This year, 2005, will see the demise of some well known Network Marketing businesses. Spam laws, spam-traps, filtering and useless leads, will all be a contributing factor. The age of mailing prospects is all but dead and buried.

Now a marketer can't even translate his own description of a business opening without disguising the words with spaces or characters that have no relevance to the English language.

As an e-mail to a colleague read;

"I could not see my way forward in choosing you as a sponsor, due to the fact that your communication by e-mail to me was full of misquotes, spelling errors and strange characters."

Of course, this was done on purpose, to avoid the spam traps. However, it does point a heavy finger at what ISP's are doing and what a marketer has to do in response, to avoid their nonsensical filtering. Perhaps we ought to develop a new language?

The big question here, is what can we do about it?

The answer lies in how you wish to attract people to your business. In my experience, there are many ways but only two main options.

1). You chase or contact them.

2). They chase or contact you.

As option 1 is all but dead and buried, the answer lies in the second option. It is also the easier of the two. You must let people find you, as opposed to you finding them. That means a greater 'web presence' of yourself as a professional marketer.

There are web forums, marketing discussion groups, friendship sites, billboards, classified ad sites, etc. Search engine marketing, free give-aways, free advertising, free e-books, are all related to your own 'web presence.'

There is also an alternative method - Building your own Internet Advertising Solution. Search engines have a 'pay-per-click' model that has resulted in gross incomes for the relevant corporations. Today, that has become so expensive, that the small, start-up business, just can't afford the high placement fees that the favorite keywords command.

A few months ago, I stumbled upon something that was radically different but achieved the same objective as the 'pay-per-click' model. Since it's implementation, I have observed far better form responses and my hit counter is now turning at a much greater daily rate. If you want the details, mail me or take a look at my signature file.

Now, there are many ways in which you can improve your web presence. Getting involved with networking groups and posting in the forums. Joining relevant groups that have the same interests or hobbies as yourself. Setting up your own website, with your own domain name. Getting people interested in you as a person and as a viable sponsor. More use of Instant Messengers in contacting people, is also a good way forward.

The way business is being done is changing. It is changing because of spam. You have a choice. Either learn how to promote yourself on the Internet, on solid web pages, or sink in the spam traps and filters. You must have something to give, so that people get interested. Nurture that Interest and you will make the sale. Nothing attracts more than free advertising, because that is what everyone wants - more exposure!