Launching your MLM start up can be tough, especially in today’s ever changing landscape of social media and Internet marketing.  Over the next several days I will go into detail about some very important elements of that process.  What to do, and things to avoid will just be the start.  I will look deeper into how to best use the tools and platforms available, what common pitfalls to avoid and coming trends to be ready for.  Today I will talk about the initial phase for creating a footprint in a highly saturated space.

Getting your MLM Start Up Off the Ground

Building a Hub

The first step is to build a corporate website, a focal point for all your activity, a destination populated by engaging content.  A point of contact to get new users signed-up or involved in a pre-enrollment system is key.  You need a clear call-to-action in order to collect subscribers info.  Start an email marketing campaign, with a newsletter to build buzz and attract new readers or followers. Create a blog that can be home to your announcements, new videos, content links for the newsletter, a place for interested users to return.  Making a schedule for updating your blog is very helpful.  This can be done manually or by setting your posts to go live at preset dates and times. Capturing the traffic you have generated, even in pre-launch is very important.  Your website content should have a clear and concise sequence to lead people through to a compelling and explicit call-to-action, and in the process educating and highlighting your product or opportunity. Building awareness is important, but converting your visitors into leads, turning attention into recruiting is the difference in success and failure at this level.

Another important element to building your hub, is having a flexible content management system.  Some criteria to consider are; a system for easy updates to your site, management over interactive features such as comments, social sharing and liking. You will also need a method to manage useful media like photos and video.  Install a tracking system like Google Analytics, this will allow you to see trends in your visitors, track keywords and visitor data that will lead to conversions.

Get the Word Out

Your website is up and running, the blog is being updated with engaging content, you are posting videos and news, an email list and newsletter is up and running, now what?  Use all the tools that are available to your advantage, build your network through social media, setup profiles on Twitter and Facebook. The more active you are on Facebook the more likely you are to stay in news-feeds and on the minds of your new connections.  Build their curiosity, they have come this far, make sure they stay with you.

Keeping your momentum is vital, stay active with social media, don’t let yourself become stagnant, have a strategy for keeping content current.  Revisit relevant forums and discussions, make sure you are commenting on blog posts and threads that relate to your content and more importantly, where your prospective distributors are active and reading.  Consistency is key in both a digital and analog sense;  search algorithms and human emotions both react to constant input.

Now is also the time to ramp up your advertising campaign.  Starting a PPC model or using banner ads to direct traffic to your site will help you build your growing base.  Understanding keyword search terms and your site analytics will help shape and drive traffic to your site as well. Knowing who exactly you are speaking to at this point is critical.  Building a presence online with no real understanding of your audience is all to common, think of this as being lost in a maze.  Knowing who your base is, and what they are after is like navigating that maze with a clear map in your hand, guiding you through what seems like chaos to a very clear goal.

Have the Crucial Tools

Having the right tools during the launch of your MLM start up is paramount.  Starting off with the wrong foundations will effect everything you set on top of it.  You will need a few systems in place in order for your rollout to happen as smoothly as possible.

First you will need the right back office solution.  This system will manage everything from payroll and human resources, to accounting and point of sale.  The right back office system will be taking care of everything in-house, all elements of your business that do not reach your customers.  This can be the systems to manage everything including telephones, receipts and sales transactions, inventory and a company information database.

The second crucial tool is having the correct replicated website software for your sales force.  Your distributors need a website that is a clear funnel for incoming leads.  The right software will give your sales force control over the content on their site and the tools to personalize their home online, while also having a system in place to remain compliant within your company.

Empowerkit for your MLM start up

You have your corporate website built, you are updating your blog with fresh content, newsletters are going out, your social media profiles are buzzing with excitement, your site analytics are telling you that you have the traffic you want, your back office is rolling, now is the big moment.  Make sure your workforce has the right replicated website to succeed.  The Empowerkit approach to replicated websites is the perfect balance between company and distributor control.  Our replicated websites offer an array of applications like blogging, photo and video galleries, social media integration, an RSS feed, auto-responder, analytics, and a lead capture capability just to name a few.  Empowerkit creates intuitive and simple to navigate replicated websites for your MLM start up.

Image credits:  mkreyness (Your MLM Start Up needs a Hub), ItzaFineDay (Spread the Word about Your MLM Start Up), Leartes (Set the Right Foundation for Your MLM Start UP)