Network Marketing Today and Beyond

09-09-09

Many of us in the United States cannot even imagine the abuse, fear and horror that occurs every day to children as little as 5 years old, and sometimes younger, in countries such as India and Thailand, just to name a few.

Journalist, Diana Scimone, has not only seen first hand but has been touched to the core by the plight of these children. She is doing something about it. You can to! Diana's goal is 9,000 people giving $9.00 to the BF2 project to stop child trafficking. For just one day, give up your Starbucks latte and a bagel and be a part of something larger than yourself.

The very cool aspect to this fundraiser is that it shows the power of social media and gives everyone a voice from thousands of miles away.

Take a good look into the eyes of your child, your grandchild, the student in your classroom or the child in the check out line in front of you at the store, and imagine their world from the eyes of these children who are sold. It could change your perspective forever.

If you are not using it, you are missing out!

Any professional networker knows that the basis of our business is  Word of Mouth.
We are a "walk and talk" business where success comes from finding people who are interested in what we have to offer.  We do that by asking questions, developing trust so that the next step of offering a presentation is accepted.  The goal:  to leverage your efforts and your income through building a team of others who do the same.

How many people can you reach each day through traditional "walk and talk"?   10?  20?  Or maybe more like 2?

Today one of the many buzz words is "Social Media" and for those of you who have read my posts before, you know that I LOVE the potential social media offers.  Tonight, I had the pleasure to learn from Perry Belcher. He offered a few statistics about my favorite social media venues which blew me away.

As a professional network marketer, how will this impact your business?

Statistic #1 - 355,000,000 users worldwide use Facebook   Each day, there are over 350,000 Facebook newbies.  The fastest growing age group now embracing Facebook - 50 years and older!

#2 - Roughly 60% of every computer user has a Facebook account!  Do you?

#3-  Twitter doubles its size every 90 days! Astounding!

#4 - People read an average of 6 blogs a day.  Many are doing so while mobile - via cell phone.

#5 - 75,000 video views on YouTube (this is more than ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox network combined).

The question every professional networker needs to ask themselves is, "how will I harness the power of social media?"  If you choose to stick your head in the sand and ignore these statistics,  you will be left behind.

Image by fredcavazza via Flickr

What is your Primary Social Media Connection?

In preparation for an upcoming webinar and presentation at an event in Las Vegas
the last weekend in March, I asked my "tweeps" (friends from Twitter.com) the following
question:

"What is your main source of social media connection. i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Squidoo, MySpace...? and WHY?"

Their responses are below!
As a "Thank you", please make sure you check them out and give them a follow.

robinmbnm  Twitter, because it's simple and I don't have to feel guilty about not returning hugs, gifts, or Easter eggs like on FB.

YourSavvyVA My main source is of course Twitter! I like that its real time! Makes interacting much more personable. :)

YourSavvyVA 2/2 I like feeling like i'm speaking with a person rather than a page!

Shesgotherown I like cafemoms, why, I'm still thinking. I have a myspace, blackplanet, a couple of ning pages, but CM is the best.

ShannonGrissom  Twitter. Short and sweet!

jake_buehler  Facebook, then Twitter. FB because lots of people I know are there and Twitter because it's FUN! Great places to connect.

JoJoTabares  I still can't figure squidoo. I like Twitter and Facebook.

AudreyMcClellan Twitter and Facebook. Hands down.

So what about you?  What is your main source of media connection and why? 
Please respond with your links so we can call you a fellow "tweep" or friend.

Staying Connected when you are "Connected"

www.superstock.com/.../1555R-313794 

I have seen it in coffee shops with tables full of people, heads down and eyes focused on computer screens, ear buds sticking out of their heads. It is quiet except for the talk of the baristas and the "whoosh" of the machines.

Weren't coffee shops created for conversation and just good coffee?

The internet and social media is an incredible way to connect with others, in a virtual way, making the world "FLAT" and evening out the playing field.

Will our focus on virtual connections with "friends" online in some way affect our ability to connect personally offline?

How do we stay connected in the face of virtual reality?

What impact will virtual friends have on our children and the next generation?

Inquiring minds want to know!  And social networking friends have shared.  Below are thoughts from Facebook friends and Twitter followers.  Please add your thoughts as well!

Kelly Wissink

 Jackie Ulmer at 9:45am February 17

Well, as you have heard me say before, I live in two worlds - my REAL world and my cyber world. I love it when the two worlds collide, and they do! I have found personally, that if you are real and authentic online, that just picks right up offline when connecting with people.

Last week, a group of my friends in Lake Arrowhead, including me, went to dinner and a movie togther. And, we planned it all through Facebook, because we are connected here. And, we added 3 to facebook who weren't yet "connected."

I love the ability to be able to peer into the lives of my friends in short bursts and stay connected with what is going on, without trying to carve out time in already busy lives.

I have explained to my children, though, that they are communicating with REAL people and need to never say anything in cyberspeak that they wouldn't say to a person's face.

Great topic, Kelly!

 JD Buckridge at 10:18am February 17

For me it is always fun to connect face to face with those I have connected with online. I always have a blast at live events. Whether I am a speaker or attendee, it is fun seeing people that I have a connection with on Facebook. Many are that are tagged to the right are good friends and some close friends and we met on Facebook, talked on the phone and exchanged business, and then hung out face to face at an event. The internet is a great way to connect long distance and stay connected no matter where you are.

Great way to bring us together Kelly and continue staying connected.

jd

 AnnaLaura Brown at 11:16am February 17

Yes I agree. In order to be really connected you must find a way to meet the person off line as well as online. I remember the first time I met you Kelly, in person after knowing you online for more than a year and although it seemed a bit surreal at first it certainly helped me to see you as more of a real person. That may seem weird but sometimes people you know only online don't seem quite as real.

 Brenda Heisler at 1:07pm February 17

Both worlds are real to me. I can connect with people online without making eye contact and I can still see and feel who they are.

I think I expect more from people online than I do in the real world, simply because I use the Internet and social networking as a learning tool. I wouldn't ask my "real" friends to supply me with answers all day long. I don't call my "real" friends on the phone at midnight, but I call on my cyber friends at that time.

I think our children will only benefit from befriending both worlds and they are smart enough to understand both.

 Doug Firebaugh at 1:27pm February 17

Connection starts with the heart and moves beyond. Both worlds will be determined much by the connection of emotion - as the connection of the computer. When you take it offline- then it become REAL to the heart- and it is not just a computer friend- but now it is a set of eyes and ears that you can then move beyond a 17" screen. GREAT post as usual-learned a LOT Ms. Wissink! You rock!!!!

 Kari Fjeld Andersen at 3:39pm February 17

I work online. That is my choice. I have chosen to spend a lot of time on my computer. It is the coolest thing to stay connected to friends during that time. BUT.... I make sure that I make an effort to connect face to face with those people now and then. I love the events for business contacts. When I see FB friends at church, it's so fun to laugh and joke about how much we know about each other from FB. I love the combination of the two worlds.

 Shannon Denniston at 4:32pm February 17

Social media has changed our lives forever. Never before have we known so much about so many people and have they known so much about us.

Those of us who live online often catch heat from people with opposing views. The truth of the matter is that most people don't live exciting lives so they have little to post about. I can tell you first hand, people love pictures (and video) and people ENJOY seeing what YOU are up to. People are curious about the life you live, not so much because you have something they don't but because you are living life and they are watching from the sidelines. To these people I say, join us!

I must echo Jackie's comment because it is right on target (as usual), "I have found personally, that if you are real and authentic online, that just picks right up offline when connecting with people."

Thanks for the tag Kelly, now go snuggle up with your kiddos and pop in a good movie. The Internet will be here when you are finished. Live your life and share it!

 Lucille Thompson at 1:15am February 18

I agree... the social media has changed our lives. So long as we don't ignore the friend that's in front of us (or could be) to connect with the cyber-world, it's a good thing. Don't call someone on your cell phone / text on your blackberry / plug in your laptop when there's a live person in front of you (or could be)!

Both can interact (or collide as someone said), both can enrich our lives. I have been able to expand my list of friends tremendously, and as another poster said, I wouldn't think of calling a friend at midnight, but I would think of posting something here to my face-to-face and cyber-friends at that hour... and get an answer! Luci

StaceyCrew @kellywissink Monthly get togethers for coffee with my bffs

Dead Squirrel Equals Good Relationships

I didn't mean for it to happen and I have to admit that I cried looking back in my rear view mirror.  There was nothing I could do to prevent it.  The cute little squirrel came out of no where and at speeds of 60 miles per hour,  surrounded by other cars,  swerving was not an option.

So why does a little squirrel, that is daily road kill in Michigan, create such a stir?

I had to think about WHY I was so upset about hitting a squirrel.  Did other events, conversations  or situations in my life cause such an emotional response?  Should they?

Too often words I say or actions I may display cause emotional death in others, yet, I walk away and am too self-absorbed to see the pain that I have caused. I don't use my rear view mirror to look back. 

If only I treated my daily interactions with my children,  husband, parents,  friends and business partners with such weight, just think of the results.

I would be building up rather than tearing down those in my path.

Tears would be replaced with smiles.

Pain would be replaced by joy.

Fear would become Hope!

The potential in those that I meet and connect with may be exposed if I just took enough time to slow down and listen enough to swerve before a collision occurs.  Then I wouldn't need to look back and see the pain in the rear view mirror.

Twitter vs. Facebook - The faceoff!

Each morning, I immediately open not only my email but also Twitter, Facebook and various other networking sites. I have to say that when the I hear the friendly "bing" from Twhirl announcing new tweets, I get excited! Am I a rat at a feeding bar?

Yet, I see a distinct difference between my two favorite communities, Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter feels like coffee after the service at church where many people are gathered but the conversation is often passing and brief. Don't get me wrong, I have taken many of those brief conversations on Twitter offline and have formed incredible relationships.

Facebook, on the other hand, feels more like lunch with a friend where I can leisurely be introduced to various friends and savor the time we have to spend together. There is no time, or character limit, and many more options to delight.

What are your thoughts on these two powerful social networking tools?

Please leave your links so all of us can follow, friend and get to know you at church and over lunch!

Kelly Wissink

Coffee's on me at Twitter

Shall we meet for dinner on Facebook?

Techcrunch- And The Winner Is?

Well, the votes are in.

Do you see any surprises?

~Kelly Wissink

clipped from www.techcrunch.com 2007 Crunchies: The Winners A great evening was had by all tonight as some of the leading startups gathered for the first annual Crunchies, a joint production between Read/Write Web, VentureBeat, GigaOm and TechCrunch. The ceremony went (mostly) smoothly with a couple of surprises amongst the results. For a full list of nominees, visit the Crunchies 2007 portal here.

Seth Godin- Free E-book

Here are three U's for driving traffic to your Blog.

Useful?

Updated?

Unique?

Money For Nothing- Free e-book.

Start a Squidoo Lens today.

~Kelly Wissink

clipped from www.squidoo.com What we’ve learned about getting traffic Last month Seth posted an ebook about traffic. The ebook says that the secret to getting (deserving) traffic online is actually, and always, about the content.

The Passion Of Network Marketing

Steve Jobs has a passion for moving forward. Every network marketer can learn this. You need to keep moving forward. You will make mistakes. Curt and I make them all the time. But, that's what passionate entrepreneurs do.

“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”~ Walt Disney

How you moving forward?

Kelly and Curt Wissink

Inspire Innovate Impact

clipped from bits.blogs.nytimes.com January 15, 2008,  7:37 pm The Passion of Steve Jobs By John Markoff Tags: Apple, Apple TV, Bill Gates, kindle, Macbook Air, macworld, macworld 2008, steve jobs Even more than when he’s performing on stage, Steven P. Jobs’s passion for personal computing comes through when he talks about the years he spent cajoling his designers to build what he presented today as the world’s “thinnest” computer. One of the remarkable qualities that Mr. Jobs has is his ability to continue looking forward and not focus on the past.              Related              Can Apple Jump-Start Internet Movie Rentals? Live From Macworld Expo Other Macworld Blogs Video Podcasts: The Sleeping Giant on AppleTV

Network Marketing: Training For Success

Listen to 3 Podcasts to inspire and motivate you to get more out of life and your Home Business. If you don't have time now download them to your Ipod or MP3 player.
~Kelly Wissink

clipped from www.trainingforsuccess.podblaze.com Podcast Station: Training for Success Subscribe to this podcast by RSS feed: Podcast Show:  A Goal Setting Mindset Show Length: 11 Min 40 Sec Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2005 01:07:22 Home Page of this Show Show notes: Without goals, a roadmap, to help you get where you want to go, you will not be able to do, be or achieve what you dream about.  I want to share with you 5 tips that have helped me go further than I could have dreamed. It can happen for you too! Podcast Show:  Which Player are You? Show Length: 3 Min 29 Sec Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 01:01:07 Home Page of this Show Show notes: In the "game" of life or business are you a go-getter who does what it takes to score the winning goal, or do you stand by, timidly, waiting for the action to pass you by. Spend some time with me while I share an insight to help you score the winning goal! Podcast Show:  Change the Direction of your Sails Show Length: 2 Min 41 Sec Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 23:03:30 Home Page of this Show Show notes: