Outbound Marketing to Build an Inbound Marketing Consultancy

Inbound marketing, as you have no doubt heard over and over again, is primarily about developing permission, what Seth Godin calls Permission Marketing in his book by the same name. Permission is based on a relationship built over time and based on initial approval of something a “seller” is “selling,” a message or a product in one way, shape, or form.

But stay with me, I am going to use “sell” and “selling” and “seller” a lot…and for good reason.

Seller?

Selling?

Yes, seller and selling!

I understand that selling is about how we phrase our message and all the requisite terminology:

• Investment
• Proposal
• Purchase and Purchase Agreement
• Agreement
• Approval
• Suggest/Suggested
• And so on…

However, when we cut through all the sales training “stuff,” we are all selling something to someone and they are either buying it or not.

Every single one of us…simple as that!

• We are selling our services based on our knowledge, knowledge few others have by the way. We are selling our prospects on the notion that, as inbound marketing consultants, we are the only marketing consultants competent enough to take their Internet image to the next level.*
• Info marketers are selling information.
• MLM entreprenuers are selling an opportunity, usually based on the home-based business, residual income model.
• Retail businesses are selling widgets or cars or bagels or pet supplies or whatever.
• Service-oriented businesses are selling their ability to solve a problem by way of “specific knowledge” and also being able to access the parts and the trained labor force to accomplish that task.
• Professional people are selling themselves and their expertise in a given field, often based on years of training and hands-on experience.
• I cound go on and on into virtually any and every walk of life and sell you on the idea that we are all selling something, everyone from salesmen to waitresses to ministers to teachers to coaches to…..

You get the idea?

I don’t need to beat this to death.

First and foremost, we are selling ourselves!

Selling ourselves means getting out in front of the right audience; with just the right message; backed up by the right experience; and, at just the right time.

And that ain’t always easy!

Interestingly, in order to build an inbound marketing consultancy, you basically have two choices:

• One - You can develop permission over time by providing valuable information and allow your business to grow organically? Getting your brand anywhere and everywhere online and then hoping your messsage resonates with your target audience enough for them to act upon it.
• Two - You can go out and get it! Inbound and outbound marketing techniques? Heresy, you say!

In the case of inbound marketing strategies, you will be selling yourself by way of:

• Google Maps for the local search possibilities
• Blogging to connect and build relationships
• Article marketing to build authority, as well as for SEO and traffic
• Video marketing for a myraid of reasons beyond the scope of this article
• Social media because it is absolutely necessary in today’s online world, again for a myriad of reasons
• And the rest. And there is a lot of “the rest!”

As far as building your inbound marketing business, so you can serve others, you need to do everything you can to grow your business organically.

That goes without saying…or at least I hope it does!

Throw in some pay-per-click (PPC) for good measure and you are on your way.

Yes, there are a few people out there who have never created a website and, in spite of that, have done and continue to do quite well as inbound marketing consultants. And yes, if you apply inbound marketing strategies to your business it will flourish in time.

However, as I tell each and every client I acquire for The Ultimate Internet Image, inbound marketing is like farming.

Yes, there are some immediate results and they are exciting.

But immediate results should never be overstated or you will lose clients faster than you acqire them!

Back to Inbound Marketing and Farming

Most of inbound marketing is about working yourself to the bone, planting; and then, for a while, you may see nothing but bare ground; and finally, one day, you are standing 6 feet high in corn!

And that is exciting!

In the case of outbound marketing, the go out and get it side of the equation, and yes we do go out and get it in inbound marketing too, unless you have deep pockets, are independently wealthy, and/or have the patience of a saint, you are going to have enter the dark side, the outbound marketing side, and create business in order to have a business, keep the lights on at home, and do what you love.

Many of the strategies we sell as inbound marketing consultants are based on one thing, getting out in front of our target audience and then playing to that audience enough times so resonates with them.

Then, once we have an opportunity to serve our clients, we give them what they need, not necessarily what they want, to build their online image and relieve the pain!

The pain being anything from a terrible, 5-page static website to little traffic, and on to zero conversions. The pain most businesses are experiencing when it comes to their Internet image is, in and of itself, enough to fill an ebook.

For a great blog post that deals in part with the pain, go to Copyblogger’s Four Sales Page Elements That Get People To Buy Now…but wait until you are done here and have left a comment…OK?!

The Inbound Outbound Conundrum

As you build your inbound marketing consultancy, often from scratch, you have to get yourself in front of people who may:

• Not be online at all
• May have a website they never visit
• May have a website but think of it as an online billboard
• May not have a lot of time to spend online even if they do go online occassionally
• May not know there is something better, or know they have a problem, but don’t know the solution they seek is often a click away

In other words, one of three things are possible:

1)      They are oblivious to the whole “online thing.”

2)      They are aware but don’t really care, it simply isn’t a priority for them. This is usually because they are unaware of the power of the Internet, they lack information.

3)      They know they have a problem but don’t know how to solve it or where to find someone to solve it for them. Most business people never speak to a marketing consultant about their advertising or their Internet image, other than perhaps a webmaster (and even that is rare). And a webmaster is usually not the greatest source of marketing information.

Prospecting is the bane of almost every salesperson; and ultimately, as we have established above, we are all salepeople.

If you weren’t before…you know you are now!

In the next article in this series, out very soon, we will discuss how you bridge the gap between marketing methods and thus apply both outbound and inbound marketing strategies to build your inbound marketing consultancy and the ultimate Internet image for your consulting firm and your clients.

Please let me know what you think! Also, check out the contest rules on the home page and enter today!

The deadline has been extended to September 7, 2010 in order to accommodate Labor Day in the States.

The ebook alone will be worth it, Inbound Marketing A through Z, and you have a super chance of winning the prize package too!

Contact us anytime!

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

PS, Check out our new blog at Ultimate Inbound Marketing for more inbound marketing related articles. audios, videos, and resources!

*Yes, there are a number of individuals out there calling themselves inbound marketing consultants who have never gone beyond purchasing an info product for $997 but they rarely get beyond square one. If you have real world experience, you are part of a very select enterprise. If you have gone so far as to purchase one of these products and are now stuck? Contact The Ultimate Internet Image and we will do our best to help you along…one colleague to another.

What is Inbound Marketing and How is it Important to my Business?

You’ve worked hard on your online or brick and mortar business and feel prepared to offer consumers something they need, but how do you bridge the gap between those potential consumers and your high-quality content, products, or services? Inbound Marketing utilizes an understanding of how consumers actually use the Internet to seek information and make purchases, and applies this understanding to every element of content, advertising design, and overall marketing strategy.

Whether you have an established Internet image or are in the conceptual stages, working on your website, taking advantage of the Internet’s vast marketing resources can be a daunting task worthy of serious consideration, a perhaps the help of someone qualified. Even the web savvy can benefit from the professional assistance offered by an inbound marketing consultant. Ultimate Internet Image offers the advice and expertise you need to establish that ultimate Internet presence and build the consistent and convertible Internet traffic your business needs to survive and flourish.

How is Inbound Marketing Different?

In the past, if you wanted to sell a product or service, outbound advertising was your only real option. Expensive billboards, TV commercials, Yellow Page ads, trashy direct mail pieces, telephone prospecting, and radio spots where your only way of reaching consumers; and, this relationship was a one way street. There was usually no way to track how an ad was doing until the campaign was over, if then. How do you track a billboard ad? At least most of the ones you and I see every day! What happens to most direct mail? Straight from the mail box to “File 13,” the trash basket! When you received your last cold call, how long did it take for you to hang up? There are some marketing firms still engaged in this increasingly obsolete and incredibly ineffective method of marketing, outbound marketing, exclusively.

Ultimately, there must be a balance between inbound and outbound marketing; and, it must be trackable and the return on investment worth the risk. When all is said and done, all advertising has an element of risk. The task of a qualified inbound marketing consultant is to attempt to reduce or, whenever possible, eliminate risk.

Today, the consumer plays an important and active role in the buyer-seller relationship and marketing must reflect this transition. Consumers are identifying themselves, their interests, and their purchasing power, by way of search habits and Internet usage patterns, to anyone with the tools to listen. Your brick-and-mortar business or internet startup needs these tools and a savvy marketing consultant can and will provide them.

How Does Inbound Marketing Work and What are Some of the Key Components?

There are a number of ways to market products online. The Internet will enable you to reach potential clients, patients, and customers in a way outbound marketing cannot.

1. Search Engine Optimization or SEO – SEO is the method of organizing your web content to make it easier for search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing to “read” and rank. Search engines use “crawlers” (some call them “spiders” or “bots”), as well as other specialized software, to crawl your content in order to position your website pages on the appropriate search engine results pages (SERPs). By using the proper keywords and metadata, along with improving the website’s architecture, a previously obscure web site can improve its ranking across the Internet and improve overall visibility. This is the most cost-effective, long term strategy for building an online presence and, ultimately, you Internet image.

2. Social Media Marketing – Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Friendfeed, and LinkedIn (to name a few of thousands) have members in the tens, perhaps hundreds, of millions. Not only does social media reach more people (i.e., consumers of products and services) than any other medium, users of social media organize themselves into marketable niches (i.e., Tribes or congregations). A well constructed social media marketing strategy will reach more people faster than the slickest ad campaign ever devised, and for pennies…or “for free!” An understanding of how people interact on these sites will help you take advantage of the biggest lead generator in the world. Interestingly, like people, these social media platforms all have their distinct personalities; and, there are rules to adher to. Unless you want to be tagged as a spammer, certain death online, the message must be subtle and the focus of your strategy needs to be one of relationship building rather than overt selling. While difficult to track, the results can be impressive, provided the proper strategy is employed.

NOTE: Social media marketing is something of an oxymoron! You do not overtly or aggressively “market” online via social media. Anyone who suggests you should is not someone you want to work with. Being tagged a spammer, as mentioned elsewhere in this article, is the quickest and surest way to being tagged a spammer…and that is a social media death sentence! Keep in mind that the big companies and the “successes” they boast about online have more to do with brand recognition. The results are not about social media marketing strategy, we are comparing apples and oranges because most businesses do not have that sort of brand recognition and must therefore develop brand awareness before they can expect the kind of results the “big guns” derive from their social media marketing efforts.

3. Blogging – Building and maintaining relationships with clients and customers has always been one of the biggest challenges for businesses, and marketers, trying to build a brand and a business. One of the most neglected, most profitable groups of clients, customers, or consumers for any business is their current client base, people who have purchased their information, goods, or services before. A blog is one of the best ways to cultivate new prospects, keep in touch with current prospects, and engage current clients on an ongoing basis. Full featured blog themes provide online endeavors and brick and mortar businesses (i.e., offline businesses) an opportunity to interact prospects, clients, customers, and patients on an ongoing basis, creating previously unimaginable channels for user-feedback, long-term relationships, and even e-commerce.

NOTE: The static website is becoming increasingly obsolete, as well-informed businesses are moving towards full-featured websites and blogs to take ful advantage of the relationship building tools available to them through what Seth Godin and others are referring to as the “new media.” In other words, the static website is rapidly going extinct as Web 2.0 and the new media emerge.

4. Pay-Per-Click or PPC – PPC advertising provides traffic the old-fashioned way, by paying for it. Search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, and many others will post your banners, ads, and other approved links and messages, charging you based on your campaign’s architecture and how effectively your ads generate clicks to your site (click thru rate) . Pay-Per-Click can also be very expensive, particularly if you don’t possess the know-how to convert user interest (traffic) into sales. PPC can be an incredibly effective method for generating traffic, leads, prospects, and sales but it must be focused and you must know what you are going…or it can get away from you fast. If you are a novice, you would be wise to spend some time getting a feel for this advertising method before jumping in or keep your daily budget (you are allowed to set a daily maximum spend) to a minimum until you have a sense fo what you are doing. The best case scenario is, of course, to hire a PPC specialist, sometimes referred to as an AdWords specialist, to run your campaign. Most full featured inbound marketing consulting firms will offer this service.

Only by balancing the elements and strategies above can you improve web traffic, and traffic to your business, online or offline; and, build new relationships, and establish a lasting, and ultimate, Internet Image for your business. The best strategy is always to use the experience of others whenever possible. Why reinvent the wheel? Find an inbound marketing consulting firm you have confidence in and allow them to get to know you and your business. In doing so, you will be on your way to what is known as The Ultimate Internet Image.

Don’t leave your business’ future to chance, get an in depth marketing assessment and then get traffic, leads, prospects, and sales!

Contact us today!

John Zajaros
The Ultimate Internet Image
216-712-7004

Ultimately, the transition must be made or extinction will be your business’s reality. Like the dinosaurs happily grazing on grass, or eating each other for lunch, the end of outbound advertising is upon us. The transition to a new form of marketing, inbound marketing, has arrived and has, at least for the time being, transformed the landscape.

To use another evolutionary phrase here:

It is “survival of the fittest!”

Those who are willing to adapt will flourish; and, those unwilling to make the necessary transition will find they are facing the new reality head on.

The transition does not have to be painful, in fact it can be quite pleasant given the proper guidance and the implementation of the proper strategy. The days of outbound advertising being enough are over, inbound marketing and creating The Ultimate Internet Image will determine your evolutionary fitness and your ability to succeed long term.

It is up to you, extinction or adaptation.

The resources are within your grasp!

Unlike the dinosaurs who had nowhere to hide and no clue what was about to transpire, you have the knowledge and the wherewithal to alter the course and avoid an E.L.E!

The choice is yours!

For a free inbound marketing and comprehensive analysis, contact me anytime!

An Effective Inbound Marketing Strategy versus Traditional Outbound Advertising: The Power of Video in Achieving the Ultimate Internet Image

A listing on Google’s page one is worth its weight in gold. Companies routinely pay hundreds and even thousands per day, every day, for the kind of traffic and lead generation power a page one listing often yields.

Whether an organic listing, a listing on the left side of the page, or a sponsored link, a paid link on the right, top or bottom, the results can mean the difference between a company making it or going under, particularly in the current economy.

So, when someone comes along and offers you a page one listing or the vehicle to acquire one, it is time to listen!

In the past 18 hours I have made 3 videos for prospective clients and in each instance they went to page one in a matter of a couple of hours, as you will see in the video below.

A similar video with a little different slant can be viewed at The Internet Marketing Quest Revealed.

In the course of just 8 hours we were able to acquire 3 of the coveted page one listings for a Lakewood pizzeria. Similar results were achieved for the other prospective clients we applied this strategy for.

Can you imagine what a concerted effort, focused on a specific strategy and spread over a period of weeks or months, would do for the exposure, traffic flow, and,
ultimately, their bottom line? The video in the example below was thrown together for illustration purposes only, just imagine a comprehensive marketing strategy and what it would do for traffic generation, sales, and the bottom line. I don’t have to guess, I know! It would be significant.

BTW, these results are typical and The Ultimate Internet Image can duplicate them for any brick and mortar company interested in the results demonstrated in the video mentioned above.

Generate increased traffic, leads, and/or sales with inbound marketing strategies developed specifically for your business by The Ultimate Internet Image!

Contact us 24/7 and if we are out of the office we will get back with you in a matter of hours, often less.

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
President and Director of Marketing
216-712-6526
216-539-7412
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimateinternetimage.com

Inbound Marketing versus Outbound Advertising: The Proof is in the Video!

The transition from traditional old media outbound advertising to new media inbound marketing hasn’t always been smooth, easy or pretty, as is evidenced in this video.

The Ultimate Internet Image is about the transition from old media, outbound advertising to new media, inbound marketing. Outbound advertising is perishing and it is a slow and painful death, particularly for those businesses, offline and online investing large sums of money in a strategy that is no longer viable.

The video at The Ultimate Internet Image will demonstrate what I mean.

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
216-712-6526
216-539-7412
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimateinternetimage.com

Traditional Brick and Mortar Business and Outbound Advertising Meets Internet Marketing and an Inbound Approach

*******
Old Media and New Media: Traditional Business Building and Lead Generation Meets Online Marketing and Relationship Building

TuffGuy and I took a walk this afternoon because it was so nice. The shame of it was I should have had some of the business people I mentor along because the lessons were profound and immediate. Not only were there examples of traditional brick and mortar traffic building strategies, there were also attempts to innovate.

Additionally, there are churches for sale and others being demolished! Grand Openings in the midst of it all!

I will expand upon the video in the morning…I hope you find it interesting!

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
216-712-6526
216-539-7412
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimateinternetimage.com

PS, For an amazing program designed to take your traditional business or your inbound marketing efforts to the next level…fast! Contact me if you have any questions or concerns at all!

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.