As I hopped onto “BetterNetworker” a short time ago to respond to a friend's request, I checked the current "Hot Topics" list. I quickly noticed a forum post entitled “ATTRACTION Marketing killed my business”.

Wow, what a topic! (I just had to make a forum post then spin it out to my blog!)

Eric Walker (via one of his posts to the discussion) was right on target when he said that the headline is fantastic …. it literally stopped be dead in my tracks!

Here I was wondering, how the heck attraction marketing could have killed any well established business; it was mind-boggling to say the least.

The topic also resonates perfectly with a series of articles I have been posting to my blog describing a broad view of what is ultimately an Internet marketing system. Better yet, a recent post describes what I generically refer to as the "Attraction Zone" where I outline one way in which attraction marketing fits into the overall scheme of generic system.

One thing I have noticed while reading a number of blogs, articles, forum responses, etc. is that many people get the impression that attraction marketing is the "silver bullet" to solve their marketing dilemma, especially when it comes to personal contact. In reality, it is just part of the overall system, setting the stage to further build the relationship and ultimately open the door to direct discussions about the products and opportunity on the back-end of your marketing program.

Even though we are trained to focus on "valuable content" when actively engaged in the attraction marketing portion of the system, there is still great opportunity to expose your back-end business. Say your main NM business product is one of the "super-berry" juices. Write an article that generically discusses the benefits of the various phytochemicals and antioxidants found in the "super-berry" juices and then make a referral to your company's product towards the end of the article. Just remember to be subtle not overt.

Multiple exposures of this type during the attraction marketing phase lead up to more direct and detailed exposure of your back-end product/opportunity once the prospect is actively engaged in the relationship building stage (through auto-responder email series, DIRECT CONTACT, etc.). I have even heard some people state that they actually introduce their back-end products in the first few emails after the prospect first opts-in.

In my opinion, how attraction and relationship marketing fits into anyone's marketing plan, boils down to a matter of timing coupled with what works best for your situation and your target audience.

Jim was formerly an "old school" network marketer now helping home and small business owners to utilize attraction marketing and relationship building methods to grow their Internet presence. You can access additional information resources and tips to propel the growth of your business by visiting Jim's blog or his home business connection website.