"Interruption Marketing" is dead
OK, not completely dead, but certainly on life support. Sure you still get loads of direct mail. And as your workload has increased your processing of direct mail marketing messages has evolved. Now you don't even skim through it. You know I'm right - your only interaction with direct mail is with purpose of quickly identifying it to efficiently discard it.When was the last time you were driving along, saw a billboard and thought to yourself "What a great idea! I need to check that out!"? Doesn't happen, does it? (Sure, maybe there is some brand value to striking images - but for SMBs with lead generation objectives and limited budgets branding is a secondary consideration.)
The bottom line is that you are so busy, you don't have time to entertain idle suggestions. Further you are so deluged with information, and particularly marketing messaging, that you have trained yourself to block most of it. (Studies indicate that many younger consumers simply don't even see the right hand side of a screen where banners normally lurk!)In fact, traditional marketing - pushing information at you when you aren't interested - is an unwelcome interruption. Not only does it fail the demand generation test, it actually repels people who resent the interruption.
Maybe you've wondered why your traditional marketing yielded diminishing returns...
And that's why. But if you're an executive at a company wrestling with this problem you also are the type who says "Don't tell me about a problem if you can't come with a good solution."Fair enough. But I have a reciprocal expectation. Before we go further you must commit that you won't tell me it won't work before you try it. This solution works - across industries and geographies. And it produces dramatic increases in qualified leads and business growth.
The answer is "inbound marketing" - a discipline which is built on the market realities we face today. Inbound marketing recognizes that not only volume of messaging has led to the disregard of interruption methods, but habits have fundamentally changed. Any time you want information on any topic, problem or solution...you can find it. You no longer rely on someone to inform you - rather you inform yourself. And so do your prospects.
There for them when they need you
Prospects want you to teach them; to help solve their problem; even to help them frame and understand their root challenge - but they want that assistance "on-demand". (Kind of what Google alluded to with this ad....)That means that your focus MUST SHIFT FROM pushing out messages with little affect other than annoyance TO creating an authoritative body of material that will make you easy to find when the "on-demand" moment strikes them AND gives them that gut level "Wow, someone really understands my situation" feeling.
That's the crux of inbound marketing - providing enough expertise to quickly engage your prospects when they are ready to engage.
The "Devil is in the Details"
Now remember your earlier commitment. The long list of reasons you have for why it won't possibly work for you, your company, your industry, etc.? I've heard them. Oh, and as for the "I'm already doing it. I've got a blog and a we do that 'social media' stuff." answer? That conversation is like a real-life Jerky Boys dialog. (Warning - profanity. Don't listen if you'll be offended.)Very, very few companies actually follow an integrated methodology predicated on a carefully developed strategy for inbound marketing. Piecemeal approaches yield minimal results. Inbound marketing really is a case of the sum far exceeding the value of the parts.
The good news is that you can dramatically increase your marketing success - and probably reduce your spend. Talk about a "win-win"!
But you'll only begin to win if you call me. Let's talk about your business growth objectives and how we can help. (978) 238-9898
