Friday, November 5, 2010

Inbound Marketing

Less than a week from finishing work, and in the midst of driving through some of the beautiful parts of the world I've ever seen, and yet here I am, as my wife puts it, reading a "work" book.

I can't help it. Partly because that's what I do (and love) and partly because I don't read fiction.

I'm reading a great book called Inbound Marketing. It's all about how the marketing paradigm has shifted and we're now in a world where pull beats push. As the writers put it, the rules of marketing have changed.

I agree, to some extent. Whilst they signal the death knell for traditional "outbound" forms of marketing, in the charitable world, and when it comes to attracting and retaining donors, outbound still wins. Hands down.

But they have a powerful message to tell, and it's an easy read with lots of terrific information, particularly for those wanting to get found on the Internet.

They talk about, amongst other things:

- How to create remarkable content and how critical that is to being found and being successful with inbound marketing

- How to get found in Google, with some really practical and solid search engine optimization tips to consider.

- How to harness other media (including social media tools) to "get found"

It's a great read, and even if you are on vacation and visiting some of the most serene places on earth, check it out.

Jonathon

2 comments:

Britt Brouse said...

Dear Jonathon,

Enjoy your vacation- and thanks for the post. I know inbound works in B-to-B and B-to-C environments, and I do think inbound marketing and content marketing can have a really big impact in the non profit arena as well!

Britt Brouse
SmartBug Media
A content marketing agency
http://www.smartbugmedia.com

Jonathon Grapsas said...

Thanks for your comments Britt.

I agree, charities should be doing both. Reality is many aren't sure how to manage the inbound side, and impact for the sector is coming from outbound marketing.

That being said, it's all about balance. Those org's who are growing considerably are able to get found by people using inbound methods as well as traditional forms.

The balance is shifting in the charity world, but not as quickly as the commercial world.

Cheers
Jonathon