What Entrepreneurs can learn from Multi-level Marketing
This blog is not about whether or not MLMs are a good business model. It's not about my personal opinion of MLMs or whether I think you should or shouldn’t participate in one.
All that said, I think we need to acknowledge that MLMs are doing something right, given how many people flock to them when looking to work from home. Regardless of how you or I may feel about multi-level marketing, when something is that effective, it's worth taking note and learning from.
Why Multilevel Marketing works
As entrepreneurs, we are surrounded by business owners who run MLM-based businesses…and I think I've cracked the code as to why they work. I know why they're so popular, and it's stupidly obvious and something that we non-MLM entrepreneurs can learn from. MLMs are popular because they create community around their product.
Because you need team members under you in order to succeed in multi-level marketing, the whole mission of an MLM is to create a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about a specific product or goal. When we are surrounded by like-minded community in our hobbies, interests, or business endeavors, it's easier to succeed (or feel successful) because you're more motivated.
It's like how habits form better when we have accountability. If you want to work out regularly, you sign up for a class at your gym. If you want to read more books, you join a book club. If you want to practice your faith actively, you go to church. We all know we're terrible at keeping up with resolutions on our own, but when someone else comes alongside us and offers to support us, it becomes less overwhelming and a lot more fun!
Community-building Ideas for Entrepreneurs
There are so many amazing ways to create community around your brand, service, or product without needing to be involved in an MLM! Here's a list of some of my favorite ways to grow community for your brand:
Create Engagement Opportunities in Instagram Stories:
One of the easiest ways to start fostering community around your brand is to do so on the platforms you already occupy. Odds are, if you're any kind of entrepreneur you're probably on Instagram, so use that! Start asking engaging questions in your Stories. If your audience is really detached and hesitant to engage, start out with polls where all they have to do is click their favorite of two options. Polls and Questions are super easy to create manually in Stories using the stickers Instagram already provides - and the answers will also help you learn more about your audience!
Start an Email List
The queen of online entrepreneurship herself, Jenna Kutcher, is constantly talking about this. An email list gives you more ownership over your community by separating it from social media platforms that may filter your content, experience outages, or have ever-shifting algorithms that make it hard for your audience to hear you. If someone is on your email list, you're guaranteed they'll at least see your subject line when it pops up in their inbox, whereas on social media only a small percentage of your following will actually ever see your posts regularly.
Shameless plug: join mine here, and maybe I’ll actually start using it! 🙃
Make a Facebook Group
This is my favorite kind of online community to be a part of! Facebook groups are a great way to grow a community around a shared interest, allows your audience to connect with one another and share their own thoughts and experiences relates to your brand or your group theme, and gives you another platform to speak to your audience through!
Because I love Facebook groups so much, I finally created my own! If you want to connect and support other Social Media Managers looking to up their writing game, join my group: Social Media Writers. I created this group to have a space where entrepreneurs can seek help and support for all things social media and online writing, from blogging to Instagram to Pinterest and more. I want us to be able to love and support one another, share the hacks that have brought us success, and lament the all-powerful algorithms. All are welcome!
Here are a few other favorites of mine that you should check out:
For Entrepreneurs: Boss Project, Thriving Female Entrepreneurs, FISDM
For Social Media: Social Media Money Makers, Social Media Managers
Healthy vs. Toxic Community
Whether you're a product or service-based entrepreneur, if you create your content and advertise your brand in a way that fosters community, growth will be a lot more natural and take much less effort on your part.
Take a look at Facebook groups - one of the best groups I'm in on Facebook is Skincare Fanatics - we all are super supportive of one another and I've found myself to be much more dedicated to my skincare routine now that I have a community to fall back on with any problems or questions. We connect on our shared passion for skincare, and it empowers us all to be better at having healthy skincare routines in our day as a result.
On the flip side of the coin, I think we've all seen what happens when those communities turn toxic. Ironically, one of the worst Facebook groups I've ever been in revolves around a very fun, childlike thing: Disney. Everyone is so opinionated and angry and judgmental, it doesn't feel like a safe place to share our interest because you never know if your opinion will be criticized en masse.
When creating your community, whether on social media or elsewhere, it's important to keep it healthy. Have clear standards and guidelines, and don't let toxic habits infiltrate, or your community may cause your business more harm than good.
