Posted: 08 Oct 2011 06:43 AM PDT

In marketing, practitioners are tasked with taking a company's message (usually in the form of a product) and putting it in front of the right people (their defined target market) in the right place (where they may be more likely to buy), at the right time (when they are ready to buy) so the target prospect has the best chance to become a lead which grows up to be a paying customer.

That's how it has been done for quite some time. It's marketing's equivalent of a fishing expedition done without the aid of radar. In other words, you go where you think the fish are, drop your line or nets and hope for the best. Often you come up empty but sometimes you catch a few. Do this enough times and you might make a living. Might.

Why do we settle for this process? First, is because that's the way it has always been done. Of course, that is a really bad answer. Since the days of "Ogilvy on Advertising" it's been about getting the message in front of people.

Here's the trouble. People don't act like they used to. While David Ogilvy was considered the grandfather of the modern advertising world his form of the modern world was nothing like it is today.

His techniques and ideas were predicated on a dumb consumer. One that needed to be led around by the nose and told where to go to meet their perceived needs. The consumer of old didn't have many options to find out information about products and services. There were so few outlets to get information and they were all controlled by, you guessed it, the marketer that they stood little chance of finding something that may have actually solved a problem but instead settled for the solution they were presented.

To be blunt, those days are over. The Internet has blown the doors off the old model. Even online models that were held in high regard a few short years ago are quickly falling by the wayside. Why? Because consumers, whether they are consuming personally or for a business, are much more intelligent. They are armed with information and they hate being sold. They demand respect.

So what solves the marketers' need to connect with the modern consumer? An inbound marketing approach predicated on respect of the consumer. Here's a few quick points to show how inbound marketing can get that respect needed to earn business in today's marketplace.

Inbound marketers credit the consumer with having a brain – By marketing to the actual individual needs of a customer or prospective customer there is much greater chance of building a relationship. Ever heard the old adage of "People buy from people not companies"? That's never been more true than today. Inbound marketers get that their prospects are people just like them and they have their own ways of coming to decisions. As a result, they meet the consumer on their turf which evens the playing field and helps the consumer to make decisions based on the right criteria: theirs.

Inbound marketers understand the sales process – While obtaining a well qualified lead at the top of a sales funnel is a good start it truly is nothing more than that. Many well-qualified leads are left to rot on the vine by marketers who don't understand that sales are made in the middle of the sales funnel not at the top. By understanding what is needed to nurture a qualified prospect through your sales process (or more importantly through their buying process) inbound marketers gain a distinct advantage over their competition simply by taking the time to help someone make a decision rather than manipulating them to. If you have to sell too hard it's likely to end up being bad business.

Inbound marketers are patient – We are all under pressure to perform and in a tough economy the pressures for performance can be intense. That's why inbound marketers win by being patient. That's not to say that you can sit around forever to wait for someone to actually buy from you. Rather you learn to put as many people in your sales process as possible at any given time thus letting the law of large numbers take place. Modern marketers call this creating community and it is an essential step of the inbound marketing success plan. People don't like to be pushed. They buy when they are ready. Communities allow for marketers to be patient because you always have larger groups of people at the various stage in that middle of the funnel process thus allowing for a more consistent close rate.

Inbound marketers have systems – The haphazard nature of how many companies and individuals do business can be astonishing. We are all guilty of flying by the seat of our pants at times but to do it all the time is a business death wish. By having a systematic methodology to work people through their buying process, inbound marketers win brand advocates rather than simply close sales. The idea of systems sounds dry and unimaginative but that couldn't be further from the truth. People like boundaries especially those they make. Systems help people understand where they fit and gets them familiar with what they are doing.

Inbound marketers are people – In the end, people do buy from people, even in the online world. Inbound marketers understand the importance of moving from the dehumanized world of push marketing to the customer centric world of what we'll called "guided marketing". Pulling someone through a system sounds like there needs to be some coercion to make it happen. People don't like to be pushed or pulled but they are fine with being guided through a process that builds comfort as it goes.
In the end, every one of these points are about a marketer earning the respect of their prospect or customer. We live in a world where respect can be hard to come by.

Would you like to look different with your marketing? How about earning someone's business rather than acing like you deserve it? Inbound marketers do this every day and there is little denying that this is what success looks like for the foreseeable future.

Do you agree?

Facebook's New Partner Warns of Danger, Danger!

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 01:02 PM PDT

Facebook has partnered with Websense in order to make the web safer for you and yours. The new protocol is designed to scan every clicked link inside Facebook's walls, automatically returning only those that are deemed safe.

If a link is suspicious, the clicker will get a warning page advising them not to go on. The pop-up does offer an "I don't care" option, so you can continue anyway, but Facebook warns that you'll be doing so at your own risk.

Keeping users safe from malware seems like a generous thing to do, but surprisingly (or not) the comments surrounding the announcement have been mostly negative. They include such sentiments as:"So, if a site's now getting security warning's on Facebook clickthroughs for no apparent reason, you're to blame?" Along with cries of censorship.

Mostly, people are taking this opportunity to complain about how Facebook does nothing but invade their privacy. Apparently, these folks don't realize that Facebook is not a life requirement and that they're free to step away.

Marketing Pilgrim's Social Channel is proudly sponsored by Full Sail University, where you can earn your Masters of Science Degree in Internet Marketing in less than 2 years. Visit FullSail.edu for more information.

As TechCrunch explains, Websense is only part of Facebook's larger strategy to keep users safe from malicious links and spam. I say, if it keeps me from getting a computer virus, more power to them.

Online Coupon Users Spend More to Save More

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 12:42 PM PDT

Couponers are often viewed as cheapskates who ration toilet paper squares and dumpster dive for savings. But the reality is, couponers actually spend more money than the average web shopper and WhaleShark Media has the numbers to back it up.

According to a recently published survey, conducted by Forrester Research, active couponers (those who redeemed more than 6 coupons in the past 12 months) spent more than $800 per year online than light users.

The study also showed that coupon usage is on the rise which means more sales for businesses and more savings for customers.

In addition to higher sales totals, coupon users are also more flexible than your average customer. They're willing to try new items and switch brands if they can get a deal. A full 60% said they're reconsider a product they decided not to buy, if they were offered a coupon for the item. That means a reduction in shopping cart abandonment.

And because those who coupon love a great deal, 80% said that online coupons and promotion codes improves a company's brand image and gave them a positive feeling — usually. The one exception to the rule is the company that offers deals 365 days a year. 25% off every thing, every day, is not a promotion. 25% off on Black Friday is a promotion.

Silly as it may sound, a one-day sale feels like you're getting a high priced item for a low price, whereas an everyday low price doesn't feel like a deal. Trust me, it's all about the deal.

Take a look at this:

As you're putting together your holiday shopping campaigns, keep this graph in mind. You don't have to offer shoppers 50% off their whole order. 50% off one item, a free gift with purchase or discounted shipping will go a long way toward closing the sale at your online store instead of the competitors'.