I joined a affiliate forum the other day and introduced myself. I got a warm welcome and a post saying that most people here are affiliate marketers not MLM. I'm not quite sure what the difference is. Can someone please explain?
MLM is network marketing - Affiliates get paid from many sources by driving traffic to their sites. Both are great ways to make money but many people still see MLM as a pyramid scheme. And there have been some that are. But there are lots of reputable companies out there that market great products through MLM. Including more and more fortune 100's
Affiliate marketer is like a direct representative of a company who cannot hire people under him/her. His/her success is directly dependent on his/her sole efforts. On other hand, members of a MLM company can recruit people under them and the efforts of the people below them also contribute to the success of the recruiter. As a result, direct commissions paid to affiliates are generally higher than those of MLM members.
Maybe we need to start the world's first MLAM (Multi-Level-Affiliate-Marketing) program and combine the two. Make money by recruiting people drive traffic to others sites. LOL
Internet marketing usually involves driving traffic to a website which has a product or products for sale. If someone who directed to the website...via your website makes a purchase, you can get a commission. MLM programs basically require you to recruit members to make sales underneath you in order to make money. They usually involve two kinds of sales: 1. You have to be able to sell products 2. You have to be able to recruit members and "sell" them on the company, which can be a MAJOR challenge. MLM's and internet marketing both have their unique challenges and hurdles you will need to overcome. I have done both, but I prefer internet marketing. Look at it this way...if you become a good enough internet marketer, MLM's will be that much easier.
Both network marketing and internet marketing have their unique challenges, but they also have their unique advantages... Network Marketing generally takes a while to really get going, that is because the commissions paid on the sale and generally smaller, while with Internet Marketing you can get paid well from the start, if you do it right. However, that advantage with Network Marketing, is that in the long run, you can build a substantial business that literally runs on autopilot, because you have trained up a team of people who are also building the business as you are, and they (theoretically) can keep doing it even after you have gone. I know several people who have actually achieved this kind of residual income, and while it certainly doesn't come without some serious work, I think we'd all agree that it is a great situation for your business to be in if you can achieve that. As getagrip said, selling people on the company can be a major challenge, so choosing the right company is CRUCIAL to your future success.
There are many internet marketing companies which have compensation plans based on network marketing. The two are not totally unrelated.
Network Marketing is for the long run residual building. Internet marketing/affiliate marketing for the immediate cashflow to keep yourself finacially afloat. MLM is costing quit a bit over time and needs to be built with strong foundations, only then can it survive in the long run as so many 95% actually drop out. That's why it does take time to build. Also one shouldn't under-estimate the retail side of MLM. Most people throw themselves smack bang into recruiting but never bother with retail. BIG mistake! Monika
MLM can utilize Internet marketing and I think it is great when you get the 2 working together. However the best thing about MLM is that it is easy to do in your day to day offline life. Whereas your affiliate er um internet marketing is only online and therefore limited in operations offline.
Quoting: coreyjromanMaybe we need to start the world's first MLAM (Multi-Level-Affiliate-Marketing) program and combine the two. Make money by recruiting people drive traffic to others sites. LOL I couldnt agree more with you I think it is the best of both worlds. You get whatever you put in it. So many people think that you can plant a seed and just go away and watch it grow. MLM and Affiliate marketing is something you need to constantly work on. Integrate the two of them and you can have your mlm as a residual and your affiliate marketing as your bread and butter. A note to all....just stick with it...dont get frustrated because you know there are some seriously wealthy people out there who are internet marketers...if they can do it you can too!!! Holly
With MLM, you get paid leveraged and residual income. If you sponsor people under you and they become leaders, then your income increases. That is the beauty of this business With affiliate marketing, you get paid once for a sale. That is pretty much the difference. Tal
