MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) and Franchise businesses are usually supplied with some great marketing materials that set them up with the corporate brand and allow them to focus on selling, connecting, and the many other aspects of running their business. This is a great idea, except it doesn’t usually help you stand out since everyone in your company uses the same materials. Even if you aren’t competing with others in your company, if your audience has already seen these materials, they aren’t likely to give you a second look. You must do something different than everyone else, try new ideas, break the mold.

To run a successful company, no matter what type of business you’re in, you must stand out from your competition. Many MLM and Franchise Businesses are supplied with a website, flyers, business cards, postcards, etc.

So what can you do to be different? Well there are tons of ways to market your company, you have to find something that will work in your industry and help you to be different and extraordinary with your audience.

Create your own website

You already have a site provided by your company, but does it give you everything you need? Does it market you in the way you need in order to make you stand out? The trouble with the sites provided by your parent company is that it’s a one-size-fits-all solution and doesn’t take into account your region, your specialities and uniqueness, and your specific audience. Custom sites allow you to tailor a site that’s made for you and gives people more to do and more to see. Create a site that you can use to market your business. Use it to add a photo gallery, a more specific and specialized list of services, add an event calendar, attach it to a blog, add resources for your clients. Do something that showcases your company well as the hard-working and passionate business that you are.

Make sure you:

• Still follow your parent company’s brand guidelines but distinguish yourself and make it different
• Use an easy to share url like cosmeticsfromshannon.com
• Give your customers something more than they can get from your parent company site
• Link to your parent company site to show your affiliation, especially if you have specialty things on there like a shopping cart, RSVP system or event calendar that they’ve provided you with
• Connect to your social media efforts so they can interact with you where they feel more comfortable

Start a blog

I’ve heard from many MLM’ers and Franchisers that additional websites are against the rules set out by their parent company and that’s fair enough. Another avenue to get more content out there is to start a blog. A blog is a great way to give valuable resources and knowledge to your community. It shows your expertise in the industry and that you have something to offer besides just the products you list, you have experience and extensive knowledge in your toolbox. People love to share blog posts that are relevant and provide value, which is great exposure for you too!

A blog can help with:

• SEO (more keywords and links for you to be searched by)
• Expanding your community through comments or sharing
• Showing your uniqueness and regional aspects if you aren’t allowed an additional website

Create an email marketing campaign

An email list is a helpful way to stay in touch with current and past clients, as well as reach out to potential customers. You can offer knowledge and resources like on your blog, announce company news, link to your social media sites, etc. People like to connect in different ways, not everyone is on social media, so if you give people the option to stay in touch with you through email, you get one more route to stay at their top of their mind.

Helpful tips:

• Email often like once a month, but not too often that you’re spamming your list
• Give subscribers value and make them look forward to your emails each month/week
• Make your emails beautiful and a reflection of your company

Utilize social media

We’ve said it many times on here, social media is a great place to connect with people and expand your audience and reach. It’s especially important if you aren’t allowed to do any of the above items! As always, give people value and they will appreciate and respect you.

Ideas for your posts:

• Post often, like a few times a week or everyday
• Link to blog posts that people will find helpful and fun
• Encourage conversation by asking questions or starting polls

These are just a few ideas to get you thinking of ways to market your company. Just because your company has supplied you with great things to get you started, doesn’t mean you have to stop there. Use some creativity and push beyond the boundaries that have been set out for you to create something truly great.

MLM, Franchise, or anyone else, what have you done to market your company that made you stand out from the competition?