What is ‘inbound marketing’?

by Jeff Chenoweth on March 18, 2011

Inbound marketing is when your customers come to you without being directly asked to.  Sounds great, right?  Imagine cutting your marketing costs drastically by reducing or eliminating many of your company’s traditional outbound efforts.  Though the term inbound marketing is relatively new, the general concept has been around forever.  To many, it sounds too good to be true – and without the right approach, it can be.

Though inbound marketing can allow us to decrease the amount of dependence, time and money spent on some of the traditional outbound techniques like direct mail or radio, most often it doesn’t provide an instant or overnight solution.  Those that have this perception of inbound marketing will fail to utilize it to its maximum potential.  These individuals will join a long list of naysayers; probably the same naysayers that are now scrambling to catch up because they said social media was just a fad.

The truth is, though outbound marketing can still be an incredibly valuable asset to any company, the industry is moving away from it because it can be incredibly costly and let’s face it, people just don’t respond as well as they used to.  Like most things that will benefit your company, utilizing inbound marketing takes time.  You’ve got to develop and cultivate an audience that is willing to come to you on its own – rather than be asked to.  So how do you go about attracting the attention of such an audience?

Inbound MarketingThere’s only one place to start and that’s with a company blog.  Use it to consistently share the insight you have about your industry with the rest of the world via the web.  In the simplest sense, inbound marketing begins to take effect when you utilize the blog to regularly generate quality content that others find valuable and wish to share again and again.

When you have interesting, helpful or thought provoking knowledge to share on a regular basis, people will come to you to hear it.  They’ll talk about it amongst themselves and share the information across the web and social media at your benefit.  By encouraging and participating in the conversation surrounding your brand and your industry, you have the opportunity to benefit from inbound marketing with every new piece of valuable content your create.  Be mindful that the results are not instantaneous.  It takes time to build a repository of valuable content to use, as well as time for people to start noticing it.  That being said, you should probably get started!

The old ways won’t work with “us”

by Jeff Chenoweth on March 16, 2011

A client recently stated that young people aren’t interested or involved with his product, therefore there’s no point in his company using platforms like Facebook or Twitter in its marketing efforts.  Now, this assessment is flawed for a number of reasons, but I smiled at him and nodded while he took out his frustration on “Twits” and Facebook users.  ”How do they have time to update these things?  Do they have no lives?”

Use of Social MediaDespite his rather ignorant analysis of social media and the positive impact it can have on marketing efforts when used properly, the aforementioned client is a genuinely intelligent and informed individual.  Each day after work, he most likely goes home and reads the newspaper before having dinner with his family.  Afterwards he probably finds a comfy spot on the couch and turns on his preferred news network before switching over to watch one or more of his favorite TV shows.

What he doesn’t understand is that at the same time, people all across the world are doing the exact same thing.  They’re catching up with local, national and world news and they’re finding sources of interest and entertainment.  The only difference is that, more and more, people are using the web and social media to facilitate both their conquest of and interaction with these things; especially young people.

So allow me to pose a question to this man and everyone who has the same mentality; if young people aren’t involved with your product, is it because you’re preferred methods simply aren’t reaching them?  Look at it this way.  Let’s assume you’re using direct mail, radio or outdoor advertising to get the word out about your product or services.  These have all traditionally been viable means of communicating with your target audience.  Thought these are still great ways to market your product in a lot of situations, they’re becoming less and less effective in reaching younger demographics, the 18-30 audience.  Why you ask?

Direct Mail: It was probably thrown away or disregarded as junk mail.
Most people between 18 and 30 are using online services to pay their bills and manage their accounts.  This being said, they don’t pay much attention to the physical mail that gets delivered, unless they’re expecting a check.  No matter how much money you spend on creating the most appealing postcard, brochure or invitation, they’re simply not paying attention.

Radio Advertisements: Ever heard of an iPod?
If you’re banking on the fact that you can reach a younger demographic by advertising via the radio, you’ll definitely have better luck than with direct mail.  But you’ll have to factor out the large percentage of this group that couldn’t tell you the last time they listened to the radio because they never leave home without their iPod.  Taking it along on the daily commute enables them to replace the annoying repetition of mainstream top 100 hits and dry marketing messages with playlists containing all their favorite songs and artists.

Outdoor Advertisement: It’s hard to see a billboard when you’re not watching the road anyway.
Remember the iPod user we just talked about?  They were either changing tracks on their iPod or checking Facebook on their Smartphone when they passed by your advertisement.  Oddly enough, had you saved the money on the billboard and spent a little time crafting the right message to put on a company’s Facebook page, the chances of them seeing it would have increased exponentially.

The bottom line is that young people live and breath the web.  They’re constantly viewing and interacting with the pages of their friends, family and favorite businesses on Facebook and continuously keeping up with their favorite sources of news and entertainment via Twitter, and other networks.  If social media has no place in your marketing efforts, there’s a definite reason this demographic isn’t paying attention.

3 Reasons Twitter Confuses People

by Jeff Chenoweth on March 11, 2011

If you’re still unsure about Twitter and what it’s all about, you’re not alone.  A recent article in PC World states that 60 percent of new users become disenfranchised within their first month of Tweeting and give up.  All things considered, many wonder why anyone would even want to create a Twitter account in the first place if it’s so difficult to use.  Listed below are three of the common complaints non-users have and why these misunderstood “issues” have actually helped make Twitter the 9th most used site in the world.

  1. 140 character limit on Tweets
  2. Confusing Symbols and Terminology
  3. Irrelevant Trending Topics

Criticism 1: 140 Characters – or less…
One of Twitter’s biggest criticisms since it’s conception has been the 140 character limit put on Tweets.  Some claim it’s near impossible to say anything valuable in such a limited amount of space.

Response: Someone who can articulately communicate an intellectual, useful or funny message in 140 characters or less is someone who has taken the time to put their thoughts together.  Twitter is not a place to ramble on.  Quite frankly, that’s one of the best parts about it!  Finding scanable, concise and easy to read information designed for web viewing… what more could a person ask for?

Criticism 2: What the #@#@ do these symbols mean?!?
Twitter’s use of hash tags (#) and @’s has no doubt contributed to a lengthy list of confused individuals.  For many, learning how to use these symbols properly is a waste of time when they could just use Facebook and not have to worry about any of the nonsense.

Response: Twitter is a phenomenal place to share information.  It’s also a great place to find information.  One of the biggest reasons for this is that it allows people to categorize their Tweets based on any topic, phrase or description they like.  Hash tags (#) aren’t meant to confuse users, they’re meant to give them a way to allow others to find their content more efficiently.  For example, if I wanted to search for conversations about Charlie Sheen, I could search specific keywords that I know people have been using while talking about him (tiger blood, winning, two and a half men, etc.)  Take a look at how these descriptors are used as hash tags in the screenshot of an actual users Tweet below:

Using Hash tags in Twitter

In a similar sense, as hash tags (#) are meant to categorize information, @’s are meant to indicate a Twitter user’s profile.  Nothing confusing here.  Just remember that if there’s an @ in front of a word (@DoyleMarketing, @Starbucks, @chrisbrogan) you’re looking at a person who’s been mentioned in a Tweet.  Check out the example below of Starbucks mentioning USA Today in a recent Tweet.

Using @'s in Twitter

Criticism 3: THIS… is what’s “Trending?”
New Twitter users often struggle to grasp the concept of the what’s “trending” on Twitter.  Often times they’re unfamiliar with the topics that appear to be popular and feel uninterested, out of the loop or uncomfortable with their lack of knowledge about this feature.   And why does it matter what they talk about if it’s not relevant to what’s “trending?”

Response: The first thing to keep in mind about what’s “trending” on Twitter is that there are millions of users across the world Tweeting every single day.  Anything can trend.  If a large group of people are making mention of something, then their topic of discussion, phrase or hash tag can find itself trending.  That being said, the topics that appear as “trending” on the right-hand side of a user’s profile are, by default, set to display “wordwide” trends.  If a user can’t find anything relevant to them, they always take a look and see what’s “trending” locally too.  Twitter allows users to see what’s being talked about in the specific cities and countries that they live in or around.  If all else fails, users don’t need to worry about what’s “trending.”  They can just Tweet about their own interests and passions and start a new trend themselves.  The beauty is that no matter where a person’s interests lie, it’s almost guaranteed that they can align themselves with like-minded individuals and information via  Twitter.

A Suggestion
Using Twitter on a mobile device helps users keep up with the real-time updates it provides and can also help one feel more connected to their friends and followers.  When Twitter begins to seem like an interactive community of friends, contacts and people of interest, it becomes less of an ambiguous space people know they should be occupying, but aren’t sure how.  When used regularly, it turns into a useful, informational, fun and, at times addictive, tool.

Technology is NOT a strategy!

by Kerry Doyle on March 9, 2011

It still blows me away when I hear people talking about spending large amounts of money on software or some type of technology solution, when they have no clear strategy behind it.  Most importantly, they really don’t understand how to implement it effectively.

People seem to spend a lot of time evaluating software products in terms of features and direct out-of-pocket costs, but they fail to conduct a clear cost/benefit analysis.  Sure, it is fun to shop for new toys, but if we ask ourselves three important questions, we will be happier and more productive in the long-run.

3 Questions to Ask Before You Buy

Question 1 – What is this technology going to help me do?  A. Generate more revenue B.  Reduce costs C. Save time D. Be more productive E. All of the above. F. None of the above.  If you can’t clearly answer this question, don’t even bother looking at new toys.  The more specific you can get in answering this question, the better.  FOR EXAMPLE – Salesforce.com is going to improve the productivity of our salespeople by so they can generate 30% more revenue

Question 2 – What is the technology going to cost me in direct out-of-pocket costs?  This is usually pretty straightforward.  EXAMPLE – $X per salesperson per year. ….OK, this is going to cost me $15,000 per year and increase revenue by $60,000 – a return on investment of $45,000, right?  Wrong.  This is where most people stop their analysis…they fail to really answer Question 3 honestly.

Question 3 – What is it really going to cost me to implement and run this technology solution effectively so I can accurately answer Question #1? Salesforce.com is a great CRM solution, but it doesn’t run itself. ExactTarget is a great email service provider, but it won’t design or write your emails so they’ll get opened. Google Analytics is FREE!  How could you not get a good ROI from Google Analytics?  The answer is – if you don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish with it, you’ll pretty much get what you deserve.

Question 1 and Question 3 are admittedly the toughest questions to answer.  With some complex pricing structures, Question 2 is even difficult to answer.

So, what’s the bottom line here?  Don’t be fooled into thinking technology will solve your problems if you can’t accurately define your problems. And certainly don’t be sold a solution you don’t fully understand how to implement and manage effectively….just because a good salesperson told you it will solve all your problems and make your life wonderful.

Do your homework.  Actually, less than perfect technology with thorough implementation planning will outperform the best technology without the right people and strategy to make it work for you.

The Web is Dead. 1 Thing You Need to Do NOW!

by Kerry Doyle on March 4, 2011

The Nov. 2010 Wired Magazine cover article, “The Web is Dead” by Chris Anderson and Michael Wolf, was very interesting, but it really struck me in a recent experience with my 8-year-old daughter.

Basically, the article talks about the demise of the World Wide Web and browser-based websites as we have come to know and love them.  Is it really dead?  Not yet, but many (if not most) websites are definitely obsolete.

Both authors come at the “death of the Web” from two different points of view, but the bottom line is the same.  The Web is changing from the “wide open Web” with tons of free content (good, bad or ugly) to a more closed, sleeker, prettier Internet…that we’re willing to pay for when it is more useful and/or more convenient.

The first point of view is from Chris Anderson.   He talks about “Who’s to blame: Us” (the users) because, “as much as we love the open, unfettered Web, we’re abandoning it for simpler, sleeker services that just work.”

Michael Wolff articulates the second point of view, saying “Who’s to Blame: Them” (profit-seeking media moguls) because “Chaos isn’t a business model.”  Basically, these guys are learning more ways to really make money from this digital world.

Stating the obvious, the digital culture is constantly changing.  Those of us who were adults in the beginning of the Web, used to expect everything for free on the Web.  It just wasn’t appropriate to charge for content on the “free” Web.

Now we’ll pay for easier or better…preferably both.  It’s the American way. Take iTunes for example….thanks Mr. Jobs.  You can still find most songs for download somewhere on the Web for free, but the only ones who are doing it are the ones with enough time on their hands and the technical skill to do it.  For the rest of us, it is worth it to push a button and download a song instantly for 99 cents…on my computer or iPhone.

Digital Expectations of an 8-Year-Old

I was sitting with my daughter waiting for a doctor’s appointment a couple weeks ago and she was bored (surprise), so I decided to pull out my iPhone to see if I could entertain her with my cool new technology.  I launched Safari and browsed to Webkinz.com.  (For those of you without children, Webkinz is like Facebook for kids.) We logged into her account and tried to maneuver this tiny little screen for a few minutes and got very frustrated.

Now what?  Hmmmm.  Let’s try the App Store.  Guess what, there is a Webkinz game App we can download for exactly 99 cents.  Problem solved.  We downloaded the App and in seconds my daughter was able to entertain herself for the next 30 minutes of waiting.  Well worth the investment!

The 1 Thing You Need to Do Now….Blow Up Your Website and Create a communication hub.

What does this mean for us as marketers?  Does this mean we all need to come up with an App to entertain 8-year-olds? No, but if we have valuable information that we want our target audiences to see, we have to deliver it differently than we have been.

That cool, award-winning website you just spent years (and good money) to re-design to make it more user-friendly and technically up-to-date is pretty much rendered obsolete by a target audience who is growing up with 99 cent push button expectations.  They flat out will NOT dig for the valuable information you have buried in your website….regardless of how good it actually is.

Move from a static website to an interactive hub.

We need to move our web content from a structured, organized (by internal departments) tomb to a flexible hub format so people can get the information as they want it, when they want it and where they want it….from your website, from your blog, from Facebook, from Twitter, from YouTube, from LinkedIn, from a phone, from a computer, from anywhere.

It doesn’t matter what we say about us.  It only matters what others say about us.

Plain and simple, if you don’t have an integrated communication hub, that allows people to communicate with you seamlessly regardless if they’re on a smartphone, a web browser, Facebook or Twitter, you’re talking at people, not with people….and nobody is listening.  And nobody is talking about you.

The iPad 2 can change the way you do your work

by Jeff Chenoweth on March 2, 2011

Apple will debut the iPad 2 today, a slimmer version of the original iPad with a faster processer, more memory and built in camera.  The device will be available on both AT&T and the newly added Verizon Network.  If you’re unsure as to whether or not the iPad is a good buy, here are three ways it can change the way you do your work.

1) Revolutionize Your Presentations and Meetings - Busting out the iPad and passing it around during a presentation can do a number of things to help impress those sitting across the table:

  • Wow your clients with your company’s use of new technology
  • Show off that beautiful new website as a success in modern design principles and browser compatibility
  • Use applications like Prezi to make presentations stunningly interactive and engaging
  • Use applications like Evernote or Keynote to change the way you record and take notes

2) Video Conference on the Go

Most of the time, there’s a definite advantage to actually seeing the face of the person you’re talking to.  With the addition of the iPad 2’s new camera(s) video conferencing from the coffee shop, living room or airport will be easier than ever.

3) Eliminate the Paper Trail

Reduce the clutter on your desk and keep all your important documents on your iPad.  As long as it’s by your side, you’ll have all the reports, proposals and information you need to read, review and reply without killing trees.  Use applications like the iPad Office Suites or SharePlus Office to stay organized and complete your daily tasks.

 

WordPress and Thesis: A fine team

by Jeff Chenoweth on February 18, 2011

Thesis WordPress ThemeWant to start your own website or blog, but not sure where to begin?  Check out wordpress.org: Quick set up, vast customization options and easy to use dashboard tools to manage your site.

Now that that’s settled, want even more customization for your site along with built in SEO?  Check out the Thesis theme.

Thesis can be a difference-maker for anyone.  The theme allows you to change the column layout, navigation options, colors and fonts on your site, amongst other things.  The best part is, you can do all this without having any knowledge of HTML or CSS; but don’t let that fool you.  Thesis isn’t just an easily customizable theme for beginners.  For someone with even a little experience coding, the possibilities are endless.

Purchasing the Thesis theme makes you a member of diythemes.com where you’ll find helpful discussion forums and great tutorials and user resources for using Thesis to build the site of your dreams.

If you’re serious about creating a website or blog with WordPress, or already have a site, the Thesis Theme by diythemes can help you take your ambitions to the next level.

Marketing with “Balls”

by Jeff Chenoweth on February 17, 2011

It’s time to stop building marketing campaigns around fluffy, jargon-filled messages that don’t make an impact.  It’s time to start marketing with balls.

Rule 1) Be concise.Marketing with balls!
Can you make an appealing argument without writing a novel?  If not, here’s an exercise in brevity for you.  Don’t try to sell your product with a tagline, small print piece or blog post.  Instead use these efforts simply to peak your customers’ interest.  If you can do that, they’ll come to you for more specifics.

Rule 2) Be bold.
Don’t be afraid to strut your stuff.  Don’t brag, don’t boast (unless it’s called for), but be confident and compelling.  Give people something to remember you by, not something to toss in the trash or ignore.

Rule 3) Be Real.
Are the messages in your marketing efforts believable?  More importantly, are they accurate?  If your product or services can’t walk the walk that backs the talk you’re talking, you’ve probably got a bigger problem than your marketing.

Listen With Your Eyes

by Kerry Doyle on February 11, 2011

Doyle Marketing can help you listen to your customers.Listen with your eyes.  Yes, you heard me correctly….listen with your eyes.  The inspiration for this post came from a story in Mitch Albom’s excellent book “have a little faith”.

In it he retells a story from a sermon by his childhood rabbi.  The story…

“A little girl came home from school with a drawing she’d made in class.  She danced into the kitchen, where her mother was preparing dinner.

“ ‘Mom, guess what?’ she squealed, waving and drawing.
“Her mother never looked up.
“ ‘What?’ she said, tending to the pots.
“ ‘Guess what?’ the child repeated, waving the drawing.
“ ‘What?’ the mother said, tending to the plates.
“ ‘Mom, you’re not listening.’
“ ‘Sweetie, yes I am.’
“ ‘Mom,’ the child said, ‘you’re not listening with your eyes.’ “

How often do we, as marketers, say we’re listening to our customers, but we’re not really “listening with our eyes”?  We say “you are very important customers, please give us your feedback” or “help us help serve you better”.

Then, when our customers actually take the time to tell us how we feel, what do we do about it?  Too often, nothing.  We like to tell people we care about them, but do we show it?

It takes a lot of effort for people to talk about their experiences with you and they’ll only do it if they believe they’re actually going to be genuinely heard.

If their experience is positive, they’ll tell others about it.  That’s good.

If their experience is negative, they’ll tell others about it.  That’s bad. HOWEVER, if you let them know that you’re listening and trying to fix any problems, they’re more apt to tell others that they trust you.

People don’t expect perfect companies.  They want to trust companies and they find very few that they do trust nowadays.

Instead of talking about how much we care about our customers, we should really start “listening with our eyes”.  Then, hopefully they will tell others how much we care.

One quick way to listen using Twitter - FOLLOW people and find out what they are saying about you.  If you’re going to the trouble to create a Twitter account for your company, and people are taking the trouble to follow you…you need to reciprocate.  Follow them back.  Otherwise you can’t listen to what they’re saying.

There are plenty of more ways to effectively listen, but this one is quick and easy.

It’s not dead… it’s just changing

by Jeff Chenoweth on February 9, 2011

“Extra Extra!  Read all about it!  The downfall of email marketing starts today!”

The doomsday of email marketing is continuously foretold across the web.  Claims that Social Media is replacing traditional email, that email marketing is viewed too much like spam and that people have lost trust in Internet marketers are common topics of conversation across the blogosphere.  So is there any validity to these claims?

Doyle Marketing and Mobile DevicesThough the use of traditional email is in fact declining, recent studies have shown that mobile email usage is not only holding steady, but increasing.  People are accessing email from their smartphones and tablets more than ever before.   While we most definitely are not witnessing the downfall of email marketing, we are witnessing the beginning stages of a technological revolution.  In the midst of this revolution, the responsibility falls on email marketers to change the traditional model of email and alter it to meet the needs of people that are busier and more on the go than ever before.

This means that taking consideration for browser and mobile compatibility is vital to success.  Content must load and read quickly and efficiently on a portable device.  The use of certain code and programming languages should be reconsidered based on the ability to read them on an iPhone or iPad.

Email marketing is not dead; it’s just changing.  Email marketers now have the ability to reach their targets from literally anywhere they are at any moment of the day.  The industry will continue to grow, feeding off ease of access and integration with mobile applications, social media and portable devices.

On a side note, it is true that many people have lost trust in Internet and email marketers, and in many senses, rightfully so.  That being said, the youth of our country is at the forefront of this technological revolution I mentioned.  Technology, ecommerce and web-based communication are engrained in these individuals from a young age.  They do not share many of same hang-ups their parents’ generation has with email marketing.  Considering this, email marketers have an ideal opportunity to change the face of the industry by building trust and lasting relationships with these individuals.

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