I’m not a big fan of buzzwords, but I do like the term “inbound marketing”. I think it is a perfect description of how professional service providers should approach marketing. I don’t know if they coined the phrase, but I first heard the term inbound marketing from the folks at Hubspot.
Inbound marketing is all about “getting found”. Because most people start their search for goods and services by searching the internet, it is important to make sure we can be found there. This is why tools like blogging and social media have been getting so much attention – they help you get found.
Outbound, or traditional marketing, is interruption-based marketing. Telemarketing, tradeshows, radio, t.v., and print ads all rely on interrupting people. Most service professionals hate this type of marketing stuff because it feels rude and tends to be ineffective.
Outbound marketing is hunting. Inbound marketing is attracting.
Outbound marketing is shouting. Inbound marketing is starting or joining a conversation.
Inbound marketing isn’t tied to technology. Referrals are an example of inbound marketing. Because we have previously created value, people hear about us. They are attracted to us and seek us out. This is the key to inbound marketing – create value and share it with others.
Although I didn’t call it inbound marketing, I recently wrote a short e-book about applying what works for referrals to the rest of your marketing.
