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The Future of Social Media and Direct Selling

Charity — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 16:46:48 +0000

Every company that is serious about direct selling has tried to figure out the best way for consultants to use social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. Companies are trying to develop rules protocol for their consultants on the web. Many network marketing companies decided long ago that it was not in their interest – not compatible with direct selling – to have their distributors offering products at shopping sites such as Ebay and Amazon.

Because network marketing is a person-to-person business, most companies feel as though the personal relationships developed by distributors are undermined if mass merchandising or retail sales replace direct selling. However, social networking websites are communication tools. The industry has faced the question as to whether social networking is a true communication tool or a recruiting tool.

The fact that social networking is anonymous and impersonal makes it questionable as to whether it’s a valuable business building tool.

Social networking certainly won’t enable consultants to gain instant success by simply creating a Facebook page and inviting “friends.” A social media account doesn’t instantly promise a large sales organization, although occasionally it can help grow a consultant’s business. Social media is a clever tool for staying in contact with customers and potential customers; therefore, MLM companies are still adjusting to the flood that is social networking.

Be sure that you read your company’s policies and procedures to understand your rights regarding the of use your social networking accounts for business.

MLMLegal.com is bustling with educational content for direct sellers and startup/existing MLM companies! Be sure to visit us often!

If you are interested in attending the Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company conference visit our conference page, view our speaker list, or get more details. All executives/owners of direct selling companies are welcome to attend. Call 800-231-2162 to register.

Our next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference takes place October 27 and 28, 2016 in Las Vegas. View our conference flyer and speaker list online. Participate in our Innovation Campaign for your chance to receive TWO FREE TICKETS to attend our next conference.

If you’re reading this blog post and the conference dates above have passed, check our website for the current conference dates.

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MLMLegal.com has a New Face!

Charity — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 22:16:31 +0000

How long has it been since you’ve visited MLMLegal.com? Are you someone who’s been visiting our website for years? You’ll be surprised to see that we’ve given MLMLegal.com a new face! And we are working on updating more pages throughout 2016!

As you can see, a new and easy-to-use navigation bar helps visitors easily find what they are looking for, whether it be the blog, articles, videos, MLM resources, conference pages, or one of the many other resources we have on our website for direct sellers.

The main homepage image was provided by expert MLM Attorney himself! Jeff Babener! While on a trip to Europe. These beautiful mountains provide us with the metaphor “Let Us Be Your Guide.” Let the Law Office of Babener and Associates, MLMLegal.com, guide you through the sometimes difficult MLM industry and its legal climate. As experienced network marketing attorneys, who have been in the industry for three decades, and who have represented companies such as Melaleuca, Avon, Herbalife, NuSkin, USANA, Nerium, Excel, and Team National, we have the experience and credibility to help you navigate the direct selling industry.

Let us be your guide through the education we provide throughout our website in the form of articles, videos, and MLM resources. Or, let us be your guide in helping you start or run your direct selling company; we advise in all of the legal aspects of starting up or running MLM, network marketing companies.

Our new homepage offers you quick and easy-to-find links so that you can easily contact us, request a free MLM Startup Manual, gather information regarding our next MLM Startup Conference, or subscribe to our new newsletter, MLM News Global.

The new MLMLegal.com homepage still features new content, this time under its own, clearly-outlined section.

Scroll down some more to find exactly what you were looking for, such as the free MLM Startup Manual. The articles inside are clearly outlined for you. And, you can click the image or the text links to be taken to the online form request page.

What else is important?

A scrolling carousal provides you with images taken of past conferences and directs your eye and mouse directly to the page where you can find out when the next conference takes place.

And now, you can find all of Jeff Babener’s videos (over 100!) in one location, the homepage!

…Right along with Mr. Babener’s most popular industry articles!

And don’t forget about the rest of the MLM, network marketing, direct selling content on MLMLegal.com! The Law Library is where you can find all of Mr. Babener’s articles, federal and state cases, MLM law in 50 states, MLM business articles, IRS 911 Publication, and so many more article index pages that can be easily navigated.

Hint: Each new webpage now has related video and page content at the end of each webpage.

As does our new homepage! The end of each page has links to related material, or other related pages that we suggest that you visit while you’re here! On the homepage, we suggest that you visit the MLM Startup Conference page, request a FREE copy of the MLM Startup Manual, and visit our Contact Us page.

And finally, at the bottom of the pages at our new website are links to our social networking pages! Follow us on Twitter! Friend us on Facebook! Like our Facebook page! Visit us on LinkedIn or Google+! There are lots of easy ways to stay in touch with us and now we’ve made it easy for you to find us online!

We thought a lot about you when redesigning our new website. We hope you find it more manageable yet still famous for being full of lots of useful content!

Our next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference takes place February 25 & 26, 2016 in Las Vegas. View our conference flyer and speaker list online. Participate in our Innovation Campaign for your chance to receive TWO FREE TICKETS to attend our next conference.

If you’re reading this blog post and the conference dates above have passed, check our website for the current conference dates.

Sign up for the MLM News Global newsletter for top headlines, news stories, scam alerts, videos, articles, and more information on the network marketing industry.

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

3 Ways to Start Promoting Your Network Marketing Business

Charity — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 21:29:56 +0000

Promoting your network marketing business can be done in many ways. Here are three ways to begin promoting your MLM business:

Warm Market

Most network marketers first approach their warm market, that is, their friends, family and acquaintances. Friends and family can easily become your first customers, and in some cases, will also join the company in your downline.

Social Media

Secondly, social media is an excellent way to advertise your business. Create a Facebook page and Twitter account used only for business purposes. Invite your existing friends and family to “like” or “follow” you on your business pages. Update your feed frequently with company promotions and special product pricing. Another underutilized method to advertise your business on social media is online groups. Search Facebook for local moms and dads groups if you are selling a parenting-related product. Search for business groups and groups that allow for business promotion and join them. Make sure the group allows sharing of businesses before you begin to post. Or, start your own Facebook or Google+ group! Online groups are great ways to network and share your home business with like-minded individuals in your community.

Online Advertising

Thirdly, there are many online advertising websites that offer free classifieds posting. Write an ad and post it online for free. To find online classified websites, Google “free classifieds online” and choose one of the many websites that allow advertising of MLM products and services.

The key to success in any business is being able to sell to anyone and everyone. Successful consultants sell products to teachers at their child’s school, neighbors who they meet at the park, and even other parents at the PTA. Keep the success of your business at the front of your mind, no matter where you are or what you are doing and this will help you achieve success in your business!

Our next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference takes place October 22 and 23, 2015 in Las Vegas. View our conference flyer and speaker list online. Participate in our Innovation Campaign for your chance to receive TWO FREE TICKETS to attend our next conference.

If you’re reading this blog post and the conference dates above have passed, check our website for the current conference dates.

Sign up for the MLM News Global newsletter for top headlines, news stories, scam alerts, videos, articles, and more information on the network marketing industry.

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

Are Their Concerns about Consultants Marketing Their MLM Business through Social Media?

Charity — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 18:04:31 +0000

Some legal case authorities claim that if a consultant announces that they are going to join another MLM company on Facebook then it’s protected under freedom of expression by the First Amendment. Therefore, a company cannot accuse a consultant of raiding their downline for distributors. Other courts and cases have suggested that consultants separate out their Facebook downline from those of friends and family.

It is very common for consultants to have friends on their social media accounts who are friends and customers, or co-workers and friends, or family friends and work friends, as well as also being someone they know in their direct selling business as customers or sponsors. Since many consultants often sell to their warm market first, distributors often know their customers or sponsor as friends, relatives, or church members. This causes some issues to arise for the MLM company.

A common issue that the industry is grappling with right now occurs when a consultant leaves a network marketing company and joins another MLM company, then begins promoting the second company to their Facebook friends (or other social networks) and to the people who are in their downline organization from the first company. The question is often asked as to whether or not this is considered distributor raiding. The industry has not come to a consensus on this issue yet. Many MLM companies, however, do ask that consultants who leave their company and start selling for another company, not raid their sales organization because they’re damaging the livelihood of all of the other consultants left behind. The industry is working its way through this issue but has not come up with concrete solution to the problem yet.

There is conflicting legal case authority on the issue. Some legal case authorities claim that if a consultant announces that they are going to join another MLM company on Facebook then it’s protected under freedom of expression by the First Amendment. Therefore, a company cannot accuse a consultant of raiding their downline for distributors. Other courts and cases have suggested that consultants separate out their Facebook downline from those of friends and family. But, as we saw above, Facebook friends do not always fit into black and white categories. Often, your friend is also your co-worker. Your relative is also your customer. Your neighbor is also your friend. The courts have argued that Facebook is, in a way, simply a sophisticated means of sending emails because each post is like sending out a bulk email to several hundred people. From this prospective, deciding on whether or not there is a conflict is complex.

We will let you know if the courts come to a deciding factor anytime in the future. In the meantime, if you are in a similar position, we recommend that you read your company’s policies and procedures to see their specific policy on the topic of consultant raiding. You will also find hundreds of articles on our website(s) and blogs on the topic of distributor raiding.

Here are a few that may be of interest to you:

Why do MLM Companies Require Distributors to Use Replicated Websites Rather than Distributor-Created Websites?

Executive Interview by the DSWA – “Legal Hotspots for Direct Selling Companies” with Jeff Babener – Video

Can I and should I join multiple companies and establish multiple downlines?

MLM Company Policies on Social Networks and Distributor Raiding

How Have Raiding Rules Evolved in Direct Selling Contracts and Policies and Procedures? – Video

How Have Raiding Rules Evolved in Direct Selling Contracts and Policies and Procedures?

Has There Been Cases Won or Lost on the Topic of Social Media and Distributor Raiding?

If you’re reading this blog post and the conference dates above have passed, check our website for the current conference dates.

Sign up for the MLM News Global newsletter for top headlines, news stories, scam alerts, videos, articles, and more information on the network marketing industry.

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

Has There Been Cases Won or Lost on the Topic of Social Media and Distributor Raiding?

Charity — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 18:31:07 +0000

Has There Been Cases Won or Lost on the Topic of Social Media and Distributor Raiding?

There have been legal rulings both ways on this subject. Some companies have argued that when distributors communicate their intentions to leave a company and begin with a new one on Facebook then they are targeting. Others have argued the opposite point of view. At some point there will be a resolution to this debate at the appellate case level. At this point, most companies would ask that people not promote to people on their Facebook page who’ve been in their downline; however, many distributors would disagree arguing that their Facebook friends are not the friends of the company.

In other cases, consultants want to be “friends” with top leaders and company executives on Facebook in order to stay in the loop and then find themselves in a conflicting position when they want to leave to another company. A deciding factor is yet to be made on this point.

Your best educational resource on the web: check out the hundreds of articles, videos, company profiles, and more at MLMLegal.com.

If you’re reading this blog post and the conference dates above have passed, check our website for the current conference dates.

Sign up for the MLM News Global newsletter for top headlines, news stories, scam alerts, videos, articles, and more information on the network marketing industry.

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

10 Social Media Tips for the Network Marketer

Charity — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 21:46:43 +0000

Share with us your social media marketing tips below. We’d love to hear them.

Social media can be a valuable tool for network marketers; for both network marketing company owners and MLM consultants. Despite popular thought, social media can be complicated and difficult for the busy entrepreneur to navigate. Here are some tips to help you better market your network marketing company. We’ve provided 10 social media marketing tips for the average network marketer:

1) Create original and valuable content for your website and blog. Write content that visitors want to read, link to and share. The best content that you can create will be related to the type of product and/or service that you are offering. Share and link your new content and articles to your social media accounts.

2) Follow and “friend” others that have content related to your own. Share and “like” their content to encourage them to share and “like” your content in return.

3) Learn as much as possible about each social networking site that you join, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. The better you know how to navigate and use a social networking site, the better you’ll be able to use it to your benefit.

4) Build a blog and share the content you create on your social media accounts. Grow a list of subscribers and make use of these subscribers.

5) Utilize plugins and applications that connect your social media accounts. This will make content sharing much easier, especially if you have many social media accounts.

6) Learn all you can about hashtags, SEO (search engine optimization) and social media sharing. Limitless information about these topics can be found online.

7) Share your product photos and company highlight images on Instagram and other social media websites. Instagram in particular has been very generous to product-based companies.

8) Promote your business using social media by sharing your vision and goals with your friends and followers.

9) Track the success you’ve had with specific posts and shares and duplicate what works. If you have posts that fail to gain an audience, ask yourself why and make adjustments.

10) Avoid blatant advertising, sales and recruiting. Most people don’t appreciate blunt advertising.

Once you get used to using social media as a marketing tool, you’ll figure out what works for you and your company. Pay attention to what works best for your marketing needs. Share and post positive content and avoid anything that is negative, including complaints. Finally, social media is meant to be enjoyed, so have fun while you market your business online.

Share with us your social media marketing tips below. We’d love to hear how you’ve achieved success through social marketing.

For more information social media marketing for network marketing companies and consultants visit www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com.

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Our next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference takes place May 15th & 16th, 2014 in Las Vegas. Call 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to register.

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

Four Ways to Improve Your Success Using Social Media

Charity — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:28:57 +0000

It isn’t always easy to increase brand awareness using social media. Here are some tips on how you can improve brand awareness using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter:

1) Relate to your readers. Many business professionals using social media, like Twitter and Facebook, are uncomfortable with sharing “trivial” information on their social media networks, such as their hobbies. However, engaging readers by displaying your personality is crucial in building relationships online. You may be selling cosmetics through Mary Kay to earn extra income, but you may also enjoy gardening, and therefore, could share a picture of your latest backyard project. It is always nice to have a face behind the brand and the product that is relatable and real.

2) Engage your followers. Ask them questions, tell them our business story, allow them to have fun, and involve them in problem solving. Your followers will remain much more loyal to you if you are engaging and fun.

3) Let go of control. Create a marketing campaign in which your followers can participate, vote for or create something themselves. Motivate followers to participate in discussions, product ideas, etc. An article at YP.com titled “4 Steps to Connecting with Social Media Fans” states, “By actively seeking and incorporating feedback from your fans, you are shifting control to them and make them brand ambassadors.”

4) Pay attention to your followers. Be sure to pay attention to your social networks and respond to messages and notifications. You don’t want to appear distant or alienate your social media contacts by ignoring them. In addition, address any negative feedback as soon as possible and be sure to be positive.

There are many more ways to improve your brand using social media. What works for you? How do you attract and maintain an active audience of friends and followers online?

This post paraphrases a YP.com article located here.

For more information and updates on the direct selling industry visit www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com.

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Our next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference takes place October 24th & 25th, 2013 in Las Vegas. Call Charity before September 1st to receive a discount! 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162.

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.