Downline Building - A Bedtime Story Of Offline Vs. Online

Once upon a time there were two friends, Fred and Bob. Both joined the same networking marketing group, they often would meet for lunch and coffee and discuss just how rich they both were going to be. Bob said that he was going to use the Internet to propel his downline. Fred said he was going to use both online and offline methods.

Fred often participated in face-to-face presentations and meetings. He along with his business card, he would always hand out well written info packets that had his email list’s web address boldly highlighted. He always encouraged people to sign up for his email newsletter. Bob would just hand out his cards and hoped for the best.

Fred always included his “Newsletter” flyer (a printed sample of email newsletter) in any outgoing envelopes, packages, direct mail or catalogs he sent to customers or to business partners. And he always included his web address to his email list in any print ads. Bob would try and remember to stuff a business card or two into mailings if he thought about it.

Fred changed all his email programs so that “Subscribe to My Email Newsletter” was added every email, he ever sent to anyone. Bob decided to keep on using his “freebie” email service because he didn’t want to pay for web hosting.

Everytime Fred spoke with a potential prospect on the phone; he would always ask if he could include them on his email list. Sure some people said no thanks, but he was pleasantly surprised how many people said yes. Bob would never ask someone over the phone for their email address that just was rude.

On holidays or as once every 2-3 months, Fred would send a postcard to his local clients and customers asking them to also sign up for his free monthly email newsletter. Bob never sent out post cards that was “defeating the purpose of the net”.

Fred took out small classified ads in his local “bargain shopper” newspaper because he knew that the newspaper also duplicated all ads on their website and that a good many readers viewed it from online. Bob never used any local ads, for fear of the market being crowded.

Fred used online classifieds like Craigslist to push targeted local traffic to his email landing page. Bob never investigated anything that was not presented in marketing kit.

After six months Fred had already made down a number of more pressing debts and for the first time in years was developing a nice nest egg. Fred has a converted downline of several hundred people who were making both themselves and him a nice income. Bob was very disappointed with the program and quit telling everyone what a “rip off” it was.

While it possible to build a downline completely using online methods, if possible you should also supplement your Web marketing methods of very easy and affordable “offline” methods as well.