growth in the market despite an increase in sales of the new product it launched. Despite enticing new customers with the new products, the phenomenon results in attracting the already existing customers towards the new product as well. As an outcome, the sales and growth of the company get a major hit. Read More: Market Orientation – What Is It, And How Does It Work? How Does Market Cannibalization Work? According to Indeed.com, “Even with a detailed marketing plan, cannibalization may occur depending on how the general customer base reacts to the new product. Whether or not the products are competitive, customers may prefer the new one. A common reason why this happens is that two products may be too similar.” Let’s say a technology company sells smartphones. And they introduce a new one which is similar to the old one. The customers that were attracted to the old one now start liking the new one and purchase it. Hence, the new product was sold at the cost of the sales of the old one. Therefore, although the new product got major sales, the sales of the old product were affected. Hence, there is no increase in sales of the company. In fact, considering a new product was launched, the sales actually got affected. In various marketing campaigns, companies unintentionally, however, discourage their existing customers from using previous products. The tone of the marketing here suggests that the product has become obsolete as compared to the new one. Example Of Market Cannibalization Corporate Finance Institute gives a simple explanation of market cannibalization - “There are certain situations where market cannibalization cannot be avoided. For example, we now see tons of department stores that operate as online businesses as well. The store owners already understand the risk that its online sales can jeopardize those of its brick-and-mortar stores.” Let’s take an example of a well-known company - Apple Inc. When Apple releases a new iPhone with new features, it never shies away from explaining why the product is better than before. Furthermore, the company also ensures that the new iPhone reaches all Apple stores throughout the world. Hence, many people are attracted to the new one since they know that the latest one is better than the previous one, despite it being more expensive. As a result, the sales of the older iPhones start dropping. However, Apple makes up for this loss amazingly. It increases the price of the new one and also captures the current customers of its competitors. This helps in increasing Apple’s customer base. How To Prevent Market Cannibalization? - Steps To Follow The following are some of the major steps that you will need to take if you want to prevent market cannibalization in your company: 1. Determine Your Market Goals Before launching a product, have a clear idea of what are your goals with that. What do you want to achieve - customer loyalty? eliminate competition? filling a market-gap? - Find out through research. 2. Analyze Your Market Never ever launch a product without properly understanding your customers’ behavior and market dynamics. Always research the performance of your existing products and how much do customers like them. 3. Test Your Customers Before Extending The Product Find out your potential customers, and test the product beforehand. Ask for genuine feedback from the customers. You can do so by surveys, interviews, experiments, etc. Validate your assumptions based on results. 4. Monitor The Product’s Performance Monitor the performance of the product after its initial launch. You can use various metrics like - customer satisfaction, market share, profit, sales, etc., to evaluate the product’s extension. 5. Focus On Innovation Constant innovation and differentiation are required for your products if you want to avoid cannibalization. Keeping up with the needs and demands of customers might help. Read More: Matrix Organizational Structure – What Are Its Pros And Cons? Summing Up Hope this article was helpful for you in understanding the phenomenon of market cannibalization and how it affects businesses. In many cases, companies use it as a deliberate strategy to blow out competition, while sometimes, it results in the failure of the company itself to reach its target market. To stop market cannibalization from happening, consider following the aforementioned steps in the previous section. What is your opinion on market cannibalization, and do you have any recommendations to stop the same? Share your insights on the matter with us in the comments section below. Read Also: Matrix Organizational Structure – What Are Its Pros And Cons? Business Continuity Plan – What Is It, And How Does It Work? What Is Continuity In Business, And Why Is It Important?
September, 09 2023