Are you Marketing, or just advertising?

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In a training call for my business last night (to learn more about it, click the banner on my profile), I just learned something that every person trying to recruit referrals online should know; there is a difference between marketing, and just advertising. I decided to share this with all of you because there are countless posts here every day wondering how to get referrals, active referrals into their programs. The best way to do this is through marketing, not advertising. Let me explain further. Advertising is when you post anonymous links here and there across the internet, in hopes that someone will click and join. This doesn't work too well for a very simple reason. What you are doing basically is just showing a commercial. Most people don't buy things they see off of commercials, they wait until they hear from a close friend or family member that has tried the product or service. With this, you have more of a security that you will like the product or service, because you know a person that has tried it and liked the results. This is where marketing comes in. When you market something, you are actually marketing yourself. You are letting people get to know who you are, and they come to trust you. This way when you present your opportunity, they are interested in what you have to say, and there is a bigger chance that a "qualified lead" (a person who signs up to your opportunity because they are truly interested) will actually sign up to it. How do you market? Its actually quite simple. You start a blog about your product, and add personal details of what you are doing to market it. You join forums, some related to your opportunity, some just of your interest, and actually participate. Don't just use the forum to blast your ad to, that's going back to advertising. You bring value to the site by adding your opinions, and put your opportunity in your signature line and on your profile. Once people come to know and trust you, they will ask you about your opportunity. So are you marketing, or just advertising? If you are marketing, what tips do you have for others? What are you doing that works?