If you know the context or even are familiar with the novel “Who Moved My Cheese”, then you know how to resolve the debate over inbound vs. outbound marketing. Which is more effective? In the novel there are five allegorical entities Hem and Haw (reluctant and unwilling to change), Sniff and Scurry (the change seekers), and the cheese (representative of the success we all strive for).
The truth is that many business- to-business organizations are actually stuck in their own practical “Hem and Haw-like” mentalities. They refuse to come to the realization that some outbound strategies have become “old-cheese”, and what once garnered leads for their organizational empires, have now grown tiresome and dull. These marketers, journalists, and media outlets are struggling to stay relevant in a world surrounded by instant media, instant information, and instant recognition. They fear what they do not know. They fear change.
Brand Innovation
Today and in the future, statistics show us that leads will be generated mostly through inbound and digitally creative strategies. So as many businesses still have yet to accept this fact, the question is whether or not your brand “will move with the cheese?” Will your brand accept this “new cheese” of inbound marketing?
Here is what your brand should consider:
1. Content is Your Brand Image
Blogs, web videos, e-Books, and digital white-papers make up the cumulative image of your brand. In the past, a simple logo or ad would merely reflect an organization’s brand integrity. Today, content allows an audience to “feel” this brand integrity. Instead of visualizing an organizational image they are experiencing it.
2. Deliver Your Strategic Purpose
Take action! The key to devising a successful inbound marketing team is to find one that constructs a strategy and shifts it into gear. Many organizations have a social media strategy in place, yet they lack the true focus, understanding, or capability to actually make it work. Step one is constructing the strategy; step two is having a plan in place to capitalize on that strategy. A strong inbound marketing team also knows when change is imminent, then they engage and accept it.
3. Relevancy is Key to Effective Internet Marketing
Sure digital mediums change at a rapid pace. Innovative technologies become “old-cheese” in a matter of months. The way to combat this issue is to stay relevant with your audience and deliver relevant content. Update websites and blogs every day, post information that is actually representative and at the core of your target audience, and provide ingredients that show off your brand uniqueness. Not only will you enhance your brand image, but your audience will thank you for it in the end.
Instead of staying stuck in the old “Hem and Haw-like” outbound strategies of the past, learn to see the writing on the wall and lead this imminent change into the future of your organizational success.
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