A client of mine recently added a second company to her direct sales business. Since it’s completely different from her first product, we needed to focus on building interest within a new target market. You may have not added a second company, but this process is useful any time you start looking for new ways to connect with your potential customers. Here are the steps we took to start branding her new product and meeting new people to serve…
- Google it: If you were going to do a Google search for your product, service or opportunity what key words would you use to find it? Jewelry, Organizing, Age-Fighting, Scrapbooking, Fashion, Pictures, Handbags? Searching these words and seeing what shows up will help you uncover clues that could lead you to find people who are interested in what you have to offer.
- Branding: It’s always a good idea to use your name when branding your business. That way, if you are “Mary the purse consultant” you can easily become “Mary the purse & candle consultant.” Positioning yourself as YOU (and not just your product) opens the doors for more people to follow YOU — regardless of what you are selling.
- Social Media: Once you are clear on your branding (hint: your brand is always YOU) set up a Facebook Fan Page and Twitter account. Even if you’re still “twitchy about twitter” creating that account and letting posts from your Fan Page “feed it” allows you a gentle start on building that following.
- Twitter: is also a great way to find people interested in your product. Do a Twitter search (just the way you did on Google) by adding a hash tag (this thing #) to search words in THAT search box. You’ll find out who’s tweeting about buying, selling or using your product.
- The Secret Sauce: take the information you “Googled “and start posting it on your fan page, e.g. don’t just share your product, share information that is RELATED to YOU, your product AND especially your audience. That’s the secret sauce! If, for example, your primary product is handbags, then you may want to include posts about fashion. If you have a bag that could be a diaper bag you could share posts about motherhood, parenting, or new baby care. Remember, it’s not about you. Talk to your audience about their interests. Become a friend and a resource…don’t just “sell” them
When starting out with a new company or relighting the fire in your current business, take time to do some research and applying it to your Social Media plan. Make it easy for your customers to beat a path to your door, no matter what you sell!
hi Melissa!
I have three companies now. Yes, I’m insane. Truly, the first company is my heart and the others I started because, well, they supported what I was doing with the first company and I’m able to brand myself as a resource for other direct sales pros looking for ways to help communicate with their clients and team members. I’m wondering about whether I should have ONE website leading to all my offshoots. Right now I have a zillion different websites and my main website that I advertise everywhere is just a squeeze page for people who may be interested in my primary biz. I’m wondering whether to have one main website now. Did you do your own website? Do you do websites for your clients?
With this client who started with a second business, are you helping her lead traffic to both of her company replicated websites, or to one main hub?
What other recommendations do you have for us crazy people who have hands in a few different pies?
You’re wonderful, thank you!
Hi Heather,
It’s so wonderful to hear from you Heather, and you are far from insane! I’m so glad you posted your question!
Since you already work with multiple companies I’m sure you’ve considered this, but for others who are thinking about adding on, you need to be careful about how you cross promote different direct sales companies as to not cause any conflicting issues with each of them, in other words be sure to read the fine print with each company. That being said, I think it’s a great idea to have one website in your name as your “hub”, directing everyone who finds YOU to each of your different ventures. Yes, I created my own website, and am in development for my own “named” website as well. Creating websites is not a service I provide however, I do have a wonderful network of connections to help you get the job done.
Each of my clients gets a personalized and custom plan for their needs, so what our focus is for her growing company may be different than what you need for an already established company. But our focus is on building interest for her new company via social media, the websites are still in development.
My other recommendation is to get some good systems in place, knowing what each step in any of your business processes is will help you keep all your marketing, branding, team building and customer service actions rolling along.
If you would like to discuss a plan of action in further detail, I’d LOVE to schedule a Strategy Session with you!
Shine On!
Melissa