Tips on Forum Etiquette for Network Marketers

I wish more folks took the time to listen when the rules were pointed out to them. You've already made a good impression on me.

When we say don't post your link, you should not start posting your links in the posts. Have the link (non affiliate) in your signature only. The purpose of the discussion forum is discussion ... not self promotion, so posts that come off as self promotional will most likely be deleted. Too many times and it can result in getting banned.

There are a lot of paid advertising opportunities on the Warrior Forum and that is where you can self promote until you're dizzy.

If the program you're involved in focuses on building a downline instead of moving product, it's probably not a good MLM. In addition to that, if you focus your efforts on people seeking money making opportunities, you're competing with a ton more people (many of whom are experts on the marketing).

Take a serious look at the actual product your program sells. See what advantages there are. If it offers products for which people have a more effective, cheaper alternative, find another program. If the only benefit to being a member is the chance to make money from a downline, find another program.

Assuming you have a good product (or line of products) that is effective and competitively priced when compared to similar products, you can start marketing. Look at the product and think about what need it fills for customers. Write a report about how the product has improved your life, how the problem itself is difficult to fix, the benefits of a product like yours, whatever. Don't pimp the product in this report.

The report is what you give away to get list signups.

Focus on getting to sign up as members. Again, if there's no benefit from being a member (a discount or rebate on product, whatever), find a different program. If the benefits and costs of the product are not good enough that people would want to sign up as customers, you won't (ethically) be able to register and retain a downline.

Once you have customers, start explaining how they can introduce the great product(s) to friends and they'll get referral fees. Don't talk about "money while you sleep" or "building a MLM empire" or any of the other get rich quick buzz phrases. Don't talk about starting your own business because 95+% of people don't really give a damn about starting a business, but getting a kickback from signing up new customers is something everyone can understand. Once you have people signing others up, some of them will see the opportunity and run with it.

This is how MLM was originally designed to work.

Anyway:

Be sure you have a real product.
Find customers for that product.
Show them the benefits of referring other customers.

As far as the forum etiquette question:

Become knowledgeable about your product. Find forums where potential users of your product hang. Put a brief but compelling link to your squeeze page in your signature. Participate in discussions using your knowledge to contribute to meaningful dialogue. The knowledge and logic you display will build social proof to people who see the signature.

Dong the no-no things like starting threads about your product, drive by posting (leaving a short, valueless post just to get your signature in front of people's eyes, etc) reduces your social proof.

When your social proof rises, people will extend it to you. They will trust your program because they trust YOU.

That's forum marketing in a nutshell.

Hey, no biggie - you made a mistake. We all do. What says more about you is that you listened, you read and then you fixed it - and you didn't come back with a bad attitude about it.

This is a great forum to learn about marketing online but it's not the best place to learn about MLM. I'd recommend you looking for some forums more oriented towards network marketing for that side of your education.

The marketing principles you learn here will still be useful to you, no matter what you decide to promote.

You fixed whatever you did wrong before I saw it, and it looks like you took it well.

It's not directly related to forum marketing, but if you're as smart as I think you are, you'll see the application...

Pick up a copy of "The Greatest Networker in the World" and "Conversations With the Greatest Networker", both by John Milton Fogg.