You’ve been in business a long time and have built up a good reputation, in fact, you like to brag that you’ve never advertised, that all of your business is simply “word of mouth” — now just imagine the kind of business you could have IF you had dipped your toes in a solid marketing campaign — in other words, you can only get business from where you market.
Yes, word of mouth is great advertising. Having customers brag about your business and recommend them to others is great, but that same concept can be kicked up more than a notch by using the right marketing technique for your business.
Outbound v. Inbound Marketing:
Outbound Marketing embodies traditional techniques such as television and radio advertising, print advertising, direct mail, and telemarketing. Think of it as reaching out to potential customers, literally pushing out messaging, products and services to an audience.
Before the internet and social media, this was the only way to get your brand out to a mainstream audience. However, technology has made this approach to marketing harder, as many people record television shows and fast-forward through the commercials. Many people have given up on terrestrial radio and listen to satellite radio, stream music or listen to digital files to avoid the interruption of their entertainment. In fact, this kind of outbound marketing has become thought of as disruptive instead of instructive.
Big companies still use this medium to reiterate their messaging because they have the means to do it. Today’s commercials have to be as entertaining as the programming or they’re deemed useless noise, skipped over, or put on pause while viewers take a bathroom break, then forward through. We’ve also become so desensitized to advertising, we automatically tune it out, picking up our smartphones during commercial breaks to check our email.
Inbound Marketing is all about pulling your audience in — it’s about attraction, engagement, solving a problem, and creating a conversation with your audience of prospective customers.
Traditional inbound marketing exists of social media engagement as well as Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. With PPC, you pay to rank at the top of search engines, like Google. You pay for each click, up to your maximum bid amount for the search terms that you select (and up to your pre-determined daily budget). The benefit of this method is getting in front of your prospective customers when they are searching for your products or services – a far more focused campaign than the “spray and pray” approach of traditional outbound marketing.
When engaging customers online with social media and content marketing, companies create valuable content to increase brand exposure while creating a voice of authority. They deliver the goods via their websites and mobile apps using blog posts and paid advertising that’s optimized for specific Internet searches. Customer engagement aims to build an engaging social media presence by creating and sharing valuable content.
Inbound marketing is a partnership with the customer. It’s about using trust, communication and valuable information as leverage for building sustainable relationships that translate into not just long-term customers but raving fans who leave valuable reviews.
“Most importantly, when prospective customers find you using inbound marketing, the decision to potentially use you – was their choice. They weren’t “sold.” This completely changes the dynamic of the sales process, because there is “pride of ownership” of the idea to use you,” said Allen Borza, co-founder Green Group Studio. “Your sales process becomes one of supporting their confirmation bias, proving to them that they made the right choice reaching out to you and that you are the best choice to help them. Working with new clients acquired through inbound marketing is easier because they are more open-minded to listening to how you can help them.”
Of course, new client acquisition should always be about providing value to customers on an ongoing basis. Growing loyal customers that feel taken care of generates more referral business, multiplying your outbound marketing efforts to also bring in that coveted “word of mouth” referral. Additionally, positive online reviews from satisfied customers also raises your search engine ranking.
If you’re looking for a marketing partner, Green Group Studio is the perfect complement to your team, while enhancing your image. Let the experienced team at Green Group Studio help you find the perfect way to market your business using a variety of marketing techniques and strategies.
Our dedicated, creative professionals are ready to craft a personalized marketing plan that works for you and your business, now and well into the future. We take the time to understand your business and market to truly enhance your marketing efforts. To speak with a marketing expert, call Green Group Studio today at 561-59-GREEN (47336).
