Remember when the Internet was new and referred to as “The World Wide Web?” You saw the “AOL Keyword” hovering in the corner of most TV ads, and brochure sites were popping up left and right.

As marketers quickly recognized the limitless marketing power of this amazing new channel, specialty marketing disciplines grew and buzz words emerged en mass.

As the magnitude of the Internet grew, the number of online marketing specialties grew as well. Functions began to pair up into logical sub categories of related or coordinated specialties.  It became more difficult to be a “general online marketer,” and many marketers gravitated toward more specific online marketing specialities.

So now we have Inbound Marketing. While not a new concept, its growing appeal among businesses is impressive.

Side note: the term is believed to have been coined by Brian Halligan, CEO of  HubSpot and author of the book Inbound Marketing.

What is Inbound Marketing?

Wiki defines inbound marketing as getting found by customers, as opposed to interruptive advertising.

Whereas an outbound marketer pushes messages out (via advertising, purchased email lists, trade shows, cold calling, etc.) hoping it will attract the attention of the desired customer.

Why is Inbound marketing important?

It creates quality leads – prospective customers who want to to find you. A deliciously self-targeted, highly qualified prospect!

It’s also cost effective – the smart use of tools and time is much less than the price tag of most traditional outbound advertising. While not intended to replace outbound marketing, it’s strategic role in the mix is growing.

Who is it best for?

While it can have a role for companies of all sizes, it is particularly attractive to small to medium-sized businesses who cannot compete head-on with larger authority sites with the scale to well-target their outbound marketing efforts.

But if you’re not an Amazon or eBay, it’s time to get creative and use more inbound marketing as part of your mix.

How does it work?

This is the best part. It’s simple! There are three key components:

1. Build an optimized website with a blog
2. Create quality content that your prospective customers want
3. Take that content to where they are through social channels

With any strategy, there is a mix of art and perseverance to success.  But if you build a smart site, create quality stuff your customers wants to read, and take it to where they are hanging out, you will find you have built both relationships AND referrals.

Too good not to share! Have you had this conversation lately?

Thanks to Scott Stratten from UNmarketing for making this!

I enjoyed today’s webinar from Vovici, What it Means to be Customer-Centric in 2012. Very relevant expertise from top customer experience experts Nancy Porte, VP of Customer Experience at Vovici and guest speaker Andrew McInnes, Analyst from Forrester Research, Inc.

In case you missed it, here are my 16 tweets (and a couple RT’s) that will give you an idea of what was covered (with my typos corrected).

1. Customer Experience Definition: How customers perceive their interactions with a company.
2. The customers experience should be useful, easy and fun! Be emotionally engaging.
3. Positive customer experience –> Loyalty –> Big Money
4. Customers are more empowered now than ever before! Should be a strategic priority for businesses.
5. Are companies keeping up with customers’ expectations? The bar keeps rising as relationships become more complex.
6. Being customer-centric is NOT copying others, it’s about consistently delivering on brand promises that resonate with your customers….
7. A customer’s experience is flavored by more than your initial sale. Think about shipping, support, etc. It’s everyone’s business.
8. How do you use feedback via social media? Is it measurable and validated, or just a squeaky wheel? Good to think about.
9. Becoming customer-centric seems overwhelming. Where start? Map your customer’s journey!
10. Customer Journey Map: doc experience across channels/depts, ID improvements, share common vision and begin to shape future.
11. RT @stephaniethum: Customer journey maps need to include an understanding of the customer’s goals + pet peeves.
12. Common vision requires a shared understanding of your customer’s journey map. Employees create empathy.
13. RT @stephaniethum: RT @vovici: @nportesays: customer journey maps should be living documents.
14. Involve employees in Journey Map Assumptions, plot touchpoints, ID what’s important at each touchpoint, what data do you need?
15. Create a journey map for each target persona – not all customers are the same!
16. How get executive sponsorship for a customer experience program? Show financial impact, share roadmap, involve mgmt.

Ok, so what does a Customer Journey Map look like? Here’s an example using an airline case study:

Thanks @vovici for a great presentation! If you haven’t attended one of their webinars, I highly recommend giving it a try!

Technology is driving new and affordable marketing channels and subsequent marketing strategies than ever before. But which came first, the strategy or the channel?

It’s not practical to blue-sky the ideation process if the technology to make it happen doesn’t yet exist. But should a company limit its out-of-the-box thinking to ideas supported by current known technologies?

This is where I think the relationship between a client and their agency is critical. The more open the relationship is between client and agency, the better.

When clients share their big-picture objectives, challenges, and strategies openly and consistently with their agency, then the agency can better recommend smart solutions based on what’s new in technology.

When the agency goes the extra mile to educate the client on what’s new in technology, it can spawn ideas for the client, and enable them to focus on their core business, rather than what’s new in technology.

Classic win-win.

So how does this happen? Through frequent, open and trusted communication. Yes, the good old fashioned “team” concept.

Whether you’re working with a full-service agency, or a specialty agency, keep an open line of communication. Remember, it’s a marketing partner, not a widget vendor.

My six year old daughter just asked me “were you born in the old days, Mom?”

I stared at her for a moment, then asked her to better define “old days.”

“Before cars.”

“No” I stated succinctly.

Then I got to thinking. I bet my kids wouldn’t know how to use a rotary wall phone. Have they ever seen a turntable? Can they imagine a long car trip without a DSi or iPad in the car?  Not texting their friends, or Skyping with their granny?

These technology advances are great. Don’t get me wrong. But they’re changing the way we interact with each other. Not a good or bad, just different.

Before, if you had a message to post or something to sell, you pinned it up on a community board. And chances are you stopped to chat with someone along the way. Now you use social media, craigslist, or eBay.

Remember family game night? We played dominos, cards, monopoly, crazy 8, etc. We talked, we laughed. It was great.

Now the family may be together physically, but each doing their own thing. iPad, iPod, smart phones, texting, Kindle, laptop, etc. All exciting windows to the world outside. Yet very individual.

Despite the digitally available access to the outside world, we still only have so much bandwidth to connect.

Because of that, we spend more time online and less time in face-to-face interaction.

I’m sure this has societal implications that redefine the psychology of relationships. I leave that analysis to the experts.

But savvy marketers who are customer-centric get it. If you want to reach your target market, you have to reach them where they are. And that’s a moving target.

That’s not a bad thing at all. It’s a win-win. With the digital data available to companies, consumers are more likely to be targeted with information relevant to them. And companies are finding smarter (and more measureable) uses of their marketing dollars.

It’s not enough just to have a Facebook page or Twitter account. That’s so early 2011. Keep your eyes on the horizon to see what’s next. For example, watch what the opinion leaders are doing on their mobile devices.

Ok, so maybe I was born in the old days. But one day my daughter will get the same question from her kids. It will be interesting to see what stories she tells.

I’m just thrilled to be a marketer in today’s digital times. Even if our eventual grandkids one day look back and laugh.

When you have a new idea, you obviously look around to see if anyone else is doing it too. In college we called that a “SWOT” Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). Basic stuff.

But there is an emotional side to this exercise.  You range from “ha ha – I can do better than you” smugness to “oh crap, am I in over my head” insecurity. It can be an immobilizing roller coaster if left unchecked.

The whole point of the SWOT exercise is to determine 1) if your idea has merit, and 2) how to uniquely position yourself in the market to make money.

If no one else is doing your idea, be careful. There may not be a paying market for it. A “good concept” does not necessarily make it a money-maker. Do some keyword searches in Google.  How many ads pop up on the side of your search results? Do a search in eHow – how many search results do you get? Read a trade publication. How deep are the ads?

Assuming your idea has merit (a.k.a., there’s a paying market for it), how can you be unique? Should you go deep in a niche? Offer a wider product range? Take a different angle? Offer more hands-on service?

Be creative and smart. Bold, yet realistic. Analyze thoroughly, but not to the point of paralysis. And check your emotions at the door. It’s just business.

This video was produced by Pita Communications/Vroom Media at last year’s e-Technology Summit in Hartford, CT. If you watch carefully, you’ll see my contribution at the 1:54 mark.

What do YOU think technology IS…?

Join me at 2010 e-Technology Summit – click here to for info and to order tickets.

I’m often asked why a local business would bother with social media.  My short answer, is that it doesn’t make sense, unless it’s part of your strategy. By itself, it’s a waste of time and an unnecessary distraction.  However, when used as part of your e-marketing strategy, it feeds the hungry sales funnel.

I’m a visual person, so let me show you what I mean in the funnel chart below. On the left are actions that you take to find customers.  On the right are the reactions that your customers take as a result of your actions. Because you do not know where potential customers are in their “buying” cycle, you have to meet them where they are.

Why Marketing is like dating.

Social media gets you out where your customers are already hanging out. Woo them, get to know them, build a relationship.  Have you ever been on a date with an overeager suitor?  Yea…don’t be that person.  Social media is a non-threatening way to connect, get noticed, and hopefully get clicked on.  It’s a first meeting.

Once you have their attention, you’ve got to show them you offer something of value.  That’s the first date.  Then, and only then, will they comfortably evaluate if they’re ready to take the “next step” in the relationship, such as signing up for your email list, RSS feed, comment on your blog, etc.

When the time comes to close a sale, it’s organic.  When they need what you offer, they’ll think of you first.  And because it’s a relationship and not a one-night-stand, they’ll probably tell all their friends.

What’s in YOUR funnel?  Will you and your customers live happily ever after?