Have you been curious about stepping into the world of network marketing but aren’t sure where to start? Don’t fret, you’re in the right place! Network marketing offers unique opportunities and can be lucrative for those willing to put in the effort and stay the course. 

Online network marketing specifically is a unique blend of an old-school business model with a modern and updated twist that can give you time freedom, flexibility, and a high earning potential if you get set up with the right systems! 

So, whether you're driven by passion, lifestyle aspirations, or financial benefits, embarking on this journey requires the right mindset, tools, and stick-to-it-ness. Now, network marketing can easily be integrated into an existing business or begun as a completely new venture so let’s go ahead and outline exactly what you need to know about how to start network marketing.

How Do I Start Network Marketing for Beginners?

Starting anything new is a mix of excitement and curiosity and network marketing is no exception. One of the biggest things to consider when planning out how to start network marketing is realizing that this industry is much more about you than any brand or niche.

Yes, it absolutely helps to focus on a specific audience. This is especially true if you have expertise with certain topics that are relevant to them, but when we get down to the nitty gritty details, network marketing is about connecting with people. 

It can be easy when getting started to forget the primary base that this industry is built on: your network. Afterall, it’s called network marketing for a reason. Those who quickly excel in this type of business either already have a large, close network or they’re especially good at building those connections and relationships that can support their business. 

Now, if you have a small network, this doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed! It just means that building a network, getting referrals, and seeking out new opportunities to meet people should be your top priority. This provides you with a pool of new potential customers.

If you’re in the planning stage of how to start network marketing, take a look below at our top tips and considerations for both our established business owners and our newbies. The tactics and strategy for these two groups have a lot of overlap but also some pretty key differences to note and make sure you're setting yourself up for success!

For The Business Veterans:

• Transition Smoothly

Ease into network marketing, ensuring your existing audience isn't left in the dark. Weave this new venture naturally into your existing business so your audience knows you’re committed and doesn’t feel like they’re just being “sold” on a new shiny thing. 

• Real Stories Matter 

Genuine testimonials help bridge trust in this new product. Share experiences that resonate with your audience as you are warming them up. 

• Consistency is Crucial

Your brand's voice? Keep it familiar and reliable. People on your email list or in your network have come to know you already so be sure to keep things consistent in the way you communicate with them, even if the topic is a little different than your norm.

• Educate and Engage: 

Host sessions, webinars, and workshops to introduce your audience to your new network marketing business. Understand that not everyone will be interested, and that’s okay!

For Those New to Business:

• Share Your Passion 

What drew you to network marketing? Your story can inspire others. This is commonly known as ‘sharing your why’ and can help you be more relatable to your audience. We all have struggles and reasons behind our decisions and being open about those reasons builds trust. 

• Share Yourself

While it’s tempting to highlight your new favorite product in every social media post or conversation, you don’t want to be a walking billboard for your product.  As we said before, network marketing is more about you as a person. People want to connect with people so be sure to share about yourself, not just your product.

• Engage Authentically

Focus on building relationships, not just potential customer lists. Genuine interactions go a long way. Network marketing has [luckily] moved away from the ‘hey girl’ messages to your friends from high school and can be done in a much more authentic and organic way.

• Find Your Community: 

Engage in online platforms and local events. Look for Facebook groups to find your tribe and build a community and also use websites like Meetup to find activities and events in your neighborhood. The goal of growing a community is to enrich the lives of everyone involved, so focus on building relationships with people first and foremost.

When investigating how to start network marketing, the basics are the same for both established and new business owners but as you can see there are some nuances in the nitty gritty of building your business

But how long does it really take to truly learn network marketing?

How Long Does It Take to Learn Network Marketing?

As with any new skill or venture, the learning curve is different for everyone! And while the principles are the same with network marketing as a whole, there are also some slight differences depending on your company, your product line, the structure of your team, and what the average upfront cost is for a new customer. 

It’s more important to focus on being in a growth mindset when planning your first steps in your network marketing business. Accept that you likely won’t be the best network marketer right out of the gate and commit to the learning process itself.

It’s about the journey of self-improvement and growth, more so than the destination, but that’s the case with most good things, right?

You’ll learn a ton through experience, trial and error, and practice but since we're here to help you on your journey of learning how to start network marketing, let’s highlight some potential pitfalls with new network marketers.

Why Do Some in Network Marketing Struggle?

In this day and age, we all most likely know someone who has tried and failed at network marketing. There are also lots of people out there who have changed their lives by starting a business in this industry. Whether changing your life means adding an extra $200 or $2,000 dollars to your monthly income, there are some things to watch out for as you’re learning how to start network marketing:

• Training Gaps 

A frequently used phrase in network marketing is “Be a product of the product”. Knowing the ins and outs of what you’re selling is important. You don’t have to know the entire catalog by heart right away but get familiar with a base line of products that you can confidently educate people about.

• Shallow Networking 

Genuine, deep connections foster growth in your business. Focus on building solid connections with people and not trying to sell them too quickly as that comes across as inauthentic. Once you’ve taken the time to build that trust, new friends will frequently open their networks up to you as well. 

• Unrealistic Expectations

Steady growth always trumps overnight success. Taking the time to build your business in a stable way increases the likelihood that you’ll maintain your business for the long haul. Going into network marketing with the idea of overnight success almost always leads to burnout and frustration.

Network marketing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and often isn’t a quick rise to the top, but for those that are committed to the process, it can be life changing and provide a stable source of income, or even generational wealth, for years to come.

We’ve covered the potential pitfalls when it comes to network marketing growth and how to start network marketing, but what skills are important to focus on in this industry? 

What are the Essential Skills for Network Marketing?

The first play out of any business playbook, and deserves a spot in your daily life as well, is to cultivate consistency. Consistency is at the root of forming new habits and maintaining old ones. When you look really closely though, the true magic of consistency is in its ability to outshine both motivation and perfection. 

Motivation in your business [and in your life, for that matter] waxes and wanes and perfection is a much sought after illusion. Consistency, by definition, stands the test of time and can easily move the needle in your business. So by cultivating consistency in your business, you can get really good at showing up and serving your audience through these strategies:

• Listen Actively

Understand how to provide value to your customers. At least in the beginning of a new customer relationship, it's important to do more listening and less talking so you know exactly what they’re looking for, not what you believe is best for you to sell them. 

• Manage Your Time

Juggling tasks is an effective skill to have in business and as a network marketer, you are effectively an entrepreneur. This means that you have the flexibility to set your own hours and schedule, but also means that you have to learn to effectively manage your time to succeed. 

• Adaptability

As the market shifts, so should your strategies. This is the heart of maintaining a growth mindset. What worked last year might not work this year, so be committed to testing and learning as you go. 

• Get Comfortable Getting Uncomfortable

Starting any new business venture tends to push us out of our comfort zones. This is a healthy and constructive thing, although scary for some. So getting comfortable with getting uncomfortable right from the start will fast pace your growth 

While reaching out to strangers or putting themselves out there might come naturally to some people, it doesn’t for others but offers lots of ways to grow and evolve both yourself and your business.  

Now, when you’re looking into how to start network marketing, reaching out to your friends and family is a great and very natural first option but most likely sooner or later, you’ll need to expand your network. So we’ve rounded up some easy options for widening your reach and building your network.

How to Boost My Network Marketing Strategy?

When you’ve gone through your initial network or friends, family, or coworkers, it’s possible that you’ll need to tap into new groups of people to effectively build your network. While we’ve discussed some strategies earlier in this post, we’re expanding here to get you going on the right track and speed up your growth!

• Embrace the Digital 

Utilize online platforms to enhance your reach. If you already have a social media presence, this is easy! Just start weaving your products into your feed. Use your products on camera, talk about them, or about why you started in your network marketing business to easily warm up your audience on your new venture.

• Collaborate for Growth 

Team up with like-minded individuals or businesses to benefit everyone involved. Frequently there are business meetups or networking groups in most large and medium sized cities. These allow you to network with lots of other business owners and meet new people that might be interested in your products.

• Stay Organized

Keeping track of your growing network ensures that no potential or current customers slip through the cracks. While this can certainly be done the old fashion way [hello, pen and paper] there are also software platforms that can help you get new potential customers, track the potential customers you’ve communicated with, and educate the customers that you already have. 

Here at Social Fox, we’ve helped hundreds of network marketers to organize and streamline their business so they can build more effectively and also more efficiently, thus saving them time, headache, and missed opportunities. 

Elevate Your Journey with Social Fox!

Social Fox is a state-of-the-art platform tailored to network marketers and other business owners, alike. We offer a suite of tools and resources to amplify, enhance, and simplify your marketing endeavors. From novices to seasoned professionals, Social Fox provides a blend of technological solutions and community-driven insights.

Beyond just the marketing software, we're here to guide and support you and your efforts. We have a training library and monthly live training sessions helping you understand the nuances of network marketing all the way to mastering the advanced strategies. Not only that, our team is composed of network marketing professionals who understand the ins and outs of this unique industry.

We’d love to be a part of your growth journey and if you’re itching to see how we can help you build your network marketing business, jump on our calendar for a free demo call. We’re excited to meet you and bring you into our growing community!