The Sales Lion by Marcus Sheridan » Consumer Education

10 Ways to Convince Your CEO and Management Team to Embrace Social Media

Marcus Sheridan — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:13:12 +0000

We have a serious problem my friends raging in businesses, small and large, across the world—Social Media Buy-In from management.

Never was this so apparent than when I spoke in Toronto this past week at the MeshMarketing conference and among the many emails I received, these two really struck a chord:

Hi Marcus,

It was great meeting you at Meshmarketing yesterday. My biggest struggle with content marketing is getting buy in from my senior management. I’ve been pitching this idea at them religiously for a year now but they keep countering that we don’t have the time, the resources, enough subject material, etc. I am seriously looking forward to hitting them with all the new stuff I’ll be learning from you.

Stay awesome!

Dorothy

Or this one from Alice:

…. I work for a very small company led by a CEO that refuses to see the light when it comes to ANY marketing strategy. I am about to pull my hair out. I came on board about 4 months ago, thinking they were open to new ideas. Nope. Not a one. Doesn’t believe in social media – claims Twitter is a “lie” and that there’s no one really listening. Doesn’t let any content hit the website unless it’s been sanitized to look like a college brochure. Doesn’t force the sales guy (yes, only one) to get on board with me…in short, this is a place I’m looking to get out of as soon as I can.

….. This (marketing)is a brave new world that I came back to and I want to be a part of it. So if THIS place is destined for the slag-heap, I don’t intent to go down with it. The saddest thing of all? I’m a great writer, if I do say so myself. I’ve written everything from plays and short stories to IBM training classes and technical case studies. Ah well. What was that you said about leading a horse to water? They will probably never get it.

Alice

So there you have it. We have a management buy-in problem with respect to social media and inbound marketing, and it’s happening everywhere. It might even be happening in your office.

Alas, what is the solution to dealing with antiquated business leaders who simply ‘don’t get it’?

Great question. Hopefully the following suggestions will be exactly what you’re looking for:

10 Ways You Can Convince Your CEO and Management Team to Embrace Social Media

1. Show them competitor keyword phrases

Here is the key to ‘motivating’ CEOs, especially when they’re a hard-headed and prideful male—Take advantage of their competitive nature. Personally, I’ve never known a CEO/owner of a company that wasn’t a little bit competitive. With this being the case, it’s time to allow the competition to do the convincing for you.

For example, a great idea is to find a competitor who has done well with ranking for certain keyword phrases in your niche. Once you’ve identified 5 such phrase that your competitor ranks high for, and your company doesn’t, simply walk into your boss’ office and ask him/her if he has a minute to look at what your prospects are finding when they research online.

Next, as him to type in each phrase, and allow him to see that the competition is showing up while he is not. Go through all 5 phrases slowly, and make him search each one closely.

I can assure you by the 5^th phrase and search, your boss will likely be ready to punch his desk, and might just be willing to give you what you’re looking for.

Here is an actual snap shot of a few keywords my pool company is crushing the competition with.

2. Show them competitors/peers who have been involved in case studies

Every industry has case studies of people who have crushed it online. Heck, my pool company has been featured in at least 10 different online publications. If you want to see an example of many different niches, see Hubspot’s case studies, where you’ll find an incredible range of business types.

Again, management and CEOs are competitive by nature. Allow this to work in your favor by showing how your company is an online ‘slacker’ compared to these others that are getting so much internet attention.

Case studies like this one are all over the internet

3. Show them general competitive stats

I love this one. Hubspot is especially good at it, as it allows me to compare my website with the website of many others. In fact, check out this awesome screenshot:

With certain analytic tools like this one from Hubspot, you can easily compare your company website with that of another.

By seeing the various ways your company stacks up against others, there is a very good chance you’ll stir some serious emotions within the management team.

4. Analyze with marketing the amount of money that has been spent on other advertising and marketing tactics.

This one takes a little work but is incredibly effective. It’s actually pretty shocking the fact that many CEOs have little to no idea just how much they spend on advertising each year. And when you compare that steep amount with what they could be spending (or not spending) on social media, it suddenly appears more enticing.

As an example of such stats, in 2007 my swimming pool company spent about $250,000 in advertising to achieve a gross sales total of about $4,000,000. This year, in 2011, we’ll spend $18,000 and reach a gross sales of roughly $5,000,000. (Heck, you can just show your boss that number and then have him call me if you’d like )

5. Analyze where sales have come from specifically with all other advertising. Is it quantifiable?

This one is very similar to #4 but the fact is, old-school marketing stinks in terms of its ability to be measured and quantified. Unlike social media, blogging, and inbound marketing that can track specific numbers of leads and sales, most outbound marketing methods have a very, very cloudy Return-On-Investment (ROI).

If a CEO realizes that he can finally start to track real numbers, he may just get excited enough to give you a green light.

7. Show real-time conversations happening online about your product.

Just as Alice’s boss in the opening thought Twitter was ‘a lie’, it’s possible to show real-time mentions of products and services happening all over the world, as well as businesses interacting with those real-time mentions.

8. Survey existing customers/previous leads

Have you ever surveyed your existing customer base and asked them if they would appreciate an educational/how-to blog explaining your products and/or services? Or even better, what would happen if you surveyed your leads that didn’t convert into customers and asked them if your lack of a powerful web presence had any effect on their decision not to choose your company? If but one person says they chose one of your competitors because of their website/social media interaction, I can guarantee you’ll then be in business.

9. Hubspot’s Webgrader

Hubspot’s website grader tool was what really started it all for me in March of 2009 when I scored a whopping 17 out of 100 for my company’s website. So mad was I at this low score that I just had to see it rise.

So do yourself a favor and take a moment to try this tool out and if the score isn’t a ‘passing’ grade, print that baby out and neatly set it on your boss’ desk .

What's your website score on Webgrader??

10. Utilize the Power of Video

Remember, over 60% of all people are visual learners, and your CEO or management team might fall into this category. If your competitors are making great videos, make sure your boss sees them. Also, take advantage of educational videos that teach proper marketing concepts. As an example, just last week I had a client tell me her boss gave her the green light to use my services when he was forced to watch my ‘Vision of Inbound Marketing’ Video. (sweet! )

So there you have it folks, 10 ways you can attempt to bring your CEO and management team into the 21^st century and embrace the social media marketing principles that you already know to be true.

It is my hope that if you’re struggling like Dorothy and Alice you’ll take a moment to see if some of these actions work. And if all else fails, just tell them to call The Sales Lion, and he’ll get’em straight.

Your Turn:

I’m curious to know if you’ve ever tried any of these suggestions here. If so, what were the results? Also, have you found other effective ways to wake up hard-headed bosses so as to help them see the light that is social media and content marketing?

Download your FREE copy of my 230 Page Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy eBook now and start reading in 60 seconds!

Why the Inbound vs. Content Marketing Debate is Stupid…and What Gives Hubspot??

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:45:30 +0000

I’m really not up for mincing words on this subject today so let me just be blunt: About a week ago, Hubspot posted the worst article I’ve ever seen on the subject of content marketing.

Feel free to read the entire article if you’d like, but here are its 5 main points, verbatim:

1.) Content marketers care too much about traffic.

2.) Content marketers think great content will naturally rise to the top of search engines

3.) Content marketers think great content will go viral.

4.) Content marketers can’t get butts in the seats.

5.) Content marketers are missing the big picture.

A Train Wreck of Gross Inaccuracy

If there is one thing in this world that drives me nuts is ignorant blanket statements.

Not only did this article have 1 blanket statement, but it had 5.

Even worse, the 5 were terrible. A literal train wreck of gross inaccuracy.

Some of you right now may be very surprised to hear me say these things. Over the last two years, few have supported the Hubspot and inbound marketing movement as much as I have.

In fact, I usually answer at least 1-5 Hubspot related emails and phone calls every single day from folks who are considering the product, the large majority of which just need an extra ‘push’.

So that’s what I do, I help them understand and catch the vision, with no thought of reward. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it’s a true labor of love for me.

Where’s the Response?

But this is also exactly why I’m so unhappy about seeing such a negative post about a positive subject. Heck, not only was it poorly written but at last check the person that wrote it didn’t even answer comments at the bottom.

Seriously? Are you kidding me Hubspot? You write a post that goes after an entire wing of your own industry (that’s right, we’re all in the same boat) and you (the post author) don’t even join the conversation?

Talk about poor blogging practices, c’mon fellas!

For those of you unaware of their history, the phrases ‘inbound marketing’ and ‘content marketing’ are less than 10 years old each. The founders of Hubspot were the first to use IM, and the good people of Junta 42 and the Content Marketing Institute were the first to commonly use the phrase ‘content marketing’.

Up until this point, no stone has really been cast from one side to the other, as the two groups have worked incredibly well together to promote two movements that are very, very similar—sharing just about all major core principles (at least how I see it).

The Debate Ensues

This is why, when the Hubspot post was published, the folks at CMI responded accordingly and with passion.

In the comments section of the post, Robert Rose from CMI said:

…… let me retitle your post for you… It should read “Confessions of a *Bad* Content Marketer”. Because, if this is really what you think content marketing is – then it’s clear that you don’t really understand the scope and purpose of content marketing as a practice.

Certainly there are overlaps at the top of the funnel between IM and CM – but CM goes well beyond lead generation, and into lead nurturing, customer retention, upsell, customer service and areas that Inbound Marketing just doesn’t cover. To draw it into your metaphor – it sounds to me like you were a “sunday content marketer” only going to church on holidays and barely mouthing the words of the hymnal. You should spend the time to learn the depths of CM – you may be surprised at how much salvation there actually is. I’d suggest a couple of “good books” (sorry couldn’t resist that one) on the topic – but that would be self-serving.

Kip Bodnar of Hubspot then responded with this:

Robert,

I would argue that we shouldn’t be arguing. What you described in your comment is inbound marketing. Inbound marketing DOES include lead nurturing, customer retention, upsell, customer service as well as marketing analytics and sales and marketing alignment that is often forgotten in content marketing.

What you are telling me is that you are an inbound marketer, not a content marketer.

To which Rose fired off:

@Kipp…

Wait what? Is then Corey is a failed inbound marketer? Because if the two are equal then… Okay, now you have me really confused…

No… In the post Corey describes content marketing as a “subset of inbound marketing”… And inbound marketing working toward customer retention and service is a new one for me… Hubspot’s own vision says it is focused on: “get found by more prospects shopping in their niche, convert a higher percentage of prospects into customers and analyze the results to figure out what works for their target audience.”

Maybe I’m wrong – and maybe in your opinion inbound marketing ALSO covers these areas – but I certainly don’t see it…

But, really to draw a distinction between the two and imply that one is “more comprehensive” than another – and then to say that both are synonymous is just confusing.

A day later, Joe Pulizzi of Junta42 and CMI responded with an incredible piece as well, maybe the best pillar article I’ve ever seen on the subject of Content Marketing, and the rest of his thoughts on this inbound vs. content marketing debate.

Semantics are Stupid

But even still, I don’t like what I’m seeing. Why?

I don’t believe our problem in the world of business and marketing is silly semantics. I also don’t believe the debate of ‘which is a subset of the other’ (inbound or content) means squat either.

The only thing I care about is that the 99% of the world who are NOT currently embracing inbound, content, social media, new age, education-based, call-it-what-you-want marketing eventually get on board with the greatest business movement that we’ve seen on this planet for decades.

Does anyone here actually think Joe Business Owner, who’s currently struggling to pay his employees and keep the lights on cares about semantic subsets and frivolous definitions of a couple of terms that are already very, very foreign??

We Don’t Own Any of this Stuff

And while I’m at it, let me also point out that Hubspot doesn’t own the phrase inbound marketing. CMI doesn’t own the phrase content marketing.

I don’t own the phrase ‘content tipping points‘.

Or ‘assignment selling‘.

Or ‘The Law of Compound Information’.

Or any other phrase that I’ve dubbed since attempting to contribute to this wonderful movement.

If you think content marketing falls under inbound, then fine, run with it.

If you think inbound marketing falls under content, then fine, run with it.

I don’t care what you believe just as long as your goal is to embrace the mountain of new principles we’ve all been hearing, learning about, and experimenting with over the past few years.

Why Does Man Screw Up Great Stuff??

It’s a sad thing to me that man has always found a way to divide truth and principles and thus form different groups that really should have the same goal. (Reformation ring a bell anyone?)

Is debate healthy at times? Yes, of course it is. Passion is wonderful too, which is why I completely empathize with Robert and Joe for defending the content marketing position. I likely would have done the same.

But the fact is both types of marketing are going to be ‘under development’ for the rest of time. Certain parts and practices will be added while others will be deemed obsolete or ineffective.

This is why definitions, classifications, and the rest of this debate won’t ultimately serve the masses.

Will it gives guys like me, Robert Rose, Joe Pulizzi, David Meerman Scott, Ann Handley, CC Chapman, Mike Volpe, Brian Halligan and many others something to talk and write about?

Yeah, maybe so, but I say we instead turn the tide. I say why not focus all our efforts into building the two movements up, thus benefiting all parties involved.

And finally, just for the record, I deeply care about both of the organizations in this post. Hubspot and inbound marketing have changed my life. The folks at CMI are utterly amazing and visionary. I plan on working with them both for years to come. And that’s exactly why it’s my hope that this was an anomaly, and not a preview of things to come.

Your Turn

A ton of potential conversation here with this subject and although you’re more than welcome to leave your thoughts on anything that has been said here, I’d also ask you this: Is this subject of inbound vs. content marketing an important debate, or should we have our focus elsewhere? Also, do you feel it’s important that the two parties work together or do you feel this is a division that will only grow with time?

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to speak your mind below whether you agree or disagree.

Oh, and speaking of all this IM vs CM stuff, if you haven’t downloaded my FREE, 230 page Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy eBook yet, now is the time!!

FREE 230 Page Inbound and Content Marketing eBook from The Sales Lion

Marcus Sheridan — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:10:17 +0000

Recently, I passed 250,000 words here on TSL when you account for all the posts I’ve written over the past 2 years. Considering the average non-fiction book these days is about 50-75k words, that’s about 4 books worth of content, much of which newer readers will never go back and see.

Also, as the number of readers here has grown drastically in the past few months, more and more folks have been asking me if I had anything consisting of all my inbound/content marketing posts of months gone by. “Hmm” I thought, “I should really have that.”

It is for this reason that I recently broke out the greatest eBook writing tool ever, Anthologize (killer free plugin that allows you to combine, edit, and publish all your old posts as an eBook very easily), and brought together every article I’ve ever written on the subjects of inbound and content marketing.

When all was said and done, the eBook came out to be about 230 pages of killer tips, experiences, stories, and real-life application of marketing principles that are an absolute imperative for any business in the 21^st century.

In fact, here are the chapters of the eBook:

Ch. 1: The Vision that is Inbound Marketing

Ch. 1.5: No excuses

Ch. 2: Blogging to Make Millions

Ch. 3: The Power of Video

Ch. 4: How to Build Amazing Community

Ch. 5: Using Your Content to SELL

Ch. 6: How to Find Writing Inspiration

Ch. 7: Writing and Communication Like a Champion

Ch. 8: All About Hubspot

Ch. 9: A Look at Other Advertising Mediums

Ch.10: Web Design that Wins

Ch. 11: A Little About Twitter

Ch. 12: Further Inspiration

Ch. 13: eBooks and other ideas

Who this eBook is For:

As you can see, if you own a business, or are in marketing, this eBook was created for you. There’s no bull. No fluff. No generalities or inapplicable grand ideas. This stuff is as real as it gets.

For those of you that have been in the community here for a while now, you’ll see many articles you’ve already read. You’ll also see many articles you missed. But because every article is separated and the eBook is well organized, it will be easy for you to jump around and find only the information you’re looking for.

And It Doesn’t Cost You a Dang Thing

Oh, and did I mention it was FREE?

Yep, free. Yours to have and do whatever you’d like with. (Although it’s my hope that you’ll take it to your boss or marketing VP and force that person at gun point to read it. )

Also, by downloading this eBook, you’ll be added to my Inbound and Content Marketing Newsletter list. This is only a once-a-month publication that is directed towards hard-core inbound/content marketers and will also have a segment on latest Hubspot news as well.

As always, if you just want the eBook but aren’t interested in receiving the newsletter, just opt out at your first opportunity, it’s not a big deal at all.

This Stuff Will Change Your Life

Here is the deal folks: Inbound marketing, content, and blogging have all changed my life…drastically. This ride I’ve been on has been unbelievable these past two years and I want you to see how it happened. I want you to see how I went from being a ‘pool guy’ to a professional speaker and business coach, not because I want to brag, but rather because you’ll hopefully see just how possible the same amount of success is available to you if you’ll just follow the principles herein.

Success is within each and every one of us. Inbound and content marketing are the greatest innovation the world of business has ever seen. So do yourself a favor and jump on board. Apply the principles. And watch the magic happen.

Questions or Comments?:
Questions about the eBook or Anthologize? Feel free to ask whatever is on your mind friends and thank you all for your support!

B2B vs. B2C Marketing: It’s the Same Thing People!

Marcus Sheridan — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:25:35 +0000

This whole concept of B2B vs. B2C is driving me nuts. Heck, even after having owned my own business for 10 years, I never even heard the dumb acronyms until I started reading marketing blogs about 2 years ago..and quickly realized either I’d been in the dark for a long time or there was a group of folks out there who were apparently suffering from a serious case of The Curse of Knowledge. Over time, I’ve clearly learned it was the latter…

(Side note: Go ask your local plumber or electrician or auto mechanic if his/her business is a B2B or B2C (Business to Business/Business to Consumer btw for those still unaware). The odd looks you’ll get with such a question might seriously amuse you. )

The Rules of great Content Don’t Change

You see, I talk about sales and marketing. I write about it. I speak about it. And it always seems there is someone out there listening who has the audacity to think because they’re a ‘B2B’ or ‘B2C’ the rules and principles don’t apply to them.

Sure…whatever.

P2P is the Future

In fact, I’m here to say we need to throw out this whole B2B/B2C phraseology from our modern day vernacular. Let’s change it instead to P2P. That’s right, people to people, because all of us, no matter how ‘special’ we think our industry or niche is, are a P2P company.

And when it comes to proper content marketing, the rules do not deviate when it comes to people. The customer has questions. The content marketer (if they know what the heck they’re doing), has answers. It’s a simple process, so let’s stop making it out to be some deep science, because it’s not.

Let me give you a personal example from my swimming pool company. In the fiberglass pool industry, there are fiberglass shell manufacturers, and then there are builders (the guys that install the pool in your back yard). The manufacturers would be considered B2B. The builders would be considered B2C. But here is the thing– There’s not a wit of difference in the way a pool manufacturer or pool builder should be producing content.

The same questions a pool builder might have about a fiberglass shell are the same questions an end-user would have about said shell. Whether it’s the manufacturing process, the features, etc– it’s all info of potential worth to a business/consumer.

Over the last 3 years, my company’s blog has had a major, major impact on fiberglass pool brands throughout the country because of our content. It has also had a serious impact on the fiberglass pool industry in general from an end-user educational standpoint. (In other words, it rocked both B2B and B2C boats) But if I had to go back, as a pool manufacturer instead of a builder, I’d go about it the exact same way, simply by asking myself the singular question that everyone company, no matter their silly self-imposed acronym, should consider:

What are the questions customers ask about my product?

The minute a company shifts their every focus to just that, and takes the time to answer every single question…then said company’s brand will explode and become one of the key voices to their industry– B2B, B2C, OPP, XYZ, whatever.

Great content has eliminated the divide between B2B and B2C.

Good information is good information.

People are people.

So quit worrying about the letters in your business’ ‘classification’ and start writing about stuff people actually care about. Become a ‘teacher of men’. Give liberally. By so doing, I can assure you that P2P will be the only self-imposed acronym you’ll ever call yourself again.

***The following video is a little snippet from an interview I gave at Content Marketing World last week. It’s only about 2 minutes, but it hits on the principle of P2P (or what customers really want). The rest of my entire CMW session will be available as soon as the great folks of CMI are able to release the footage.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Your Turn:
OK, although this article was short, I expect most will have an opinion on this simple question: Do you feel there is a difference in marketing a B2B vs a B2C company? If so, what is it? If not, then why the heck do we keep using the dang acronyms? As always, I’d love to hear your opinions, and if you disagree, well then speak up!!

PS***: I’m speaking to a company in Michigan today about inbound marketing and then flying out to speak at the Hubspot User Group (in a session with Kyle James) on Friday. I’ve got a big announcement I’m hoping to make out there as well and so for all my fellow inbound marketers, please let me know if you’re going to be there, as I’d love to catch up and chat!!!

Subtle Selling: The Key to Writing Great Content AND Making Money Online

Marcus Sheridan — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:32:55 +0000

Note from Marcus*** Just some quick news before today’s rockin article folks. Today(Tuesday) I’ll be flying out to Cleveland to speak at Content Marketing World. I’m sure I’ll be writing quite a bit about this event in the coming days but if anyone lives in the Cleveland area and would like to catch up, please let me know.

Also, last week I was interviewed by Steve Roy over at the great blog Ending the Grind. If you’d like to listen to the podcast, please check it out, as it really dives into how the community here at TSL has grown into something so special, as well as many other areas of business and marketing.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming……

I look around the web and can’t help but notice how many bloggers get so frustrated with the fact that they can’t seem to make money with their blogs. And honestly, when I see this, my response is normally about the same:

“Duh, you’re not selling me anything.”

Yep. That’s right. You may think your offering this product or that service (because you *mention* it somewhere on your ‘about’ page), but the reality is I (and everyone else), as your potential customer, have no clue what you do, which is why you keep wondering when the checks from your blog are going to start rolling in.

The Art of Subtle Selling

Here’s the thing my friends: If you really want to create a brand and a blog that make good money you have to learn the art of ‘subtle selling’ (as I like to call it), which is essentially the skill of integrating your services into your content…without sounding like a pitching machine.

You know what I mean by pitching machine, right? Yeah, it’s that guy or gal that seems to offer you something ‘amazing’ and ‘for a limited time only’ with every new email that hits your inbox. Eventually, after you realize this blogger gives you the content value of a brick, you happily unsubscribe from their mind-numbing newsletters. (Nod if you’ve seen this before…. )

But on the other hand, you’ve got another entire group online that are the opposite of ‘the pitching machine’. They write content all day, even sometimes build awesome communities, but don’t sell squat.

Thus we have an ‘all or nothing’ mentality all over the web, and it’s got to stop if we want to start making money folks.

Great Content Combined with Selling

Let me give you an example of exactly what I’m talking about. This past June, I wrote an article entitled 12 Hours to Change a Company Forever: A Story About Business and Life. For those of you that haven’t read this article (actually, stop now and just read the thing ), it tells of a trip I made to Arizona to help a company kick-off their inbound marketing efforts and revamp their web presence. The post, which was written with a unique hour-by-hour timeline, discusses every facet of inbound marketing I covered with the company (i.e. my services) and what was accomplished (i.e. the results of my services) with the visit.

Because the experience was full of lessons of what this company was missing and what they needed to do next to achieve better marketing, the article had plenty of value to the readers of this blog because just about everyone could relate to components of the story in one way or another.

But what most folks don’t understand is that because of that one article, on multiple occasions since I’ve heard a derivative of this phrase:

Marcus, I remember reading about how you went out to that one company and worked with them and their website. I’d like you to do something similar with our company…

My friends, this is the type of statement you should be hearing again and again from your customers. They read your stuff. They hear your stories. And they clearly see you can be the guy/gal to come up with the answers to their problems.

But again, the key here is learning to talk about client experiences while offering killer content to your reader base.

Let’s look at another person who really ‘gets’ the art of subtle selling.

Falchetto Doing It Right

Last week, John Falchetto wrote an article entitled “4 Ways to Manage Fear in Business Abroad”. At the beginning of the piece, he says:

Yesterday I had a conversation with a client about fear, let’s call him “Steve”.

Without going into the details, Steve feels that if he embraces who he truly is, he would end up alone. His business has been growing steadily over the past years but he doesn’t feel he is expressing his unique and authentic self.

He fears that by discovering his he is more than what he thinks he is, his world as he knows it will collapse. It will…

John went on to talk about ‘Steve’ and used the story as the foundation of the theme of the article—overcoming fear.

In essence, this is the perfect example of subtle selling. To one reader, John was simply talking about fear. To another, he was telling him “Hey, I can coach and mentor you just as I’ve coached and mentored ‘Steve’.

Get Real

Do you see what I’m saying here? If you’re not talking about real life experiences that you’re having with customers often on your blog, then you’re seriously missing out on major business opportunities. (BTW, John has signed up multiple coaching clients this year simply because of his blog.)

Keep in mind though that this principle applies to any blog, any industry, and any niche.

Just to give you one last quick example, let’s use the article I posted for my swimming pool company today. The title of the post was “Just How Much Fun are Inground Swimming Pools…Really??”, and it consisted an incredible under-water video taken by a customer of mine as their boys kept jumping in their swimming pool. If you read the article(and watch the video), you’ll see the ‘theme’ of the piece is ‘Yes, Pools are dang fun.’, but you’ll also notice how in a very subtle manner I mentioned the fact that the video was produced by a very happy customer of River Pools and Spas who had their pool installed last year in the town of Stafford Va. (Little details like places add social proof, and further enhance an article’s ability to sell).

Tell the World

My point in mentioning this is simple my friends. Stop just writing content that doesn’t actually talk about your services. If you really are helping people out there, for the love of Pete start telling the world about it. Again, this doesn’t mean that you brag. Rather, it’s a simple process of telling others what life has taught you….which in-turn tell us why you’re the best man for the job.

Subtle selling folks. Do it, and watch the results that will follow.

Your Turn:

OK, so we may not get 250 comments on this article like we did on the last one, but I still expect some great discussion. In your opinion, what makes for great ‘subtle selling’? And, are you using this skill like you should be on your blog? If not, WHY?? If so, what works well for you? As always, jump on in folks, I’d love to hear your story.

Timing: The Secret Ingredient of Viral Blogging and Building Authority

Marcus Sheridan — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:47:11 +0000

In case you missed it, there was an Earthquake on the East Coast Tuesday. No, seriously, I’m not kidding. Heck, even a guy like me, who hasn’t watched the news in about 2 years, couldn’t help but notice the floor to my office moving in an odd manner as I was busy whacking away at the keys.

Once I realized what had happened, I got up, went outside, and observed just how still and normal everything seemed to be…yet something that hadn’t happened in over 100 years (to that magnitude) had just jolted the bodies, and minds, of millions.

A few minutes later, I started laughing to myself. Why? Because I realized that all the 700+ fiberglass swimming pools in the ground my company had built over the years would be much better off than their counterpart concrete pools (and the Washington Monument for that matter), and now would be the perfect time to tell consumers why.

Before I knew it, I was typing away on my swimming pool website. 15 minutes in, this little guy was the result:

Earthquakes and Fiberglass Swimming Pools: Yep, Flexibility is a Nice Thing When the Earth Moves

As I’m sure you can imagine, the article has done very, very well in the hours that followed the event, but the act itself reminded me of a subject we often times forget as bloggers: Timing is dang important when it comes to high blogging authority and traffic.

Here is the thing folks: Bloggers have a huge advantage over the normal press. We have no red tape. We have no ‘producers’ to run stuff through. When we want to publish something, all it takes it a few slaps of the keys and voila—DONE!

Becoming the Voice

Two years ago I got a call from a friend in the fiberglass pool industry telling me that a manufacturer who produced/built fiberglass pools had just that day closed shop and gone out of business. Because I knew this person was such a trusted source, I immediately did a blog post on the subject and broke the story.

The results that followed were profound. First of all, people in the industry started seeing my blog as way more than just educational articles about swimming pools. It was a place for major news and events. Heck, about a month after that article was posted on my blog the largest magazine in the pool and spa industry called me with questions regarding the company and how I was able to find out so quickly the closing had happened.

A few months later, another major fiberglass pool manufacturer filed chapter 11 bankruptcy. The day the bankruptcy paperwork became public record, guess how many emails I got from folks across the country telling me, “Hey Marcus, have you seen this???” Once again, before anyone in the press or magazine arena had a chance to mention the bankruptcy, I’d written an article on the story. In many ways, this event acted as a tipping point of sorts for the blog. It was now viewed as the authoritative voice of the industry.

So much did it grow that every time big events occurred, people kept emailing me the news. It was kind of weird, because I never realized a blogger for a swimming pool company could be a reporter of sorts, but that’s exactly what I was. In fact, one day a person in the industry told me my blog had turned into the ‘Drudge Report of the Swimming Pool Industry’. And when I thought about it, I knew the guy was right.

Sometimes, Timing is Everything

Let’s look at one more example. Most of you are familiar with my Blog World New York article and all that happened with this ‘unique’ event. But never would that article have gone viral and received 400+ comments had it not been so very timely. The morning after Blog World had ended, before anyone had a chance to publish thoughts on the closing event, I was busy typing away…and I also knew timing was of the essence.

So when I published it around 10am that morning, it quickly became a lightning rod of discussion for bloggers all over the globe that wanted to discuss BWNY. In the days that followed that post, there were many other great articles written about BWNY, but none came close to experiencing the success of the one posted on here TSL. In this case, timing really was everything, and it also marked the beginning of a major growth spurt in community and traffic for this blog.

To close, I want to list a few keys to remember when using timing as a tool for blogging success.

1. It Sometimes Takes Guts: I’ve never been so nervous as I was when I published that BWNY article. When I looked at the final product, I knew it would receive tremendous praise and scrutiny. But I also knew that I’d always regret it if I didn’t share my voice in that moment.

2. Keep Your Eyes Open Always: Great bloggers and marketers are always looking for their next great piece of work. For example, look at Chris Brogan. As soon as Google + came out, he lead the charge in educating others about it. But even though Chris may be ultra popular, that doesn’t mean he can just write something that’s timely and become the authority, which is why he wrote multiple articles on the subject and shortly thereafter announced he’d be publishing a book (I’m guessing the first of its kind) on Google+ for business. That, my friends, is the power of content combined with timeliness.

3. Build Sources: Here’s what’s interesting about building sources in an industry: Write good stuff and sources (or ‘blogging Deep-Throats’ as I like to call them) will just appear out of nowhere. It’s kind of like building back links to your website. You can’t just go and hire some guy on Fiverr to get you 500 backlinks for $5 (can you say ‘trash’ anyone?). The only viable strategy is to earn it. The same is true for garnering sources. As the saying goes, ‘Write it, and they will come’….(or something like that )

4. Just Because Timing is Important, Don’t Publish Junk: If you’re in a rush to put an article out to the public simply because you ‘want to be the first’, but the article is written poorly or inaccurate in facts, you’re running a serious risk of actually losing respect and subscribers from your audience, or even worse, getting yourself in hot water.

So there you have it folks. Keep your eyes open. Be creative. Be timely. And write when the inspiration calls. By so doing, you may just hit a few blogging ‘home runs’ you never dreamed possible.

Your Turn:

Do you have an experience where timeliness lead to blogging success? Also, feel free to name other examples of bloggers who have done this effectively. As always, your opinions, thoughts, and questions matter—and I’d love to hear them below.

Social Media, Trade Secrets, and Why You Shouldn’t Give a Rip about the Competition

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:28:44 +0000

I received an excellent comment last week in response to the transparency article I wrote regarding the way we run and market our businesses. Melody Giacomino was kind enough to ask a question in the comments section which, in my opinion, is representative of the very unfortunate paradigm a mountain of small and large businesses around the world share when it comes to their ‘issues’ with social media. She said:

Marcus

I am in running the social media campaign for my company and it’s been a shift in thinking to make it happen. Here’s the pushback I get on transparency. While you are being transparent to your customers (a great thing) – you are also being transparent to your competitors (not so good)

What I mean by that is many of us work in crowded markets. Trying to differentiate yourself from your competitors by talking about what sets you apart also gives them all the info they need to sell against you. How do you balance that level of disclosure?

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard this concern mentioned to me by business owners over the past couple of years I’d be a rich dude. But let me be frank, the idea never has, nor ever will make any sense to me. Here’s why:

The Shocking Reality of Laziness

As I’ve discussed before here on this blog many times, I own a swimming pool company. Our brand is nationally recognized simply because our content marketing is prolific, and we’ve addressed a mountain of subjects in our field over the past couple of years.

Because I had so much success due to inbound/content marketing with my business, I figured other pool companies should also understand how this type of marketing can absolutely save businesses. (I know, this type of thinking doesn’t make sense to most people, but I’ve always believed in the principle that there’s room on top for everyone) This is why, for 3 straight years, I’ve taught seminars at the National Pool/Spa Show, explaining in detail every ‘technique’ our company has used to reach such incredible results with web marketing.

During this same time, the blog you’re currently reading has become a staple of marketing info for swimming pool companies across North America, many of which are my competitors here in the Virginia/Maryland area.

I mention these things not at all to brag, but rather to show that despite the fact I’ve directly or indirectly taught somewhere between 500-1000 swimming pool companies the power of inbound marketing, guess how many have effectively applied the techniques they’ve learned?

The answer, I’m sad to say, is about 15.

Yep, that’s it. About 1%.

Oh, and please don’t say it has to do with ‘skill’. If someone wants to be great at content marketing, ‘skill’ is easily one of the lowest requirements on the totem pole. But a desire? Yeah, it’s a must.

Sad but true.

Here is the thing– You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. 90% of all businesses, no matter how clear and present the truth is, will choose the ‘easy road’. And ultimately, because of this, most will fail. For the majority of folks, it doesn’t matter if you hit them over the head with a sledgehammer of truth, they still won’t get it. Such is life.

Please Stop With the Self Flattery, You’re Not Colonel Sanders

Colonel Sanders became famous because of a ‘secret’ fried chicken recipe. Sadly, many businesses today think they’re the second coming of ‘The Colonel’.

There are few secrets in this world. The ‘secret’ as to why businesses like Walmart, Starbucks, and McDonalds have been able to dominate their niches have been talked about again and again and again in books, TV documentaries, movies, case studies, reports, etc. Heck, the business model of McDonalds alone has been poked and prodded thousands of times by some of the greatest business and marketing minds ever.

Notwithstanding all of these in depth studies, how many Wal-Marts, Starbucks, and McDonalds are there? That’s right, just one. The blueprints for the company business model are plain as day for the world to see, but have they been copied yet? Has their business suffered because there are literally no secrets left?

I’d answer just the opposite. Their lore is even greater. Amazing, isn’t it?

So unless your business does more in sales each year than Sam Walton’s or Ray Crock’s little creation, please stop thinking your ‘secret sauce’ is anything more than thousand island dressing, will ya?

The Truth is the Truth is the Truth

Redundant statement, right? Well, here is the thing: I’ve talked again and again how effective content marketing and social media is a simple willingness to answer and address EVERY question a consumer has ever had regarding your product or service. For some reason though, certain bone-headed marketing departments feel that if they display said answers their competitors will somehow ‘find out’ their deepest trade secrets. Say what???

Seriously guys, let’s take a look at this for a second. Say I want to know something about a competitor of mine in the pool industry and their stance on a variety of pool installation topics. Would it be hard for me to find out anything I wanted to? Of course not. A simple phone call and 20 questions later would suffice just fine. Or maybe I could be a ‘secret shopper’ (as is done a million-times over around the globe) and really get all the nitty-gritty. The means by which businesses can extract competitor information go on and on.

When it comes down to it, if someone (a competitor) wants to know your stance or company doctrine on pretty much anything, they can find out.

Who’s Your Master?

I’ve seen companies whose marketing culture was run by their fear of what the ‘competitors’ might find out about them.

I’ve also seen companies who didn’t give a rip about what their competitors thought/gained, as their only goal was to provide excellence and value for their consumer base.

And guess which one of these two business approaches ended up on top every time?

The bottom line is this folks: Stop caring about the competition and start caring about your customers. Forget about this silly concept of trade secrets and know that your simple willingness to raise the bar in your industry and become a true thought leader in your field will lead to incredible business success, prosperity, and happiness for years to come.

Your Turn:

It goes without saying I’ve been pretty opinionated with today’s article, and I’d love to hear your take on this matter as well. Whether you agree with my thoughts or think I’m nuts, your opinion matters. Also, has your fear of the competition(or your company’s fear of competition) ever affected your social media and content marketing approach? If so, what were your reasons then and what is your strategy today? Jump on in folks, your questions, comments, and thoughts are always more than welcome. Have a great week everyone!!

One last thing*** I’ll be giving another rockin webinar over at Spin Sucks this week. It’s about how content, when used properly, can drastically increase sales profits and closing rates. I’m seriously stoked about the innovative components of this class (some of which I can almost guarantee you’ve never heard of), so I hope you will give it a look.

photo credit

Transparency and Inbound Marketing: The Greatest ‘Sales Technique’ of the Information Age

Marcus Sheridan — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:43:51 +0000

I got into a nice little debate yesterday with my good friend Danny Brown over at Gini Dietrich’s site, Spin Sucks. You see, I wrote a guest post there entitled ‘5 Reasons You Should Discuss Pricing on Your Company Website’ and as I’d hoped, it sparked great conversation and debate on both sides of the issue (you really should check it out btw).

<Marcus Tangent Alert***> Speaking of ‘debate’, I don’t think we see enough of that in blogs (See Davina’s virtual love fest post). I love it when people don’t agree with me yet still act civil. For example, in the article I wrote earlier this week about some of the best blog header designs on the internet, Gini Dietrich and Shonali Burke both didn’t like my choices. In fact, Shonali was the first to comment, and gave me the immediate ‘thumbs down’. I was thrilled. Seriously. But that’s a whole other discussion and now I’ll get back on topic

In this debate with Danny, of which many other folks chimed in, the key word that kept coming up again and again was ‘Transparency’. You see, I firmly believe that transparency, combined with great inbound marketing, is the greatest ‘sales technique’ in the world today. And no, I’m not exaggerating one iota.

The Age of Sales Techniques is Dying

There was a period in my life of about 5 years when I read just about every book on ‘selling’ that was ever written. I couldn’t seem to devour enough of the subject and my natural tendency to ‘be the best’ lead me from one book to the next. But all of this stopped a couple of years ago when I started to undergo a complete paradigm shift regarding my approach to selling, and it happened when I truly started to understand the principle of inbound/content marketing.

Frankly, I don’t think most people really understand inbound marketing from a contextual standpoint. Seriously. They don’t get it. Heck, many make it out to be a ‘science’ way more complicated than it really needs to be. As for me, I see it in these simple terms, and if you never remember another thing I say here on TSL, please just remember this:

If your customers have questions, it’s your duty to answer them….with utter transparency.

Got it? Good.

The entire reason my swimming pool website is the most popular of its kind in the world, and the entire reason it generates more leads than I could ever possibly handle, is because it follows this simple aforementioned statement.

That’s why if someone asks me a question, I go write an article about it.

“How much does a fiberglass pool cost?”
“Who shouldn’t buy a fiberglass pool?”
“How do fiberglass pools compare with concrete pools?”
“Do fiberglass pools look cheap?”
“What are the problems with a fiberglass pool?”
“Who are your biggest fiberglass pool competitors?”
“Who makes the best fiberglass pool?”
“Are fiberglass pools ugly?”
“Are fiberglass pools too small?”
“How does ‘Brand X’ compare to ‘Brand Y’?”

The list of questions goes on and on, but with each one, upon hearing it, I wrote about it. 400 brutally honest articles later, it’s a consumer’s best friend—The voice of the fiberglass pool industry.

All this with no Google keyword grader, no expensive SEO consulting analysis, nothing.

Just listening and writing, that’s all it is.

But transparency goes way further in the sales process too. Whenever I set up a sales appointment with a prospect, one clear point is always made, and it usually sounds a little something like this:

“Mr. Customer, the entire reason I’ve spent countless hours writing articles and creating videos about fiberglass pools is because I care about consumers like you. I want you to be educated. I want you to be informed. This is also why the purpose of my visit to your home is not really about teaching. I’ve already done that and I expect you to take advantage of the tools I’ve given you. The purpose of my visit is to help you choose which pool and options, price them for you, and then earn your business at that time. In other words, I’m there to sell you a pool. Sound Good?”

Almost always, after a few second of surprise, the prospect says “Ok Marcus. That sounds great!” As you might imagine, this then leads to an incredibly productive sales appointment and very high ‘closing rates’.

Is Anyone Else Sick of ‘Sales Techniques’?

I’ve always been bothered by the fact that selling involves one sales technique after another that eventually leads to one closing technique after another that eventually leads to one ‘no’ (from the prospect) after another that eventually leads to more ‘resolve concern’ techniques after another that eventually leads to a ‘yes’…or ‘no’. Crazy, huh?

I now prefer to skip all that junk and simply give great content, make sure the prospect does his/her homework, and then reach a natural conclusion—either we’re a good fit or not.

Do you realize how many consumers are simply looking for a voice they can trust? People are so jaded with tricky semantics and silly sales processes (especially online) that all they want is for someone to be straight with them.

Why Not?

So I say why not? Why not be brutally transparent with your approach to business? Why not be the voice of your industry? Why not address issues that no one else has the bravery or guts to talk about? And why not earn the trust of all those around you in the process?

Your Turn

So what’s your take on all this? Do businesses need to be more transparent with their content and approach? Or should we not try to fix something ‘that isn’t broke’? Whether you have just a thought or a diatribe, I’d invite you to jump in below and say what’s on your mind.

Just How Much Can 800 Days of Inbound Marketing Change Your Life??

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:20:18 +0000

Jan 2005: Our swimming pool business is in shambles. My two business partners and I have just found out that we’ve suffered a major embezzlement of about $200,000. Not only that, but the IRS is after us and has put liens on our homes. I’ve never worked so hard to experience so much stress and hardship. Frankly, it’s depressing, and I wish it would just all go away.

Nov 2008: For 3 years we have fought tooth and nail to bring our business out of this hole. And just when we see the light, the economy has tanked. Banks are failing everywhere. Consumer confidence, especially for luxury items like swimming pools, is in shambles. I can’t believe this is happening again. Many swimming pool companies are already closing shop. We’ve worked too hard and come too close to fail now.

March 2009: I just stumbled across a company called Hubspot and learned about inbound marketing. This makes complete sense to me. Finally, I can take control of our website despite my tech deficiencies and also do what I do best—teach. But now I’m going to do this thing they call ‘blogging’. Dumb name, but hey, the concept makes sense. If I just answer consumer questions Google will reward me with more visits, which should ultimately turn to leads and then sales. Despite the ‘recession’ our country is in, I believe this is our answer, and I’m going to make it work. Even better, for the first time in years, I’m excited to be a business owner again.

Nov. 2009: Wow, I’m shocked at these last 7 months. This ‘inbound marketing’ stuff is amazing. We have somehow survived this year, even though so many of our competitors have gone out of business with the economy. Everyone keeps telling me there is no one buying, but I’m glad they’re not looking at my website analytics, because they indicate otherwise.

Also, I’ve decided to start another blog because I sense an insatiable desire to help other businesses experience the success I’m finding through inbound marketing. The site will be called The Sales Lion, and something tells me it just may change my life.

Sept. 2010: What a year it has been. The economy is still in peril, but my swimming pool company continues to thrive. All of the blogging we’ve done over the past 18 months has put us literally on top of the industry. Leads and sales are strong and we’ve never spent less in advertising and marketing. This thing is like a snowball rolling down a mountain, and it’s just amazing to sit back and watch it grow. I think we’re going to actually turn a nice profit this year….simply unbelievable.

As for The Sales Lion, things have grown slowly. It has been a struggle at times, as I honestly thought growth would come quicker. Notwithstanding, my resilience is undeterred, as I’m committed to this for the long haul, and I know a tipping point will eventually come.

March 2011: Wow, my pool company is going great and The Sales Lion is doing even better. About 4 months ago I seriously committed to building my online network and community (as before I’d just been writing) and the results have been profound. The number of active readers has taken off. People are talking and now I’m getting more and more companies asking me for help with inbound marketing. Life is going very fast now, it’s almost hard to keep up, but it appears that the tipping point has finally arrived.

August 2011: Where should I start? It’s only August and my swimming pool company has pools to install practically until the end of the year, something we’ve never come close to experiencing this early before. We’ve gotten more leads this year than in the previous 2 combined. My business partners and I just sit back and watch the pings on our Blackberries come in with one lead after another looking for someone to come out and sell them a swimming pool….very exciting to say it in the least.

In all honesty though, we deserve it. We committed to being the premier teachers in our industry and that’s exactly what we are. When I put my site on Hubspot’s platform in March of 2009 it only had 20 total pages. Today it has about 600 or so. Each and every day we get calls from around the country from folks asking us if we’d be willing to travel out to them and install their swimming pool. Sadly, we have to turn many down, as we’re limited to Va and Md, but the lesson remains the same—consumers trust those persons that are willing to openly and honestly give as much helpful information as possible.

Financially, the company has never been better. At this point and time, we have almost no debt. The embezzlement and IRS are a distant memory. And it feels very, very good.

Time to Run Free

But that’s not the only thing that is changing. For quite some time I have felt like a stallion, caged-up by my pool business commitments, yet wanting so badly to run free so as to pursue my other interests. Up until this point, I have been unable to break free, but the impacts of inbound marketing are now allowing me to do just that.

This week (Aug 8-12) will be my last full time week at River Pools and Spas. It’s almost surreal to say it, but it’s happening. No more will I drive 5-8 hours daily to go on sales appointments. My only duties will be the company’s inbound marketing, which will take 10-15 hours per week, and the rest will be taken care of by commissioned sales persons.

Now that I’m able to run wild, I can’t even start to express my excitement, as The Sales Lion has now entered a new phase as well. Businesses are contacting me on a weekly basis seeking for someone to give them a vision of inbound and content marketing. What’s crazy is that I haven’t even pushed my services hard up to this point. But that’s how inbound marketing works. You gain trust through great information, not silly sales pitches, which is why clients and companies come to you, versus the other way around.

As an example, next month I’ll be speaking at a variety of businesses and events around the country. In fact, here is a small glimpse of my schedule, as I’d love to meet some of you there:

Sept 7^th- Speaking at Junta 42’s Content Marketing World (If you haven’t seen the list of folks speaking here, you really may want to consider checking it out.)

Sept 15^th- Speaking to a company in Michigan about Inbound Marketing

Sept 16^th- Speaking at Hubspot’s annual HUG convention to a whole bunch of rockin inbound marketers.

All Because of One Decision

These are just some of the places I’ll be traveling to, as others are currently in the mix, but my point in saying these things is not to brag, but to simply give readers a clear vision as to how this has all happened. When it comes down to it folks, the decision to embrace inbound marketing has changed my life. It has changed the lives of all my employees. It has brought me to a point of being able to experience financial peace and prosperity while doing what I love most—teaching other individuals and businesses how to reach their potential, through speaking and writing. And even better, this is jut the tip of the iceberg, as you’ll clearly see if you hang around over the coming months.

So for those of you that have been dabbling with inbound marketing, I say what’s the hold up? What’s preventing you and your business from reaching the potential that awaits? Enough already, giddy-up cowboy, it’s time for the ride of your life.

Your Turn:

Couple of questions here folks—How has inbound and content marketing affected you and your business? Also, if your blog and business are not currently where they need to be, what do you think you’ve been lacking to get there?

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or questions, and if you’d like to ask me something in private, please just do so here, as personal contact is something I absolutely love and always make the time for.

Oh, and one final note***. My friend Kristi Hines (one of the hardest working bloggers I’ve ever seen) recently entered a blogging contest and wrote an incredible, must read article on social media ROI. Kristi has been giving amazing and useful information to her audience for years, so please take a moment to drop by the article today and like it, share it, and leave an awesome comment!!

Have an amazing week everyone!!

The Age of Digital Branding and the Power of Perception

Marcus Sheridan — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:05:36 +0000

Not too exciting, is it?

I pulled into the gravel parking lot of my swimming pool company this morning and an unexpected thought came to mind— “Geez this place is pretty ugly.”

I know, sounds rather rough, doesn’t it? But it’s true. It’s such a plain metal building. No glitz. No pomp. And if you were to drive by it, you probably would not even give it a glance. And you certainly wouldn’t know it was the home of the most popular swimming pool website in the world…….

Good-Bye Pretty Buildings, Hello Smart Marketing

As many of you know, about 3 years ago I completely changed my shift and focus as a business owner. Instead of solely relying on antiquated marketing principles to generate business, I did a 180 and embraced content and inbound marketing. This was easily one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made, but it also coincided perfectly with another major shift in my thinking as well.

You see, I used to equate the success of my business with the image people saw on the outside. This image was derived, at least in my mind, from retail stores. There was a time when I honestly thought that if I had really nice stores, this would naturally lead to more profitability and sales. This is also what I was taught when I entered the industry in 2001, which explains why just a few years ago I had one of the nicest retail stores in all of Virginia for swimming pools, offering a full line of game room equipment, pool tables, tanning beds, hot tubs, and much more.

From the outside, the place made quite the impression, but from the inside, it practically crippled the company. Not only did it require huge time, employees, and management to operate such a facility, but it also was, at best, a break-even financially.

Accepting Reality

After having been in this location from 2006-2009, my business partners and I realized a couple of important realities.

1. Our website, not our stores, created the consumer perception of our company’s brand.
2. Old-school retail, in many industries including ours, was a dying business model.

With this realization, we ‘sold the mills’ and got rid of all retail. We also took all of the energies we had been spending on the frivolous minutia of running the store to producing a website that would generate leads and sales through content– and lots of it.

And boy did the strategy pay of in spades.

Customers Don’t Care About Your ‘Stuff’

My pool company has gotten more leads in the past month than at any other time in our history. These leads have translated into sales– LOTS of sales. And do you know how many people have commented or asked about our buildings/offices/retail stores?

If you answered ZERO, you were right.

At the same time though, guess how many of these clients have talked about our company’s website– and the feeling, or ‘perception’, they got from all of the information they found therein?

If you answered ALL of them, you’re right again.

Switching gears for a second, most of you know that I do a lot of web coaching, speaking, traveling, and consulting these days for other businesses, some of which are multi-million dollar companies. I don’t mention this to brag, as it’s nothing special, but I just want to stress this critical point again:

How many clients have asked me about where I run my business from or what my office looks like?

Again, you already know the answer. None of them.

They don’t care that I work out of my home. They don’t care that when I’m talking to them on the phone, I’m likely wearing a t-shirt with my bare feet propped up on the desk.

Nope, all they care about is what they see on that dang screen….

Perception Based on the Digital Realm

We live in a time folks where the perception others will have of us has nothing to do with ‘stuff’. It’s has nothing really to do with what they see in the real world, but everything they perceive from the digital realm.

So if you, as a business owner and entrepreneur, truly want to taste success, start thinking day and night about your digital brand and perception. How do you come across to others online? Are you viewed as a thought leader? Do you have a community that further validates your ‘expert’ claims? Are you producing the content that’s required to be a mover and a shaker in your industry or niche?

These questions and many others just like them need to be clearly understood if you want to be successful. And it’s not a one-time thing either. It’s a subject of utmost importance until the day your business and brand no longer exist.

Let–It–Go

My point? If there is anything distracting you and your business from online greatness, drop it. Just let it go. I’ve been asked many times why I let go of my swimming pool stores. Many people thought it was a dumb idea and would hurt my image. But what they don’t understand is I know who I am, and I know how my customers make their judgements about me, and it sure as heck isn’t based upon those yellow metal walls. Nope, it’s all about the little digits on the screen, and when it comes to that screen, I’m going to make sure the impression is a lasting one.

Your Turn:

How has your branding shifted now that we’re in the digital age? And what are you doing with your blog/website/etc to improve the perceptions others have of you? Finally, what do you find is the biggest struggle with this online branding process?

As I’ve stated before, whether you’ve commented here 100 or 0 times, you’re always invited to share your thoughts and submit your questions below or in private on the contact form.