Inbound Marketing -- Move from Megaphone to Hub

How do you transform a web site from a "one-t0-many" megaphone to a collaborative platform that engages your target community? That's one of the key questions -- and answers -- you'll find in the new book Inbound Marketing by author Brian Halligan, co-founder of Hubspot.com. I recently had the chance to interview him for the AMA podcast (listen here) and he's got a practical and knowledgeable perspective on moving from traditional broadcast marketing to what really works in today's consumer-driven marketplace.

Fundamentally, shopping has changed in the last five years, but many marketers have not yet caught on to this shift. If you look at the online presence for way too many companies, their sites are brochure-ware, listing their stuff in a way that makes sense to them. Even with all the knowledge, research, and consumer input we have at our fingertips today, marketers still are holding fast to the "I've built it so they should come" mantra that drove most of the last thirty years of marketing's efforts.

Today, however, consumer find their preferred products and services through HUBs -- web sites that have lots of ways in and connections to relevant and remarkable content. This is a simple, key difference that Halligan highlights in his book as one key to success. Your web site should have lots of connections (think a major airport versus a small town single-runway airport). Those connections are ways into the site -- whether they be from other flights, or different transportation means (think trains, buses, taxis, consumer-driven cars, etc). The point is there are lots of ways in, and once you're there, you are rewarded with great content.

It used to be said that content is king for the web. After listening to Brian, I think this is still true, but we have lost sight of what makes for good content. He suggests making it REMARKABLE. In other words, content that others will WANT to remark about in their own communication channels, or on your own site. Simply bragging about your stuff doesn't suffice. You may have achieved your keyword density, but you've deprived the reader of the ability to engage in a conversation.

Halligan's book, Inbound Marketing, reads like a user manual for how to generate leads in a world where the marketing rules have changed (see David Meerman Scott for those rules). Halligan provides very specific instructions on how to use popular social media channels, and how to set up your own efforts, measure them, and then try again. It's an easily accessible read for those who are just starting out to those who think they know everything but want a nice refresher.

He's got two pages of resources and tools he likes to use -- but in the interview he suggests using Website Grader to evaluate your site's HUB potential.

If you've read the book, or after listening to the interview, please let me know what you think. I'd enjoy hearing your opinion on Inbound Marketing.

-- David Kinard, PCM

Holiday Travel Takes $4 Billion Hit

Are you staying home this holiday season? According to a recent poll by Maritz Research Hospitality Group -- you are!

For the past few years, it's been my pleasure to interview Rick Garlick, senior director of consulting and strategic implementation, at Maritz Research. They do an annual poll -- and have done one for a decade now -- about holiday travel plans. Though we have weathered 911, high gas prices, economic sluggishness, and other ailments in the past, it seems that this year these woes have finally taken their toll on Americans and we're staying home, traveling less, and spending less on hospitality this holiday season.

"Holiday travel has been remarkably reslilient," said Garlick. "This year for the first time in a decade we're seeing a drop in travel and spending." And while that drop is only 3%, it equates to a whopping $4.05 billion less spent this holiday season, mostly in airfare. When asked what people are going to do this year, 80% of them said they're going to stay home with family or friends.

Click here to listen to my podcast interview with Rick.

Okay, so what does this mean for your non profit? I asked Rick what marketers should do as they head into the holiday season to mitigate the loss of revenue in the travel and hospitality sector and his advice is OH SO RELEVANT to all of us I thought I'd pass it along to you.

1. Understand what your brand stands for and target a particular type of customer. This seems like common sense, but isn't often common practice. Many non profits try to be all things to all people (especially in their fundraising efforts) and end up communicating a generic, vanilla, and so-so message. Knowing who you are and who you serve means also knowing who you are not and clearly defining and drawing those boundaries. It's okay to say no as a non profit, and the first place we need to say no is in our brands.

2. Add value.
Good advice but this also can be poorly executed. The knee jerk reaction to this means cut prices or lower access costs. Not a good idea -- and most experts agree. Adding value does not always mean reducing costs. It means adding value through HIGH VALUE experiences (read my entries here, here, and here).

3. Be original. (this is my idea, not Rick's)
Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead said it best, "You don't want to be considered the best at what you do. You want to be the only one doing what you do." As a non profit are you essential? Are you critical? If you're not there, does another organization just pick up after you or are you so unique and special that important needs go unmet? Work on your compelling, credible, unique contribution and market that year-round. Your essentiality (nice new word, huh!) will help to mitigate any down turn.

Would you add to this list?

-- David Kinard, PCM