Monday Morning Quarterbacking and the Inbound Marketing Week in Review

Many of the observations I’ve made and ideas I’ve had over the past week are still floating around in my head from last night’s post: Inbound Marketing Week In Review - Inbound Marketing, the New Media, and Meatball Sundaes.

I was still weighing two or three ideas for this past week’s Inbound Marketing Week in Review when I settled on the list of new media and inbound marketing topics I wrote about, the topics I usually cover with my inbound marketing consulting clients…and my take on them.

In a way I am of the Stephen King School of Writing. I get an idea, or a thought begins to crystallize in my mind, and I will either let it sit in my head and see if it takes hold, or I will write it down in my notebook and let it sit there instead. In either instance, I will wait and see if it has traction, if it takes shape over a few days to a week. If it hasn’t taken shape or I haven’t done anything with it after a few days, chances are I never will and it really wasn’t that good or that exciting, at least to me, to begin with.

However, every once in while I get an idea that does take hold!

When I get an idea that grabs me, something with some traction, a sense of excitement comes along with it. The excitement begins to build and that’s when I know I really have something. The idea then moves to the next stage and I begin to write an article or a blog post. On occasion, I take the idea and create a video. But that’s the topic for another article or blog post.

See? It never ends!

The same process I use for developing ideas holds for the articles I write. I begin writing articles all the time, some days I begin several. I begin reading several books at once too. It’s just they way my mind works. It really isn’t about focus, it’s more about appetite.

Then, once I have several ideas that have taken shape and articles or blog posts have been started, one of the articles usually takes off. The article or post will either take shape immediately, and that’s when it is fun because everything just flows, or it will sit for a time. If I let something sit and it makes sense when I reread it, then I know I have something.

The funny thing about many articles and blog posts I write, even at this stage, is that they just don’t stand the test of time. What looked great as an idea and even started off nicely as an article or post just kind of fizzles out. Actually, there are quite a few more that fizzle than pop!

It’s just that way with ideas, and articles, they may seem great when they first pop into my head but only a few stand the test of time and fewer still stand the written test.

Significantly, ideas are a lot like dreams, they are fleeting. As a result, ideas should be written down or otherwise cataloged. If you try to remember dreams, you can’t. The same is true of ideas, most ideas you have are gone a few minutes later, so if you want to keep them, write them down or record them.

Recording Ideas

I use a digital recorder and a lot of little black books for my ideas. The Little Black Books are made by Moleskine and I buy them by the dozens. I use them for ideas and for taking notes at meetings with clients. I am never without one. I’d love to say I thought of it on my own but such notable artists, thinkers, writers, and scholars as Van Gogh, Picaso, Hemingway, and Chatwin have used the very same notebooks for the past 200 years.

So, if it is good enough for them….

The nice thing about all of this is that in writing everything down, ideas are never an issue. Or rather, lack of ideas is never an issue. Interestingly, ideas that seemed very good and very important when floating around in the gray matter often do not stand the test of time or the test of ink and paper.

Yet, others do!

There are times when there are so many ideas I simply do not know where to begin. It is a nice problem to have and it all begins with writing ideas down, working the ones that really seem hot, giving the rest some time to percolate, and then building upon the ones with legs.

This is one of those occassions! Lately, I have a lot of ideas and not enough time in the day…or at least not enough of me to go around! It’s not because I’m some sort of a machine when it comes to great ideas. In fact, most of my ideas are terrible. But in writing them down or using my digital recorder to store them, and then putting them through the process described above, I am never at a loss for solid ideas. Once I get to the point where I feel I have a few solid ideas, then I begin to apply them and see if they survive.

At times like this, when I have so many in the queue, so many that seem to be solid, I simply use the most scientific method I know. I close my eyes and point!

No, not really…but almost!

I generally pick the ideas I can get excited about, the ones that intrigue me the most, because those are the ones I’ll put more time and effort into. And those are the ones that are likely to work for my inbound marketing consulting clients.

The Ultimate Dilemma: “Choose Wisely Grasshopper!”

Yes, I like to pick ideas to work on that intrigue and excite me but this is also the real world and I have to eat. Ideas with no hope of generating even a little interest are shelved, not forgotten, particularly if they seem interesting to me, just put aside for a time when I can play with them.

As an inbound marketing consultant I have a myriad of responsibilities, many of them are vitally important. Many of my responsibilities as an inbound marketing consultant will have a direct impact on whether or not my client stays in business. That is not arrogance or conceit, it’s the truth…and it is humbling. If you are not just a little in awe of the repsonsibility you have, you probably should think about doing something else for a living.

I’ve stated time and time again, as inbound marketing consultants, we hold a scared trust!

As inbound marketing consultants we are responsible for the success or failure of our clients’ businesses. When everything else is pealed away, it is our ability, or inability, to apply our ideas to the new media, and hence to the inbound marketing strategy we develop for our client that will define the overall success of the business, practice, organization, or association we are working with.

The better the ideas, the better they will translate and apply to the new media, the better the inbound marketing strategy!

Seth Godin’s Meatball Sundae

As Seth Godin has stated on more than one occasion and in more than one way (read: Meatball Sundae), the health and welfare of a company is a direct reflection of the effectiveness of its marketing. In today’s world, that means the use of new media in the right way and not simply as a new “topping” on an old organization.

Inbound marketing strategies are based on original ideas, and the ability of its inbound marketing consultant to shape how the new media is applied to a new way of doing business.

Ideas! Ideas! Ideas!

A great idea often means the difference between success and just another Meatball Sundae….some of the new marking stuff sprinkled on top of the old organization.

So, get a lot of ideas in the hopper and then do your homework. Check for interest, trends, keywords and keyword phrases with legs, and then apply your ideas to the new media and your inbound marketing strategy.

Then, be prepared to do a few things:

1. Think of more inbound marketing ideas!
2. Test more inbound marketing ideas!
3. Apply more inbound marketing ideas!

The success of failure of your inbound marketing strategy has everything to do with the ideas you are able to generate and how you process them; and then apply them to the new media.

Ultimately, your client’s success and yours are inextricably linked so happy idea hunting. The nice thing is you really don’t have to hunt for ideas, ideas are in infinite number. You are constrained only by your imagination and your ability to recognize and apply ideas once envisioned.

Inbound marketing is and exciting and intriguing endeavor. All things are possible if you simply open the floodgates of your mind. Prepare yourself to receive, and then record, the myriad inbound marketing ideas, good and bad, that will issue forth!

Good luck and don’t forget The Little Black Book and a small, handheld digital recorder. In combination, they will transform your life and your inbound marketing consultancy.

John Zajaros
The Ultimate Internet Image
Lakewood, Ohio
Skype: johnzajaros1
216-712-7004

Inbound Marketing A through Z: Beginning a Marketing Consultancy – Part III

Once you have come to know your prospective client and have agreed to go forward, making sure you will be able to work together for some time to come, it is time to get down to business!

Up until now the discussion has been about strategies and branding, unique selling propositions (unique selling point – USP) and video marketing, the power of the new media to build relationships and how inbound marketing is the best thing since sliced bread. You have no doubt discussed how, with the proper mix of inbound and outbound marketing strategies to include blogging and the use of social media, you will be able to enhance your new client’s Internet image, getting them to page one of the various search engine results pages (SERPs) for the keywords that will reach their target audience.

If you are really sharp, you have also discussed how you will, at the same time, use traditional marketing, now referred to as old media, outbound marketing strategies, to gain additional traction.

Please note: It is crucial to use what works.

Marketing is not an either-or proposition, as in inbound marketing or outbound advertising, it is about converting leads, prospects, and prospective patients into life-long customers, clients, and patients. The proper marketing strategy will yield an ongoing relationship that profits both sides of the equation for years to come.

When viewed as a comprehensive strategy, there is one goal:

To increase traffic to the website and through the door, literally or figuratively, converting traffic into leads, appointments, and sales; thus building a relationship before, during, and after the initial sale and, as stated, gaining a client for life.

How?

Well, whether you are reading this as a marketing consultant beginning to build your own inbound marketing consultancy or as a prospective marketing client, attempting to get an idea of what is in store for you if you take the next step and initiate a formal, inbound marketing consultation and competitive analysis, the process is fairly straightforward.

If you have been through the inbound marketing consultation, whether as the consultant or as a prospective client, you will know many things about your niche and your target market.

The information you need can be derived from the following resources:

• First, “Google” you’re your client’s business name and personal information, if relevant.
• Alexa Rank
  • Traffic Stats: Daily Traffic Rank Trend (up or down over 30 and 90 days)
  • Reach (percent of global Internet users who visit your site if your client has one)
  • Pageviews (percent of global pageviews)
  • Pageviews/User (daily pageviews per user)
  • Bounce % (the percentage of visits that consist of a single pageview)
  • Time in Site (daily time of site)
  • Search % (the percentage of visits that come from a search engine)
  • Search Analytics
    • Search Traffic
    • Top Queries from Search Traffic
    • Search Traffic on the Rise and Decline (based on keywords)
    • High Impact Search Queries (popular queries relevant to the client’s site)
  • Audience
    • Audience Demographics
    • Visitors by Country
  • And much more
• Quantcast
  • Daily, Weekly, Monthly Traffic
    • Per Person
    • Visits
    • Pageviews
    • Pageviews per Person
    • Visits per Person
    • Global Traffic Frequency
  • Geographic Data
    • Countries
    • States
  • Demographics
  • Business
    • Small
    • Medium
    • Large
    • Business Activity
• Google
  • Keywords (Free Adwords – External Keyword Tool)
    • Wonder Wheel
    • Current Trends
    • Video for Keywords
    • And much more!
  • Analytics
  • Page Rank
  • Ultimate SEO Tool
  • Google Rankings
• Market Samurai – In my opinion the best overall keyword tool available
  • Keyword Research
  • SEO Competition Research
    • Extremely useful analysis of page one competition, analyzing a myriad of factors
  • Page Rank Research
• SpyFu – In my opinion the best competitive analysis tool on the Internet
  • In Depth Keyword Research
  • In Depth Competitive Keyword Research
  • In Depth Competitive Comparison and Analysis
    • Includes competitors’ advertising trends, budgets, keywords purchased, and ads run over the past 12 months
      • Incredibly valuable tool
• KeywordSpy – Competitive research is on par with SpyFu and should be used together with SpyFu when possible
  • Excellent resource for tracking variables over time
  • Easy to use Mozilla plug-in
  • Amazingly powerful window into just what the competition is doing!
• Google, Yahoo, and Bing
  • Check for number of pages each of the Big 3 acknowledges
  • Check for number of links

If you have used most or all of the above, you are ready to create an inbound marketing strategy what will work. If you haven’t…what are you waiting for?

If I had to pick 3 tools and was contrained by budgetary concerns, the 3 I would choose are:

• Google (Beginning with this link)
• Market Samurai
• SpyFu

In that order!

If budget is not a concern, and it shouldn’t be by the time you begin servicing clients, all of the above mentioned resources are vital. Significantly, most are free.

Research completed, the first step is to create a social media profile. The social media profile should be comprehensive and across an array of niches but focusing primarily on social media sites relevant to your client’s audience.

Use the following socioal media hubs as a guide. There is a great deal of overlap but if you cover the four mentioned below your client will have excellent inititial coverage and you will have an easier time getting their message out.

• Ping.fm
  • Crucial – I use Ping.fm for all of my clients, daily. Use Ping.fm’s list of “networks,” setting up all of the networks available.
• OnlyWire
  • As important as Ping.fm and as easy to use – Again, set up all the “services” available.
• HelloTxt
  • Once again, a very useful hub – set up all the sites that link through HelloTxt.
• XeeSM
  • Like XeeSM a lot! XeeSM has a super array of apps and is very easy to use. The creators are very responsive and it fills out the four hubs I set up for every client.

If you have set up all four of the social media hubs above your client will have approximately 225 social media profiles and you will be able to control the daily message through the four hubs.

Not bad, huh?

The video sharing and article directories are next.

Video marketing is absolutely crucial for a number of reasons.

You have undoubtedly heard the saying:

Video is king!

Consequently, video is essential to new media, inbound marketing success. We live in the video age. Video will reach incredible numbers quickly and the shelf-life of well produced videos is worth the time and expense to do it right.

The best tool available to get you message out quickly and efficiently is TrafficGeyser (or Traffic Geyser). TrafficGeyser is a powerful resource, one you simply cannot do without. TrafficGeyser combined with something as inexpensive as a $200 Flip MinoHD and a decent tripod will get you started creating quality videos in no time.

TrafficGeyser offers a number of advantages when setting up your client’s inbound marketing strategy:

• TrafficGeyser allows you to set up multiple profiles for clients, thus allowing you to control all your clients’ campaigns from a single platform. At TrafficGeyser’s Platinum level you will have access to approximately 125 additional sites, including:
  • Social media sites
  • Social bookmarking sites
  • Article directories
  • Video sharing and video marketing sites
  • Podcast sites
  • Blogging sites
  • TrafficGeyser will then allow you to upload blog posts to all of the blogs you set up to reach through TG.
  • TrafficGeyser allows you to upload all your videos to the various video sharing sites, thus saving you hundreds of man-hours over the course of a year. Control all of your accounts through a single interface.
  • TrafficGeyser allows you to post articles to the various article directories with a click.
    • That’s right! You can set up your article directory memberships through TrafficGeyser and then upload them to the various directories from a single platform.
    • This feature allows you to set up all of your article directory profiles from one platform and then control them from your TG account. This is a real timesaver!
    • TrafficGeyser allows you to post to the various podcast sites.
    • TrafficGeyser allows you to set up RSS feeds.

By the time you have completed setting up the first four hubs (Ping, OnlyWire, HelloTxt, XeeSM) and your TrafficGeyser profile for your new client they will have approximately 350 new media marketing profiles across the Internet. With this kind of coverage, provided you create quality content, your client will see a significant bump in traffic, leads, prospects, appointments, and sales within 90 days and a huge jump in the first 12 months.

The secret is really no secret at all, it simply takes quality content delivered consistently over time. If your client already has a USP or you help them create one (upcoming blog post) and combine that with the right inbound marketing strategy using all the resources available to you and mentioned above, you will be a hit and your clients will love you!

The formula is simple:

Links + Longevity + Quality Content = Increased Traffic

A well-focused message will reach the proper target audience. If you develop a unique seeling proposition (USP) that captures your target market’s imagination and deliver quality content over time, you will have people linking to your site and it will increase in authority. Couple the above with a well-constructed video marketing, delivering first-rate, well-written articles to the various directories and you will own you niche in less than a year.

Consistent, quality content delivered over time equals inbound marketing success and guaranteed profitability using the new media.

Above, you have everything you need to get the ball rolling!

In the next article we will talk about site construction, blog versus static website, premium WordPress theme versus the freebies, and the various shopping carts available. We will then get into email marketing and the various providers. We will also consider a number of other resources and various factors to consider when building your client’s Ultimate Internet Image.

I will then go into detail concerning the various resources available to streamline submissions even further, how to upgrade your video equipment, including why and why not, and what audio program is the best and when to use it.

For now?

You have enough to get started, beginning to serve your clients well!

If you would like a comprehensive inbound marketing consultation, to include an assessment of your current marketing strategy, as well as a comprehensive competitive analysis, contact me today at The Ultimate Internet Image (see the number below).

Good luck!

John Zajaros
The Ultimate Internet Image
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216-712-7004
440-821-7018

Can There Be A Balanced Approach to Outbound Advertising and Inbound Marketing?

Inbound marketing is all the rage, and justifiably so. Inbound marketing is an effective way to get in front of a lot of people searching for your products and/or services online. In other words, by applying a targeted new media, inbound marketing strategy, a business or professional practice can get in front of their target audience in a way simply not possible using most outbound advertising strategies.

Hence the Debate in Marketing Today!

You see, there is a debate going on in marketing today, a kind of tug-of-war between the traditional, outbound marketing world and the young turks of the new media, those consultants and consultancies applying inbound marketing strategies often to the exclusion of all else. Significantly, what we are seeing, instead of a synthesis, instead of a synergy of old and new, the most effective of both marketing worlds being tied into a single and effective strategy, most marketers are in the “My dad can beat up your dad!” mode.

There’s Offline and Online Marketing and Never the Twain Shall Meet

What exactly does that mean? Never the twain shall meet?

It means that two things are so different there will never be an opportunity for them to unite. This mentality is at the crux of the outbound advertising – inbound marketing debate and is symptomatic of what I refer to as marketing myopia. Marketing myopia is rampant and is a typical response whenever a new idea endangers the old-guard. I will explain in greater depth in a moment but for now think of how inertia works against progress and you are on your way to understanding what is ultimately behind the debate.

Inertia and the Crux of the Matter

The ongoing debate is particularly puzzling for traditional brick and mortar business owners. If the experts can’t agree, and when do the experts agree about anything, how is a business owner to know who to believe and which strategy is best for his or her business? The ongoing debate, whether to engage in outbound advertising or inbound marketing is ongoing and is an essential marketing point requiring resolution.

However, like most debates, there are strong feelings on both sides and many ways of looking at the myriad and complex issues.

In order to understand the issues at the heart of the outbound – inbound debate, it’s important to understand that while inbound marketing is indeed all the rage, the emergent and soon to be dominant force in marketing today, there are still very complex three worlds, three overarching strategies, and three audiences (not always separate and distinct), when it comes to marketing:

The Offline World

The Online World

The Online/Offline World

Significantly, while there are three very different worlds, or target audiences. The three audiences are very broad; and can, in fact must, be broken down still further into a seemingly infinite number of niches and niches within niches. Significantly, how we reach an audience is often niche specific, having less to do with a particular advertising or marketing bias and more to do with how a particular audience receives the bulk of their information.

How a particular audience receives information has as much to do with demographics, psychographics, and firmographics as the message itself. There are also a variety of socioeconomic variables, those not addressed in the variables listed above, that come into play and must be addressed if a marketing campaign is to be truly effective. For a marketing message, an advertising campaign, to be effective it must reach the targeted segment of the market (target audience), those receptive to the message and willing to act upon it, or at least consider it.

According to Wikipedia, “psychographic variables,” or simply psychographics, “are any attributes relating to personality, values, attitudes, interests, or lifestyles. They are also called IAO variables (for Interests, Activities, and Opinions). They can be contrasted with demographic variables (such as age and gender), behavioral variables (such as usage rate or loyalty), and firmographic variables (such as industry, seniority and functional area).”

Interestingly, many marketing consultants would have the businesses and professional practices they advise target a particular audience based on the biases of the marketing consultant rather than based upon how a particular audience receives and accepts media messages (i.e., advertising).

Unfortunately, most marketing consultants would have a client lump all their efforts into one basket, often to the exclusion of all else, based solely on the strengths of the marketing firm and not on the needs of the business and its target audience.

Hence the Phrase: Marketing Myopia!

While there can be little doubt that the offline world, meaning those who either intentionally or unintentionally are without Internet access, is disappearing. This trend is real and the growth of the online world is exponential, particular in the developing world.

While the offline world is still much larger than the online world, at least worldwide, the gap is closing.

The table below provides the numbers from Internet World Stats

The Online World

In certain areas of the world, the percentage of the population with Internet access has overtaken the numbers without computer access and an Internet connection.

Interestingly, the numbers for the US, Europe, and Oceania/Australia indicate that if you are in a traditional brick and mortar business in one of these areas of the world, inbound marketing must be an integral component in your marketing strategy. However, there is still 23.8% of the population in the US without Internet access; 47% of the European population is without Internet access; and, 39.2% of the population of Oceania/Australia is without Internet access.

Additionally, and this question must be asked is, although 76.2%, 53.0%, and 60.8% of the populations in the various regions of the world, respectively, have Internet “access,” how many of the people with access actually use a computer regularly? How many of those individuals with access ever use or care to use a computer, much less log-on to the Internet? This is still a huge segment of your possible market and, if you ignore this segment of the population or simply fail to reach them, you may be leaving an incredible amount of money on the table, an audience completely untapped.

The online world is, at least in the areas of the world mentioned above, the majority and is growing rapidly.

Hence, the reason to be in front of this trend!

Consequently, it is crucial to recognize the offline segment of your target market and tailor your marketing strategy to reach them as well.

An aside: Notice the incredible growth rate in Asia, the Middle East, Latin American and the Caribbean, and, in particular, Africa with an 1809.8% growth rate. If you are considering an online business, these regions should play into your business development and marketing plans.

The online world is growing around the world and, hence, inbound marketing must play a pivotal role in your overall marketing strategy. However, engaging in an inbound marketing strategy should not be at the expense of the traditionally offline world, those individuals without computer and Internet access and/or those individuals who choose not to use a computer and the Internet in their daily lives.

The Twain Shall Meet: The Student Instructs the Teacher – The Tail Wagging the Dog!

Significantly, the online/offline world is where most consumers spend their time, attention, and money, balancing both and using whatever works, whatever they are comfortable with situationally. Other factors impacting the efficacy of outbound advertising and inbound marketing strategies are the variable mentioned above: demographics, psychographics, etc.

Interestingly, while many outbound advertising techniques no longer have the same effect they once did, either because the attention span of the target audience has been diminished, it has been segmented and fractured, because consumers no longer have the patience for the intrusive strategies engaged in by many of the outbound advertising campaigns.

• Network Television: Consumers are no longer watching network television or, if they are they are, they’re using TiVo and DVRs to edit out commercial messages. Cable is the standard and OnDemand, as well as online versions of Netflix and Blockbuster have eliminated the need to find something to do during commercials. The old-fashioned 60 second sprint to the restroom during commercials has been dealt with by using the pause button.
• Commercial Radio: Consumers are listening to dedicated satellite radio (e.g., XM-Sirius) instead of commercial radio stations or they are listening to their own music. Yes, the old-fashioned CD is still around. Does anyone even have a cassette player anymore? MP3s are built in to cars now, standard equipment. Of course, many listeners still do it that old fashioned way, they change the channel. Listener loyalty is only as powerful as the next commercial interruption. How much did you say you paid for a radio spot? Yeah, think again!
• Newspapers: Newpapers, including the New York Times and the Washington Post are in trouble. The Huffington Post, a completely online news service will make more money this year than either. Time, CNN, and even the network news companies are scrambling to create an online image with blogs, social media strategies, and the like as fast as they can hire competent social media management.
• Yellow Pages: When was the last time you used the Yellow Pages? A recent study revealed that consumers are no longer using the Yellow Pages to seek information prior to purchase but are going directly to search engines. The Internet has replaced the Yellow Pages as the vehicle of choice for consumer search. This means that more local consumers of goods and services are using the Internet to find local merchants, service providers, and professional services online. The report also revealed an increased usage frequency for online sources versus that of Yellow Pages usage. Not only is the Internet being used more than traditional print media, it is being used more often. This trend promises to increase over the next decade. Significantly, in 2008 62% of all consumer search activity involved the Internet, and that included an appallingly low 1% search via mobile phones. The mobile phone data is certain to explode in the next decade as most cell phones integrate fast and inexpensive Internet access. Yellow Pages search dropped to 30% and yellow pages-type directories are scrambling to gain a footing online, something they should have been doing a decade ago.
• Direct Mail: One of the neat new tools used to gage reader attention online is called a heat map. The heat map tracks a reader’s eye movement online, that they read first and what holds their attention the longest. If there was a “heat map” in your home or office that tracked your pattern of activity, it would be bright red from the mailbox to “File 13!” The path from the mailbox to the garbage can is well-worn and the trip is made on complete auto-pilot. You have that much time and perhaps 3 seconds at the trash can to gain your reader’s attention long enough to get them to open what you have mailed…or it is gone forever. Interestingly, the same is true for websites. You have long enough for someone to “Blink” (read Malcolm Gladwell’s awesome book “Blink”) and it is over. The reality of the situation is, most direct mail and most websites fail to make the cut…gone forever!

The question becomes, if the numbers are so powerfully skewed in favor of the Internet and inbound marketing, why do I need to use outbound advertising at all? Given the current trend, why should I consider outbound adverting, wouldn’t it be wiser to invest solely in inbound marketing?

Great questions and I hear them time and time again. The answer is surprisingly simple, because there are three worlds and while the Internet is an incredibly powerful force, there is still an incredibly deep and broad segment of almost every audience that is not plugged into the Internet. Yes, there are instances where almost 100% of your efforts should be online. If you are selling Internet access, you might want to be online. However, you must also consider the person who is not currently connected but is looking for the right online solution. For that individual, you need to be offline in order to take the prospective client online. Yes, they will undoubtedly do their research but the right outbound advertising campaign will reach that prospective client too.

The secret to Outbound Marketing?

You need to be where your target audience is and the message must be targeted. And, the content must hold the prospective client’s attention long enough to convey the targeted marketing message and prompt them to act. You have 3 seconds! Gone are the days of the full page spread with a bunch of pictures and the headline:

“Biggest Selection – Lowest Prices!”

Did that every work? I wonder!

Ultimately, and this is going to fly in the face of much of the conventional wisdom and be counter to what many of the marketing “gurus” will advise, but the final component is patience, taking a long view. Rome wasn’t born in a day and you are not going to see a response to most marketing campaigns overnight, that is unless you are willing to pay the search engines a lot of money to get the exposure you want or you are willing to pay the right consultant, one with a track record for being able to get their clients to page one organically, and keep them there.

So, direct response does not mean immediate response!

I tell all my clients, whether targeted outbound advertising or direct response, new media, inbound marketing, marketing is like farming:

First you plant, then you wait, and wait, and wait………and wait; and then, you harvest!

Most of what happens occurs below the ground, out of sight, and with seemingly nothing happening it is easy to become impatient and even disillusioned. However, there is a process, just beneath the surface, and if you are patient, if you take the long view, your harvest will be amazing.

If you take the short view and fail to continually nurture your fields (i.e., continue to promote consistently), you will end up failing to reap anything close to what is possible with the right approach and the proper perspective.

It is important to have a method of tracking results and it is also important to know when to quit and move on to something else, but taking a long view in marketing is crucial.

Finally, a balanced marketing campaign is essential, one that integrates the best of outbound advertising and inbound marketing into a cohesive and targeted message that works. It is imperative to integrate what works now, today, in 2010 and beyond and not what has worked in the past, in 1964 or 1974 or even 2004.

How do you know if it will work?

Test! Test! Test!

Here’s a final observation and a question for you to think about until next time:

A spot on page one of Google has an incredibly powerful impact on your business’ bottom line, particularly if it is maintained over time and across a number of keyword phrases. An additional spot on page one (e.g., one sponsored and one organic) will not generate twice the impact, the bump is at least 3 times as pronounced! That means you don’t get double the impact, you get three or more times the effect from a double listing on page one. Now, imagine you own most of page one for a given keyword phrase across a number of SERPs (search engine results pages) and across a number of search engines. Now imagine you are aggressively promoting proven, targeted outbound advertising strategies (e.g., targeted direct mail).

What sort of a bump do you think you can expect?

Unlike other marketing strategies that rely heavily on one marketing vehicle, a linked inbound marketing and outbound advertising program accelerate results and have a dramatic impact on your bottom line.

Hopefully, we are on the way to enhancing your awareness of marketing myopia. If you can recognize it, you can avoid it. Don’t fall victim to the marketing biases of your marketing consultant, a consultant or consulting firm advising a single pronged approach is much like a boxer with one arm, you are only going to get half the punching power. Yes, it may be directed…but imagine what you can do with both arms working together!

In the next article we will address various advertising platforms, as well as linked inbound and outbound marketing strategies for brick and mortar businesses.

Contact John Zajaros today for an in depth marketing consultation and competitive analysis.

John Zajaros

The Ultimate Internet Image
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216-712-7004 (bus)
440-821-7018 (cell)

]]> http://ultimateinternetimage.com/marketing-myopia-inbound-marketing-vs-outbound-advertising/feed/ 2 http://ultimateinternetimage.com/inbound-marketing-new-media-strategies-and-social-media-for-offline-business/ http://ultimateinternetimage.com/inbound-marketing-new-media-strategies-and-social-media-for-offline-business/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:20:18 +0000 admin http://ultimateinternetimage.com/?p=206

Understanding the Importance of Social Media for Offline Businesses

Long-time business owners may not think social media and offline business should coexist, but in realtiy, and particularly in today’s marketplace, a social media presence is essential. Brick and mortar businesses can use social media for branding, gaining name recognition and visibility at an extremely reasonable cost. Social media and inbound marketing are valuable tools in an advertising toolkit and should be an integral part of any business’s marketing strategy. Social media is also called the new media marketing.

How can you become involved in social media as an offline business? Start with a blog about your business and what you do. Be sure to update the blog often and encourage participation by way comments. You can research, discovering which social networks your customers use and become a presence on those networks. For example, you can create a Facebook page and invite customers and friends to visit your page. The page will link back to your blog and drive traffic back to your site and provide additional exposure for your business, thus increasing brand awareness.

Twitter is a very popular social media network. Most followers on Twitter are very loyal and will help promote your brand providing you engage without spamming. You must learn the social rules of Twitter and follow them accordingly or you will lose more clients than you will gain but if you use the proper etiquette you will profit for your involvement.

To make social networking work for your company, you must provide useful content that people will want to share. Bloggers today are becoming a leading source of information; work on building relationships with other bloggers through social media networks and they will provide valuable links for you.

Several social networks are specialized for businesses.

Examples include:

LinkedIn

ecademy

Xing

XeeSm

Naymz

viadeo

Explore these and other business/social media sites for the best fit for your company. It may not be wise just to join a large number of networks that you cannot maintain.

LinkedIn is one of the largest and most popular social networking platforms for business. By forming a LinkedIn group related to your company, you can attract possible sales leads. Ask your employees and others in your field to join your group. The group page will be linked to your blog, so users can find you easily. As an expert in your field, you can also answer questions on LinkedIn and gain exposure in that way.

Ecademy, spelled ecademy (small “e”), is another social network for companies and has grown quickly, having a loyal membership base. Ecademy allows you to post your business profile and connect with other entrepreneurs. Business owners can receive advice as well as promote their own services worldwide. Networking groups are a popular destination on ecademy.

Xing claims to be the number one business/social network in Europe. Over eight million people use Xing. Xing sets up connections between businesses so they can find others to meet their needs and sell their services and products. You can search among all the professionals listed to find the right match for your needs. Xing also features groups and popular events, where you can meet other network users. Job seekers will find a separate application for them on Xing.

Naymz is an online network that offers some different features from some of the other business networks. Over one million people subscribe to this free service. Naymz offers a blogging feature and identity verification, among other things. The main idea on Naymz is to establish a positive reputation. Users build their reputation score through various assessments. If you have a high-scoring reputation on Naymz, the network will provide you with a sponsored Google listing. Naymz also assists in monitoring internet sources for any time your name appears online.

XeeSM states that they are “a social business application platform.” Professionals can keep all their contacts and their individual social networks together in an orderly fashion. Salespeople are able to reach clients through any number of social media; therefore, time and money are saved. XeeSM also provides a way for recruiters and job seekers to find one another quickly. XeeSM also offers various applications, including a business level app that is quite useful.

Brick and mortar business should embrace new media, inbound marketing, Web 2.0, etc. Social media is a low-cost way to build your image worldwide. Social media and inbound marketing are the future of advertising; it is better to become involved sooner than later but in the right way, with an overall marketing strategy designed to create brand awareness and a unique online identity, the ultimate Internet image.

Would you like to talk about your business’s social media strategy? Allow us to help you create brand awareness and a social media identity that will connect with your target audience!

Contact Us Today!

John Zajaros

The Ultimate Internet Image
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216-712-7004 (bus)
440-821-7018 (cell)
johnz@ultimateinternetimage.com

Internet Marketing Consulting: Inbound Marketing, New Marketing and the New Media
In Your Eyes: Becoming a Student of the Business Part I

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of interviewing a fine young man for a position I have created at The Ultimate Internet Image, a new inbound marketing consultancy focusing on the new marketing, at times as new media marketing, in Lakewood, Ohio just west of Cleveland.

This young man is a recent graduate of one of the finest small colleges in the Midwest and it was a real pleasure to spend time with him. If this young man is reflective of the caliber of the young men and women in that generation our world will be in good hands.

During our 2 1/2 hours together, we talked about everything from life and success to fear of failure and service.

We also talked about fear of success and getting out of your comfort zone in order to succeed!

I believe fear of success is at root of failure for many. Many people, in all walks of life, simply do not want to stretch, alter their lives (even for the better), and break free of inertia.

As the interview unfolded, and we began to speak more about the business, the nuts and bolts of an inbound marketing consulting business, and of excellence, responsibility, and service, we spoke of helping others get what they want; and, in doing so, guaranteeing our own success, personal and in business.

Then, he asked several very good questions:

“How do you consult for so many different kinds of businesses?”

Answer: By becoming a student the business and the businesses of our client’s competitors, focusing not only on the local economy but how the overall economy shapes and affects traffic, sales, and the bottom line.

In other words, we look at all aspects of the business, their competition, and their target market or audience.

Once accomplished, we develop the ultimate internet image…along with an offline identity. This means combining brand awareness with direct response marketing and relationship building.

Ultimately, we develop an effective, overall marketing strategy, one that incorporates inbound, new media marketing with targeted, quantifiable outbound advertising strategies with one goal:

Increase traffic, leads, prospects, patients, clients, members, sales, and overall profitability.

“What is it you do and how do you do it?”

Answer: See number one and below. Additionally, watch for Part II in this series.

“Don’t you have to know an awful lot about the business you are working with if you are going to effectively serve them?”

Answer: Yes! Not only will we see the business through the eyes of the owner, managers, and employees, we will also see the business, the competition, and the product, service, and/or practice through the eyes of the market, the target audience itself. By the time we are ready to begin developing a marketing strategy, we will know the business as well as anyone in the business (competitors) or interacting with the business (target market).

In other words, we will become students of the business, entrepreneurs by proxy, with one goal:

The Ultimate Internet Image will seek to develop the most effective new marketing strategy possible, online (inbound marketing) and offline (outbound advertising), in order to increase traffic, leads, prospects, patients, clients, members, sales, and overall profitability.

Of course there’s more!

But the questions he asked ceratinly got the ball rolling…it was a good start!

Not only were these smart questions, he was interviewing me at the same time I was interviewing him; and, they were questions I had hoped he would ask.

Smart!

I smiled and thought of a Peter Gabriel concert I had been to years before. The song “In Your Eyes” just popped into my head…that’s how my mind works at times.

Go figure!

In this case, the title would be more like:

“Through their Eyes!”

But what the heck!

After acknowledging the questions and providing a short answer to each, I told him how happy I was he had asked them; and then, I started to explain in greater depth.

“When we take on a client, regardless of the business, we bring to the table over 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, and advertising,” more if you count the experience of everyone on our team.

I continued, “Much of my experience is based on creating and running brick and mortar businesses, from the ground up, often starting from scratch (i.e., on a shoestring budget…if that!).

“Significantly, most businesses share many of the same challenges, many of the same issues; and, this is the case whether we are dealing with a professional practice or a tree service, a tanning salon or a bed and breakfast, a pet store or a pizzeria.

“In each and every instance, one thing is certain…no clients, no business!

“It really comes down to that,” I explained. “No traffic, no leads, no prospective clients, no one through the door, and the doors will close. It is inevitable and it is a universal!”

“Without an effective marketing strategy, without targeted, direct response marketing, without the proper balance of effective outbound advertising and inbound marketing, and without sales, the company will go extinct. So many companies, big and small, are closing their doors every day across the country; and, in fact, around the world, due to lack of traffic.”

He nodded.

I went on to explain how frustrated I had been as a new business owner back in the mid to late 70s and early 80s, just starting out, building my first businesses. The challenges were myriad, much as they are today.

In the late 70s the economy was about to tank and the region of the country I was attempting to build a business in, the Midwest, was being transformed forever…right before my eyes…and not necessarily for the good!

The biggest challenge was in not only needing to know everything about my business…but being required to an advertising expert, as well. I had to deal with marketing my business in the most effective way possible. I could sell, that was a given, “igloos to Eskimos” and all of that. How best to market my business, how to advertise effectively, that was the real challenge!

How?

I stayed awake nights thinking about that word!

Consequently, not being able to track my results effectively because the only thing I knew how to do was mimic other, larger, more “successful” companies, I struggled daily with marketing and advertising. As my business grew, and as I began to network with other business owners, I found I was not alone, that we were all struggling and failing miserably to get the most bang for our buck.

Then, in the late 70s the economy took a nose dive, many local businesses took a nose dive right along with it…permanently! We started hearing about service economies, outsourcing, and The Rust Belt. The steel industry collapsed, the automobile industry gasped, and I built my business.

What else could I do? Failure was not an option!

My business did not collapse, we actually flourished. Significantly, our success was more about what we were offering and how happy our clients were with what we were providing. We had discovered Gary Halbert’s starving market and then fed them a diet of excellence.

The results were amazing!

Ultimately, we survived the recession. Interestingly, some would argue it was as bad as our current one, a matter of perspective and time, I suppose? We made it because our clients referred others to us…and the referrals referred clients to us!

Girard’s law of 250 in action!

We were providing excellence and our clients, the average one having a 250 person sphere of influence, told others.

And so on, and so on, and so on!

Kind of like the hair commercial. Talk about an effective ad campaign!

Unfortunately, or fortunately as it would later turn out, not being a “big dumb company” (read: Dan Kennedy and Frank Kern), I didn’t have an unlimited ad budget. I had limited funds and needed to know that the money I spent was being spent properly; and, that the return was not only trackable but the return on investment (ROI) justified the expenditure.

In other words, I had to become a student of not only advertising but of sales and marketing.

He raised his eyebrows and said, “Sales?”

I smiled again.

“Yes, sales!

“You see, whether you are a physician or a dentist, an accountant or a lawyer, a restaurant owner of a yoga instructor, you are ultimately a salesperson.”

We talked about this for a while. I asked him why so many new professional people and business owners joined the Chamber of Commerce, the Lions, the Jaycees, and other social and business networking organizations. I asked him how a new dentist grew a practice from zero to hundreds, particularly when he or she was new to the community and creating a brand new practice.

Then I asked him how many ads he had seen on television for attorneys lately!

He nodded and smiled.

Funny thing?

I can remember when an attorney would have rather been drawn and quartered than be seen advertising his services. Risking his reputation and perhaps more!

Now?

It is the norm!

“Does that mean they are doing it right?” I asked.

He frowned and then shook his head, “No!”

I smiled again!

“Bingo!”

In fact, most of the time, businesses are still advertising like it is 1964 and the Internet was never invented. Or, they are attempting to throw up a static website and then call it day, mission accomplished.

We know what happened the last time someone proclaimed mission accomplished when there was still work to do…right?

A Static Website?

A business owner might draw some nice pictures on the wall of a cave, perhaps in France or Germany, it might be more effective. Perhaps the media would think it novel and travel to see it. You might even be able to get an art major from the local college to do the drawing for you…outsourcing the development and design! Do a YouTube video!

With tens of thousands to tens, and even hundreds, of millions of web pages fighting for the first ten spots on Google’s page one for a given keyword phrase, does anyone really believe a free, static website will ever be found?

Having someone without a marketing background, and particularly someone without inbound, new marketing (new media marketing) knowledge develop your Internet image?

You might as well save the money, or send it to your favorite charity, it will do the world, and you, a lot more good. At least you can feel good about it and write off the charitable donation. Pay someone to “develop” a static website?

Ugh!

Well, I don’t want to beat this to death!

He nodded again. He was nodding and smiling. You could see all the lights going on, and staying on!

Shouting into the wind!

You see, years ago, before Al Gore invented the Internet and dinosaurs roamed our city streets, people would get the biggest yellow pages advertisement they could afford and then pay through the nose month after month because that was “the place to be.”

Then, you could buy newspaper advertisements, the bigger the better. The ads were either full page, before doing so took the cost of a second mortgage and your first born male child, or at least above the fold and to the right.

Radio has always been an enigma, almost impossible to track and expensive.

Television advertising, and especially a 30 minute block for an infomercial, particularly before Ted Turner changed the world with cable, was out of reach of the “average” small business owner. Television advertising was and remains effective for some, a waste for others, and exceedingly difficult to track for all.

So, back in ‘64, ‘74, even ’84, when you had a big promotion, spending a year’s wages for a weekend of outbound advertising, you did what you could.

You hoped a lot, said a few prayers, and even chanted manic mantras for hours in front of a mirror!

Oh, and don’t forget the rabbits foot!

The old jocks among us would wear the same socks all weekend…or wear their lucky tie! And don’t forget the same underwear!

Yes, jocks are a superstitious breed…as are most entrepreneurs!

Shouting into the wind!

The end result was what I call the “throw enough spaghetti against the wall and some of it will stick” model.

Or, shouting (or perhaps doing other things?) into the wind!

Ultimately, it was not unlike taking hundreds of dollars, putting on a blindfold, spinning around until dizzy, and then throwing a dart at a board full of advertising choices!

You might actually hit something useful every once in a while…maybe! Often? You missed…you hit nothing.

Or you hit the cat and your wife and kids wouldn’t talk to you for a week!

Outbound Advertising!

Outbound advertising or outbound marketing is a form of advertising. Outbound marketing is often viewed negatively, it is often intrusive, and, for most businesses, largely ineffective.

Commercials come on and you change the channel on the radio or you get up and use the restroom before the show comes back on.

As for your yellow pages?

Where is yours?

Most people can’t tell you where it is in their house, if they’ve even brought it in off the porch, because they don’t use it any more…they “Google” what they want!

Yes, the yellow pages can still be a useful tool, particularly as so many flee the phone book for greener pastures, less competition for attention. But you must know how to direct your message, your marketing, accordingly.

Yellow Pages
Newspaper Ads
Radio
Junk Mail
Billboards
Specialty Advertising
Etc.

It is all the same for many, shouting into the wind, unless of course you have the proper direct response, inbound marketing strategy; and, the right consultant to augment and direct it.

Even then, to become an expert, or even just very good at it, takes experience and deep pockets; and, particularly in this economy, most small businesspeople simply do not have a lot of either.

The end result?

You shout into the wind until hoarse, none of the spaghetti sticks or certainly not enough to justify the expenditure, your arms get tired from chucking spaghetti at the wall all day, every day, and then you run out of money.

Eventually, you ask for help or close your doors. Often ego, pride, or something else gets in the way, the owner waits too long, and by the time they ask for help it is too late.

All that’s left are the formalities.

“Is it that bad?” He asked.

“It is that bad!” I answered.

The real tragedy is that none of it has to happen. There is help available and it is cost effective…but they have to ask! Or, they at least need to be receptive enough to listen when someone approaches them and offers assistance.

“Heck! We offer a free consultation and competitive analysis. Do you realize how much can be learned in an hour or two? Think about how much we have covered here today!”

“Ah!” Back to sales!” He said and smiled.

I told you, this young man was sharp.

“Yes, and the biggest issue is that people are sales resistant, they just don’t want to be ‘sold’ anything!”

“So, how do you reach them?” he asked.

“Consistency and an unconventional approach! And, we don’t SELL anything…ever!

“We offer a service. We offer to serve once we know we can be of assistance, not before! We don’t even talk price until we know everything there is to know about the prospective client’s business, their competition, and their audience. If we can help and if we feel the client is a good match, meaning someone we can work with long term, then we talk.

“Never before!

“Interestingly, while people do not want to be sold anything, they usually don’t mind a suggestion, an offer of assistance, just as long as they don’t feel obligated.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity is a powerful force and many people just don’t want to be indebted to us or anyone else! Even when we offer something free, people will often refuse. It is an interesting reaction but it is another cultural universal, reciprocity.

“In fact, the most difficult sale to make is the initial consultation…and it’s free!

“For some people anyway.”

“For others?” He asked.

“Well, for some, as stated, you simply cannot give ‘stuff’ away, they are too far gone or defensive to be open and receptive to our message, or any message, and that’s fine.

“Ultimately, we can only help those who want help and they will only ask for our help once they know, like, and trust us.“

Know, Like, and Trust!

“In other words, we never sell anything…ever?” He restated rather than asking.

“Correct! We offer our services and through service we succeed too. Our company is an inbound marketing consultancy and it is solely about excellence. The sales will take care of themselves, ours and our clients’. Success and service are inextricably linked!”

As Zig Ziglar put it years ago, and others have said it in different ways since, and I am paraphrasing:

To get what we want we help others get what they want…first, last, always!

So, he said, “Success comes from helping others get what they want.”

“Yup, that’s it!” I agreed.

“Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.” Zig Ziglar

Success is constant and never ending improvement, CANI! Tony Robbins.

Success is based on action, selfless action in all things.

“If we seek only to serve, we will be more successful than you can imagine, now as we begin down this path together.

“Additionally, the journey we take is a journey of discovery, a challenging experience that will touch people in ways you can’t conceive of right now…but it’s coming…and it’s amazing!

“Ultimately, we serve others and their success is our success. If we do not help our clients succeed, we will fail right along with them, period!” I said.

In summing up this blog post, part one of two, the last point in the interview was this:

This is the foundation upon which this business is built…we take on a scared trust when we take on an inbound marketing consulting client.

I take on a scared trust when I take on an employee.

In both instances, in the case of the client and in that of the employee, they have said to me, to our company, The Ultimate Internet Image, I am putting my life in your hands. I am not only putting my financial life in your hands, I am placing the fate of my business in your hands. I am also placing the lives of my family, my spouse and my children, in your hands.

I think I know you.

I like you.

I am going to trust you with my life and I will trust you with the well being of those I cherish most, my family.

I take this charge very seriously!

It is humbling and the responsibility can be a lot to handle…but everyone that works for The Ultimate Internet Image will understand, must understand, what we are doing and the incredible responsibility we have, the sacred trust we hold.

After all, we are responsible for another individual’s life! In every respect, we owe them our best, we owe them excellence, and we owe them our undying gratitude for being allowed to serve!

It is through service we grow, it is through challenging others to do the same we become trusted…we become trusted friends. Once again, it is a sacred trust!

Marketing is now about a lot more than just the yodeling
[or shouting into the wind].
It’s about the entire package.
What you say as much as how you say it.
New marketing is our future. (pg. viii)
~ Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin

Character is the ultimate reflection of who you are,
more-so than reputation!
Character is who you actually are!
Reputation is only what other people say about you!
~ John Wooden

For more information about inbound marketing [new marketing – new media marketing] and The Ultimate Internet Image, call any time. I will always answer my phone or call you back as soon as I am able.

Note: We do not pick up the phone while with a client, ever! That is their time, as it will be for you…should you call or email us for more information.

John

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
The Ultimate Internet Image
CEO & Director of Marketing
440-821-7018
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimateinternetimage.com
excellencepaidforward@gmail.com (personal email address)

The Questions Every Business Must Ask Before, During, and After Each and Every Inbound Marketing Campaign

Many companies pay huge sums of money, either to search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN (Bing) for pay-per-click sponsored advertising or to SEO firms, to get to page one, the first page for various coveted keyword phrases responsible for generating leads, traffic, prospects, and ultimately, sales.

While both inbound marketing strategies may be effective, they are certainly not the most effective methods overall, both in terms of costs and/or results, for dealing with the marketing conundrum, the puzzle presented by Google and the other search engines.

The puzzle?

How does a business, either an online, Internet-based company or a traditional brick and mortar business, get the most exposure in the least amount of time and for the least amount of money?

In other words, how can a company optimize not only exposure, the ultimate Internet image and presence, but how can I do it in a cost effective manner?

How does a company optimize the ROI, return on investment?

These are the questions every company, online or offline, participating in online marketing or, as it is now referred to, inbound, new media marketing, needs to be able to understand and address. Unless a company can properly address these questions, these issues that cut to the heart of both short term and long term Internet marketing strategies and efforts, they are going about it in the wrong way.

As noted previously, there is a revolution underway, a transition within a transition. The Internet has forever altered how we spend money on sales and marketing campaigns. The shift is two-fold at its most fundamental level, and there are transitions within transitions, the state of Internet marketing, and thus the state of inbound marketing, is fluid, in a constant state of flux, evolving as knowledge of how to fully optimize the platform and its strategies are understood at a greater and deeper level.

The initial transition has occurred within and away from outbound advertising, the traditional in-your-face, intrusive advertising (e.g., Yellow Pages, television, radio, billboards, etc.), to a consumer oriented, search driven marketing strategy, later to be referred to as inbound or new media marketing. Within this transition several more have taken place. However, the most significant and interesting shift has been in the social media milieu because it is reshaping the Internet at a fundamental level. As the latter continues to occur, how we target and reach various segments of the Web 2.0, social media population is defining inbound marketing.

The use of social media and video marketing, along with the emergence of the blog, social bookmarking, and the mini or micro-blogging phenomenon have reshaped the strategies of companies big and small, both traditional brick and mortar companies moving online and emerging Internet marketing concerns across a variety of niches.

Ultimately, the transition is far from over, yet one thing is a certainty, the old media style of advertising, the outbound method of marketing is fading and the new media, inbound marketing approach to client and customer acquisition is here for the foreseeable future. The ROI may be incredible, given the proper strategy and an understanding of inbound marketing.

The next article in this series: The Use of Video and Social Media to Achieve High Levels of Search Engine Visability! will deal with how to integrate these two powerful models into your inbound marketing to create the Ultimate Internet Image long term!

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
The Ultimate Internet Image – International
216-539-7412
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimateinternetimage.com

PS, Call for a free consultation and video marketing strategy workup.

How to Build a Hub or a Linchpin for Your Inbound, Internet Marketing Campaign – Blogging and Social Media Marketing – The Ultimate Internet Image!

There is a transition occurring today in the marketplace from an outbound, old media marketing strategy to an inbound, new media approach presents an interesting, challenging, and even profitable environment for business owners willing to incorporate and even embrace current transition. The shift from old to new, outbound, even intrusive marketing to an inbound, customer/client driven methodology appears to be profound and lasting. The current economic trend is challenging, and that’s putting it mildly. Yet even the most experienced entrepreneurs and Internet marketing specialists are grappling with the right strategy, the right combination of tools, necessary to survive this downturn. In order to survive, businesses must adapt, rethink, and redesign their current approach to advertising and marketing. As a result of our current economic challenges, businesses are finding it increasingly important, imperative, to develop and strengthen relationships, not only with prospective customers, but with their established customer base as well. Engaging in a relationship building strategy with customers they have already done business with at some point in the past is one of the most effective methods for improving a business’s overall profitability, while decreasing advertising costs. It is the established customer/client base, combined with a successful relationship building campaign that includes a number of tools and marketing platforms, that will ultimately lead to not only survival in the current economy but prosperity…in spite of it!

The Emergence of the Weblog!

The emergence of the weblog (web log) or blog, blogging in today’s parlance, revolutionized the way individuals communicate on the Internet. Significantly, what was once considered to be solely a social communication vehicle, almost a means to “gossip” on the web, quickly became the darling of the Internet for individuals and businesses alike. Today, everyone from the neighborhood grandmother talking about her most recent trip back east to see the grandchildren, to The Ford Motor Company and Skittles are blogging and the reasons are myriad. Blogging allows a connection between participants unlike anything I have witnessed in marketing to date.

Marketing History: A Flashback to Bobby and Billy!

In my 54 years I have weathered several recessions, a number of presidents, including a resignation and an assassination, and a couple of attempted ones, the Bobby Riggs and Billy Jean King marketing masterpiece, the “New Coke” marketing debacle, the ultimate political spin of the Clinton Presidency, and the annual marketing bonanza also known as the Super Bowl. However, I have never witnessed anything like the emergence of the “blogosphere.”

The Blogosphere? What the Heck is the Blogosphere?

The blogosphere? Well, if we use Technorati’s definition “The blogosphere is the collective community of all blogs.” How many? As of Technorati’s August 2008 report on the state of the blogosphere there were 133 million blogs indexed by Technorati since 2002, with 1.5 million per week being added per week since then. Surely Technorati’s numbers have changed vastly in the last year but the fact is no one really knows how many blogs exist. There is however one undeniable fact, the blog is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future.

The Demographics of Blogging

The face of the average blogger is a difficult one to perceive. The numbers grow and the demographics shift but the average blogger is male, over 25 years old, 50% of all bloggers are over 35 years of age, married, college educated, with an average yearly income of over $50,000, and 48% live in North America. Four out of every five people blogging, known as bloggers, identify themselves as personal bloggers. Interestingly, there is a great amount of overlap between bloggers, professional, corporate, and personal, with many designating themselves as two out of the three or all three. Almost half of all bloggers noted that they have had or continue to have multiple blogs, 60% of all bloggers having two or more years of blogging experience, with the average tenure being three years. Female bloggers make up 34% of active bloggers, males make up 73% of all bloggers in Asia, and the youngest blogging population seems to be in Europe, with half of all respondents being between the age of 18 and 34 years of age.

The Emergence of Social Media

With the emergence of social media, and the realization of the power social media marketing offers, including the mini-blog phenomena Twitter and facebook, the blog has maintained its pivotal role as the “hub spot” from which an increasing numbers of companies, from the mom and pop corner store to Fortune 100 corporations, are building inbound, Internet marketing campaigns. The blog offers the ideal platform for relationship building. Connecting with prospective clients, as well the current customer/client base in a way no other medium offers, the combination of the blog and various Web 2.0 platforms is both organic and dynamic. Blogging is a crucial component in any “new media,” inbound marketing strategy. Added to the blogging hub, the social media or Web 2.0 campaign offers an innovative and forward thinking approach to prospective customer and established customer relationship building never before offered in this way by a marketing strategy.

What the Heck Happened to the Website?

So, what happened to the website? Well, first of all a blog is a website! Yes, it is a website, and it’s not, at least not in the traditional sense of the word. Internet marketing has experienced a transition, a revolution of sorts, from the traditional website to the fresh and organic approach of the blog. The blog should be an integral part of any online marketing strategy. Blogging not only provides useful content for a business’s target audience, it also builds relationships and strengthens the connection between current customers and businesses engaged in this useful marketing strategy. The business blog has virtually, and literally, replaced the conventional website as many company’s primary customer/client communication vehicle, and rightly so. The combination of other media, along with the blog, as in the case of social media marketing mentioned above, offers an inbound marketing strategy, cost-effective and profitable, short and long-term.

Weather the Storm and Prospering in the Current Economy!

The question every business owner today must ask: “How do I develop a marketing strategy that will allow me weather the current economic storm?” The fact is many of the traditional marketing strategies, also referred to as outbound or old media advertising strategies have been replaced by inbound, new media marketing methods, with impressive and lasting results. The cost of new media marketing is substantially less than most traditional, outbound methods engaged in by traditional brick and mortar businesses today (e.g., television, radio, newspaper, etc.). Given the current economic climate, this certainly seems counter-intuitive. During a time when businesses large and small are struggling to stay afloat, it would seem prudent to engage in any strategy that promises to increase traffic while decreasing the cost of doing business. Additionally, the reduction in the cost of doing business associated with an inbound, new media marketing strategy is generally accompanied by an increase in revenue and an improved and strengthened customer/business connection. The benefits of the new media, inbound strategy are derived solely due to the blog as the central component, the linchpin or hub, driving the entire program and making the entire business more profitable and even prosperous, regardless of the current economy…or perhaps because of it.

Why UII?

The transition from traditional, outbound, old media marketing to an innovative, inbound, new media strategy is the focus of The Ultimate Internet Image, a new venture created to serve traditional brick and mortar businesses and Internet marketers alike. The Ultimate Internet Image focuses on an inbound marketing strategy while realizing that there is still power and usefulness in some outbound marketing media platforms. The UII marketing strategy creates a synergy, a synthesis of the old media with the new media in order to create a marketing plan designed specifically for the individual client, not a cookie-cutter, one size fits all approach so commonly seen online.

Where Do I Find UII?

The Ultimate Internet Image has offices in Maine, Florida, New York, Minnesota, Ohio, and Illinois, with more opening every week. We welcome you to explore the ultimate opportunity, as a client or as a director and owner. Contact information is available at The Ultimate Internet Image’s blog, listed below.

We invite you to discover what it means to offer The Ultimate Internet Image!

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimateinternetimage.com