Social (Network) Marketing is NOT a Scam!

Believe me, I did not EVER think that I would end up with a network marketing company. Not in a million years! I thought it was a scam, a scheme, and definitely not an honest way to make money. So when I started to fall in love with Arbonne’s products, I was very skeptical about the business side. Even after I signed up, I still didn’t understand it, but I started doing my homework and realized what a genius business model it is!

Of course, as with every industry, there are the bad guys out there. And unfortunately, that is what we mostly hear about right? So I have definitely had to deal with a ton of people ragging on me, telling me I am part of a scam, a pyramid scheme, that I was being taken advantage of. And it can be hard to hear those things, especially from people that you are close to. And that is why a lot of people don’t make it with their companies (a lot of other reasons too, but this is a big one). But I knew that there was something special about these products and this company and it just felt right to me. So I tuned out the naysayers, I educated myself, and I forged on!

Basically, network marketing, or social marketing as it is now being called more often, is a different form of distribution to get the product to the consumer. In traditional retail, the product is manufactured, then sent to a wholesaler, then a warehouse, then through advertising, then finally into a retailer where you, the consumer, can purchase it. Because of all the different channels the product goes through, which each cost money, your product is not the newest it could be once it’s finally in the store you purchase it at, and the majority of the money is going into each of these channels, meaning they aren’t putting the money into quality control of ingredients for your products.

With social marketing, we have cut out all those middle men. Our products go straight from the manufacturer, through our network of independent consultants, and into the hands of you, the consumer! Our independent consultants do our advertising by word of mouth, social media, etc. Arbonne doesn’t have to spend exorbitant amounts of money on advertising, so in turn, we can have the purest ingredients and the best technology at a fraction of the price! You won’t ever see paid ads in magazines or on TV for our products, any mention of our products in magazines are usually people reviewing it or we are getting an award of some sort. Even our own marketing materials only feature Arbonne consultants, so we aren’t paying models or talent for those photo shoots. A lot of people think that our products are on the expensive side, but if you compared the quality of our products to something in traditional retail, you would be blown away at how much they would be priced in that market!

Social marketing is a great opportunity for someone who wants to be their own boss and run their own business, but doesn’t want to invest a ton of money into start up, or buying into a franchise, which can be very expensive. These companies have low start up costs, which appeals to a lot of people. As an independent consultant, I am running my own company. But I have the amazing team at Arbonne behind me! They provide amazing marketing materials, our own personal website, a huge amount of resources for product training, sales training, personal development, the most amazing home office and customer service to help with any inquiries myself or my clients might have, etc. Becoming an entrepreneur for less than $100? It was a no brainer for me! If it didn’t work out, I wasn’t out thousands of dollars, and I got an great discount on the most amazing products I have ever used.

So because we have the social marketing business model, we have independent consultants, who build teams, and who teach their teams our system for success in the business, and they in turn build their own teams and teach them, and so on, and so on! It’s called duplication and it works! When people mention the pyramid to me, I kind of laugh at them now that I know more about it. Pyramid schemes are illegal in the US, so if Arbonne was a pyramid, it certainly would not have been around and successful for 38 years. The real pyramids are these huge corporations where the CEO is at the top and no one will ever have the chance to reach that top level no matter how hard they work or the time they put into it. In our company, everyone has the chance to promote to the top. It depends on the work that you put into it. We have no glass ceiling, there is unlimited income potential.

People tend to join a network marketing company because they think it’s going to be easy money. Well, that is definitely very far from the truth. This business is not easy. We have a simple system, but it is still work and you still have to apply yourself every day. This model is also a huge lesson in personal development. Because you are working for yourself, you don’t have to answer to a boss, but you also have to motivate yourself and make sure that you are doing all you can to be successful. This business will not just magically build itself. You go through trials and tribulations, hills and valleys, and you will learn a lot about yourself. And some people can’t handle diving deep to become the best version they have to offer. If you aren’t willing to grow, then this business is not for you.

I have a lot of favorites about what this business offers. For me, working from home is a huge thing. I have always known I wanted to be home with my kids, but I didn’t realize that I would need something for me. I needed to work and be useful, not just to my children and husband. But, I know that I am not an 8-5 person, so this was a great fit for me. Another aspect of this business I love are the people and the culture. Social marketing tends to attract very positive, inspiring people who work very hard for their success. I have learned from some amazing people in my 5 years doing this business, and I learn something new every day. I also love the concept of time leveraging and time freedom. Most people who start their business are also working a full time job, but the beauty of time leveraging is being able to fit this work into the nooks and crannies of your life, fitting it around your family and work obligations. When you have built a successful social marketing business, you can work part time hours and be paid for much more than full time work. You are building recurring, or residual income, which is an amazing thing. I also love the recognition we receive. A lot of times, you are working really hard and you are never recognized for it. Not in this business! We celebrate everyone! We love to gift, we love to put forth fun challenges, we love to CELEBRATE you! Flowers, jewelry, trips, cars, parties, etc. There is so much reward to being in this business!

If you are considering getting into social marketing, there are a few things that you should look for in the company you are joining. Do your research before joining ANY company!

• Look for a company with consumable products. This will create a demand for customers to reorder, especially if they love the products.
• Make sure the company is in the DSA, or Direct Selling Association. This would mean that the company follows a high code of ethics and is being held accountable to those ethics of doing business. Check out www.dsa.org to search for the company and look into the DSA!
• Look into timing and trends for products. For example, Arbonne has 2 product lines, skin care and health/wellness. These are both huge trends, billion dollar markets and they aren’t going anywhere for a long time.
• Check into marketplace demand for the product. Do consumers want your product?
• Look for companies with global opportunities. Who wouldn’t want to build a global business?
• Having a local team has been a great advantage in my own journey. But you can also build a business completely online with people all around the world! It is just nice to have local support, meetings, gatherings, etc.
• And finally, find a company that has been around for 5+ years. Network marketing companies pop up all the time, and unfortunately, they close all the time too. There are a ton of amazing companies that have been around and successful for a long time, so you can be comfortable that your investment isn’t going anywhere. Arbonne has been in business for 38 years!

I hope that this was a little educational and eye opening for anyone who had a bad taste for social marketing. Anyone can do this business, we have doctors, lawyers, stay at home moms, college students, teachers, yoga instructors, etc.!  But it is not for everyone, and that is OK! I just want people to realize it is an amazing option for so many and if someone you know is starting their own business, make sure you support them. Don’t blow them off or bad mouth them. You don’t have to buy their product, but give them an encouraging word or think about people that you know that might be interested and give them the referral. If you really don’t want anything to do with something, be open and tell them that! We work really hard and we get a lot of negative thrown at us, so having some positive energy thrown our way can really brighten our day and give us the boost we need to get to that next goal!

For more information about Arbonne International, you can go to www.arbonne.com.

For compensation details, visit iccs.arbonne.com.