Inbound marketing: a “”pull strategy in marketing.
Inbound marketing is as simple as offering people what they are looking for and making it easy to find and use. Don’t interrupt them!
Creating great content, providing articles on topics of interest, free e-books, whitepapers, or webinars on your website. It’s also as simple as being proactive in Social Media, posting items of interest to other like-minded individuals, responding. Being transparent and honest. Starting or sharing conversations, it’s all in the name of building your advocates that tell their friends (Word of Mouth Marketing (WOM) which builds your “brand”.
The best “visual” analogy I’ve ever seen was in an article by Brian Halligan of Hubspot.com in July 2007. In that article Brian likened inbound marketing to a watering hole for elephants. Brian’s words of wisdom some 4 years ago were “Be the Watering hole”. Thirsty elephants find watering holes.
The trick is to make your web presence attractive to visitors who are looking for what you do or sell. That is our goal.
Be The Watering Hole!
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/2989/Inbound-Marketing-vs-Outbound-Marketing.aspx
One of the most recent and best examples of Inbound Marketing was a webinar that David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan did on Charlie Sheen. Let’ s face it; Charlie pretty much imploded his career in the public eye. How he managed to win people back was through inbound marketing – videos, twitter, search – people were LOOKING for him. Whether they hated him, or loved him, or had no feelings at all – they simply wanted to know what he was doing!
If you haven’t seen this webinar, it’s worth the 30 minutes to watch: http://blog.hubspot.com/inbound-marketing-lessons-from-charlie-sheen/tabid/94888/Default.aspx
Remember… you are not the “greeter” you are the concierge! Inbound marketing is less expensive, more attractive to potential customers and much easier
Outbound or “push” marketing, is the “traditional standard”, where you continuously bombard potential customers – and everyone else – with your message (until they succumb, or you go broke – whichever comes first!) Outbound marketing has its place, used judiciously!
Outbound (INTERRUPT!) Examples: Radio commercials – jump in your car and turn on your radio! Video Ad–an inserted in the video player, during the video, or before it plays http://www.hulu.com/watch/237601/shark-tank-week-7#s-p1-so-i0
