Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It

Posted by
Joan Wackell – Marketing Consultant
Maestro Strategic Marketing

Inbound Marketing

This quote “Every time I find the meaning of life, they change it,” reminds me about marketing and could just as well read: Every time I think I’ve nailed marketing, it changes.

Over the last few weeks I’ve asked myself at least a dozen times or more: “Is inbound marketing a stand alone strategy?” In the interest of full disclosure, I’m from the traditional school of marketing – yet as a marketing professional it is important to me, and to clients, to be as objective as I can be in answering this question.

After much thought and research, I do not believe that inbound marketing is a stand alone discipline. I do, however, see it as a powerful marketing tool that is growing in importance in the marketing mix and one that should be integrated with traditional (AKA outbound marketing) to provide businesses the broadest market exposure. Now there are those out there who say inbound marketing is it, who really feel that it’s the only way to go. To them I say get real; look at the big players in the marketplace like Coca-Cola, Nike, auto manufacturers and others who are integrating both outbound and inbound strategies to grow their markets and improve sales. To those marketeers who religiously stick with outbound marketing, I say the time to change is now; start including social media marketing (AKA inbound marketing) into all your clients’ strategic marketing plans.

–  Joan A. Wackell is the owner of Maestro Strategic Marketing, a firm that focuses on working with small businesses. With over 20 years experience in marketing, her mission is to create effective and integrated marketing solutions that combine the best of traditional and inbound marketing strategies to help grow her clients’ businesses.