Inbound Marketing: Do You See The Transition?
Posted by Daniel Shlifer on Thu, Feb 11, 2010
There is no denying it, there is no avoiding it, Inbound marketing is here, and it's here to stay. As I tell anyone who is interested, either get on board with the new world of inbound marketing, or get run over. Andin 2010, you may get run over rather quickly.
The old or traditional method of marketing (outbound marketing) is being replaced because it has fallen down on the job. That's what happens to anything when it becomes inefficient, ineffective and there is a better way to do it. Don't misunderstand me, traditional marketing or outbound marketing still has a place in an overall marketing strategy but it is being out-performed by the new configurations of inbound marketing.
What is outbound marketing? Outbound marketing is the way we have created our marketing strategies and activities over the past 40 years:
- Television
- Radio
- Direct mail
- Yellow pages
- Billboards
- Cold calling
- Telemarketing
These and other "shotgun" message delivery methods have become more expensive while handing us decreasing results. Enter the new age of inbound marketing.
What is inbound marketing? Inbound marketing is the methods of delivering your message that you see exploding all around us. Elements of inbound marketing include:
The difference inbound marketing provides is simple. The use of the components above (and others) to get your message in front of those businesses and consumers who are already interested and actively searching for you, your products and your services. Doesn't that make sense? You only need to speak to those who are qualified and in need.
Although the principles may sound straight forward, it is usually not a cake walk to create a comprehensive inbound marketing system. In fact, it is getting harder as more competition enters the game. In 2008 and 2009, SEO or search engine optimization might have been enough to gain position and establish significant traffic. That however, is not the case in 2010 and beyond. Although common sense will tell you, competition plays a major role in dictating how arressive your inbound marketing campaign should be, know this, in most markets, competition is increasing monthly.
What to do? Learn, learn, learn... This doesn't mean you need to stop and reschedule your to do list and become an expert in this new discipline. It just means that the more you understand the basics, the easier it will be to find your specific solution.Educate yourself on what is available in terms of consultation, software and strategy development.
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