What you ought to know about the differences between Internet Marketing Leaders and NWM Leaders

By Will Kilian

What follows is some plain talk about the simple, but crucial differences, between these two marketing leader groups, Internet Marketers and Network Marketers, which are often times thought of as the same thing. Far from it!

First, let’s look at some of the similarities between NWM Leaders and Internet Marketing Leaders:

When we look at the subtle differences between NWM Leaders and Internet Marketing Leaders however, it is best to do so by looking at their respective philosophies about certain crucial aspects of their industry:

Internet Marketing Skills

Understandably, the Internet Marketing Leaders usually have more skills developed in the art of Internet Marketing.

Now, if you have dabbled in Internet Marketing before, you will know that it’s a mine field! It’s cold. It’s brutal. It’s ruthless.

Inevitably it’s like two people who meet for the first time: one has experience and the other has money. After they have met, the person with the experience ends up with the money and the person with the money, ends up with the experience!

Internet marketing leaders are gurus when it comes to things like neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), in other words, getting you to do what they want you to do, with you thinking that is exactly what you wanted to do in the first place! Twisted as this may sound, this is the plain truth.

They will hook you early and then they reel you in.

They will hook you by making you feel you owe them something, usually by giving you something first. That’s right, they offer you a free gift of some sort, claiming that it’s worth lots and they make you believe that this is exactly what you want, and now they are giving it to you for free.

You end up feeling extremely grateful towards them and yes, you feel like you owe them something.

So, when the Internet Marketing Leader then later on ask you to buy something small from them, you feel obliged to say yes!

Now, you are hooked. Because guess what? For them, the game just begun.

Now they will up sell you in such a clever way that you will feel like you have no choice but to follow exactly where they are leading you.

List Building

To the Internet Marketer, the LIST is the B-all and End-all. Internet Marketing Leaders are also, and this should be at the head of the list, gurus when it comes to “list building”. As a matter of fact, if you ask any Internet Marketer what their number one asset is, they would tell you it is their list!

They do not really care that much about the company or product or scheme they are promoting to their list to make money, because they know if the company or opportunity or scheme folds or disappears, they would still have their list. Some even boldly claim, “the money is in the list!”

Network Marketing Leaders also have a list. And, just like the Internet Marketers, they also focus on building a relationship with the people on their list.

The Network Marketing Leader’s focus is however fixed on the NWM Company that he/she belongs to and their aim is to connect every person on that list with the company. As a matter of fact, their main aim is to get every person on their list to form an emotional bond with the company, the company’s compensation plan and mostly the company’s products.

This means that if the Network Marketing Leader falls away or step back, the person on their list can function independently without their leader.

Contrast this position with the Internet Marketer whose sole purpose is to get the people on his list to become more and more dependent on him. To trust him more and more to the point where they will create a “cult-like” following.

The Internet Marketer’s ultimate goal is for every person on his list to form an emotional bond with him or her and follow him wherever he leads. That way, they control the actions of their list. Some even use this to “print money” as they sometimes like to brag.

Purpose

The main purpose of the Network Marketer is to build his/her network marketing network as large as possible; to connect these people with the products, compensation plan, leadership and ethos of the company.

This way they assist their team to become independent and to earn passive income from the leverage of the team efforts. The network marketing leader knows that for him or her to be succussful, they have to truly assist the members in their team to also be successful. The one’s success is dependent upon the other’s success.

The main purpose of the Internet Marketer is to make a profit from whatever he is selling to the people on his list. All they do is sell and keep selling to their list. Build their list bigger and sell, sell, sell.

There’s in itself nothing wrong with this, provided that what he/she is selling is a product or service of real market value. And this is where you will find a distinction between internet marketers: those who have morals/scrupels and those who don’t.

Ethics

Internet marketers are not governed by the ethics of a particular company. Their only guide is their own moral compass. And as you know, this world has two kinds of people: good people and bad people. In contrast, all reputable network marketing companies have very strong ethical guidelines, rules and regulations to help it’s members build their business in an ethical way. On top of this, you also have the individual who has his/her own moral code.

Internet marketers, even the good ones, are quick to point out that all entrepreneurship comes with risk. They will therefore willingly, and openly sell even ponzi schemes to their list with this notion that “we are all adults here” and “all business involves risk”. This however, is where I draw the line.

If you know, from past experience or otherwise, that a particular opportunity on the internet is in all likelihood a Ponzi scheme (for example there is no real product or service of real market value to back it up), but you go ahead and promote it to your team anyway because you know while the scheme is allowed to operate, you and everyone in it will make money, you are committing a moral sin; you are selling out someone on your list – the one left standing with the rotten apple in his hand. That is wrong on all fronts!

The problem is however that inevitably somebody on your list WILL get hurt when the scheme ultimately collapsed. You as internet marketing leader made your money and got your capital out a long time ago, but the poor sod who “bought in” just before the collapse is left with his pants on his knees.

In true internet marketing style however, the internet marketing leader will have the next “opportunity” lined up and will promote to his list to move over to the next “big thing”.

The internet marketing leader (the one with the huge list) almost always makes money. The people on his list (who do not have a huge list of their own) almost always lose money. But for them it’s usually too late, because they came to “like”, “know” and “trust” their leader and will blindly follow him/her wherever she leads.

Mixing Internet Marketing and Network Marketing

This is where it gets interesting. Some internet marketing leaders recognise the strength and stability that is provided by reputable network marketing companies. And, believe it or not, they also get tired of companies and opportunities collapsing underneath them, and of course the inevitable blame that some of the people on their list will hurl at them for leading them into financial ruins. So, one avenue open to them is to hook up with a network marketing company to bring some stability to their own income.

This is good and bad.

It’s good because the people on their list finally get an equal opportunity to make money, as the company is not likely to fold any time soon. However, not all network marketing companies are created equal and a lot of Ponzi schemes are dressing themselves up as legitimate network marketing companies. Those are usually caught out, but it takes a little longer.

It is bad because it is sending mixed messages to the people on your list and you are inevitably torn between the ethics of your MLM company and your desire for profit from all these other schemes.

What does all of this mean to you?

Well, as I said, there is no need to throw the baby out with the bath water. But, I think we should all know the truth. We should all arm ourselves with as much knowledge as possible. In the end all of us are on someone’s list, whether it be an internet marketer, a network marketer or someone who is trying to do both.

Do your own due diligence and most importantly, take responsibility for your own decisions. Do not make impulse decisions to buy or join – some of these guys and gals are REALLY good at getting you to whip out your credit card whilst you are under their spell. Now, at least, you are warned. 🙂

The Internet is not good or bad. It is just a vehicle to communicate with lots and lots of people over vast distances in a fraction of time. Internet marketing is not good or bad. It’s just a way to make sales. Network marketing is not good or bad. It’s just a way to distribute products.

You and I might just be a name on someone’s list, but in the end, you and I are real people. Each one of us, even the guru leaders showing you the glitz and glamour, have our own problems and struggles in life. Why? Because we are all human beings after all.

Heart

Look for the heart of your particular leader. Look not so much at what he/she is saying, but what they are doing – for you. Do they have the heart and mind of a true network marketer, wanting the best for you or do they first and foremost look after their own pockets, like the internet marketer, who is nothing but salesman on steroids. Are they there for you; no matter what? Do they truly have your best interest at heart or is it just about them and their bottom line? Do they have your back or not???

Now obviously there are many more differences, and similarities between network marketing and internet marketing. We just tried to highlight some the one’s that might impact you directly whilst minding your own business on the Internet.

We trust that this article has been helpful to you.

Who are we?

Who are we indeed. We are just ordinary people. By now you have probably already placed us in one of the above categories. Rightly or wrongly. I think we are a bit of both.

We are network marketers first and foremost and to the core, with an immensely strong emotional bond to the products and the company, which have been so good to us for over 19 years now. But, as a result of modern technology, also utilising Internet Marketing to build our business.

Here is one of the online advertisements I currently run:

If you wish to learn more about us, and what we do, you are welcome to hop onto our list at http://wealthcreationpresentation.com/.

There are no autoresponders hooked up to that list, which means you are not going to receive a bunch of automated emails from us (as you would from the die hart Internet Marketers). When you hear from us, it will be because we sat down, applied our minds, and are pouring a little bit of ourselves out in order to connect with – human to human – person to person.

You will however get the opportunity to connect with us; and us with you.

Everything in life, we believe, revolve around relationships.

Our network marketing opportunity have been around for many many years and its not going anywhere.

From our perspective therefore, there is no sense of urgency for you to connect with us right now, other than that we are here now. We have the opportunity to meet now. Maybe that opportunity comes again in future and maybe our paths never cross again. The ball is therefore in your court my friend.

Our hands are extended towards you – not to give you a handout, but to give you a hand up; if that is what you need.

Let’s face it; all of us can do with a hand up every now and again. 🙂

Tags: differences between internet marketing and network marketing, internet marketing, internet marketing leaders, network marketing, network marketing leaders