MLM vs Digital Marketing: How to Make Extra Money from Home

Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we? Think back to the days of Avon ladies, Tupperware parties, or weekend craft fairs. The original “make money from home” side hustle started long before the internet.

Women, especially mothers and grandmothers, have always found creative ways to earn extra income from home - whether it was selling baked goods, setting up booths at markets, sewing alterations or delivering catalog orders door-to-door.

Those businesses weren’t just sales gigs - they were lifelines. They built community, added income, and for some gave us additional purpose beyond the walls of our home sweet home. .. But they also required a lot: cold calls, "home parties" in semi strangers homes, boxes of inventory in the closets, and often, awkward conversations with friends and family.

Fast forward to today. Many women still look for ways to make extra money from home - but now there are two most common main paths: MLM (multi-level marketing) and digital marketing. Both promise flexibility. Both claim you can work from your phone. And that's what I love best .. CHOICES! We get to explore, ask question and decide ..

Let’s have some fun and compare.

MLM: The Old School Hustle

Multi-level marketing companies still dominate the “work from home” conversation. You’ve seen them. Maybe you’ve even joined one (or five). I know I did haha!!

**And yes it's changed "names" for example: Network Marketing, Social Retail, Community Marketing, Direct Sales for the most part; still under the umbrella business model of MLM.

The Pros:

• A built-in product line that we feel we can sell
• Community, friendships and mentorship
• Fun perks, bonuses and trips when qualified

The Cons:

• Recruitment (team building) is often required to make the most money
• Commissions are usually a bit smaller (20–35%)
• You can "burn through" your warm market quickly
• Events, parties, and mailing samples eat into your profit
• Burnout from constantly being "on"

Most MLMs rely on you building a team .. and when that team doesn’t grow, neither does your residual income. Plus, many women feel uncomfortable pitching products to their close friends on Social or get to that tipping point of not enough sales income from customers to cover "buying product" monthly to stay commission qualified.

Digital Marketing: The Evolution of Income

Digital marketing flips that old-school model on its head. Instead of pushing physical products and managing downlines, you share online tools, templates, courses and resources people are already searching for.

The Pros:

• 80%-100% commissions (on many offers)
• No team building or recruiting options
• Done-for-you products - no inventory
• Works with systems that automate the heavy lifting and free up time
• No samples, no shipping, no awkward convos

The Cons:

• It takes intention and consistency
• You still have to show up (but not perform)
• A little learning curve (that gets easier with daily integrative live training and support modules)

And the best part? You get to build something scalable. Something yours. No more fighting over market territories, thinking your area or social circle is to saturated of similar products leaving no space for you, hoping people will join your “team,” (and when they do at least try to grow their own business like you are trying so hard to do), or spending your weekends at vendor booths hoping to make gas money back.

How It Feels: Comfort & Confidence Matters

At the end of the day, women want to feel comfortable in whatever business we are in. There are soo many ways that answer that question "how to make extra money from home"!

Some women thrive on connection and love in-person events. .. Personally, I am one of those "extrovert-introvert" .. while I can BE that social butterfly for a few hours, I need to then cocoon for days. Don't call me, don't ask to come visit me haha!! ..

So I get it, many of us (especially after 40) crave quiet, consistency, and something that doesn’t suck our energy. We want:

• To create income without being on calls all day
• To support our families, (without messaging friends) and without sacrificing our peace
• To share value, (empower, encourage, entertain and educate) without pushing a product every 3 posts or feeling that month end hustle to make quota.

Digital marketing honors that. It’s built for introverts (like me) and overachievers. For burned-out moms and curious grandmas. For creators and coaches, but also quiet creatives who love checklists, templates, who don't want to be "overly social".

Real Talk: What Brings Better Results?

You can make money with either model - the one you work, your world is your oyster! With that being said with Digital Marketing for Beginners

Here’s what real women are doing:

• Linking to budgeting planners with affiliate links
• Creating Pinterest pins that lead to ready-to-sell eBooks
• Using done-for-you funnels to earn commissions from home
• Skipping the DM scripts and sharing helpful tools instead

They’re not on Zoom calls all day, nor spammy posts on all over social media. They’re not besties with the mail man sending samples. They’re not "Hey Girl" cold-messaging friends.

They’re building businesses - quietly, confidently, and consistently.

Your History Doesn’t Define Your Future

I have this saying.. No blame, no shame, just claim "where we are" .. I am filled with gratitude, the lessons and learnings that ten years in the MLM industry gave me .. If you’ve ever burned out in MLM, don’t carry shame - it just means that model didn’t work for you. Or something happened in your life that then had MLM not be the great fit it once was .. And that’s okay. Life is full of seasons.

If you’ve ever felt behind in digital marketing, overwhelmed by options or tech -guess what? You’re not too late. You’re just getting started.

We’ve been selling things since the lemonade stand. Women have always figured it out. But today, we have options that let us:

• Skip the lunking the trunk full of products
• Skip the pressure of perfection and performing
• Say yes to leveraging systems that let us breathe

Ready for Your Next Chapter?

If you’re curious about what it would look like to make extra money from home—without recruiting, parties, or packing boxes—I’ve got a free guide that walks you through it.

✨ Grab my “How to Make Extra Money from Home” eBook. 📲 It breaks down the digital marketing system women like you are using to get paid daily—without spamming or sacrificing their peace.

This could be your permission slip to do things differently. Because your income should honor your energy.

🌻Cheers, and chat soon,
Roxanne

Boring Legal Disclaimer: This blog contains affiliate links.