5 Ways to Explain Inbound Marketing to Your Family This Thanksgiving. But explaining it requires some fundamental knowledge of how technology, marketing, and the internet work. 5 Ways to Explain Inbound Marketing to Your Family This Thanksgiving 1) The Food Analogy Pumpkin Pie In the U.S., Thanksgiving typically consists a few staples -- turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, to name a few. 2) The Real-Life Scenario When I'm asked about inbound marketing, I like to use real-like examples of interruptions that they'll likely recognize, and explain how the inbound methodology pertains to it. It usually sounds something like this: Amanda: Hey, Dad. You know how much you hate telemarketers calling you in the middle of dinner? That's interruptive marketing. Amanda: Well, in my job, I create marketing that doesn't interrupt what people are doing. Inbound marketing is much more logical when you explain it that way -- even if your family doesn't work marketing or communications. You play the role of the telemarketer, and your dinner guest can be, well, the dinner guest.
When Thanksgiving rolls around, there are a few questions that we don’t exactly look forward to hearing. “When are you getting married?” “When am I getting grandchildren?” “Have you been moisturizing?”
And yet, none of those oh-so-polite questions even come close to the complexity of explaining what, as an inbound marketer, you actually do for a living.
It’s not that inbound marketing requires a long, drawn-out answer — after all, it can be described in 140 characters. But explaining it requires some fundamental knowledge of how technology, marketing, and the internet work. You know, the things that your grandparents might not fully grasp in one fell swoop.
Good news — all you really need are a few storytelling strategies. We found five ways you can explain inbound marketing to your family. And sure, some of these are useful, and some are just sarcastic. But hey, family is family, right? They’ll still love you.
5 Ways to Explain Inbound Marketing to Your Family This Thanksgiving
1) The Food Analogy
.gif?t=1480044136822&width=600&name=giphy%20(27).gif)
In the U.S., Thanksgiving typically consists a few staples — turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, to name a few. And while it might sound strange, you can use that knowledge to your advantage by using food preparation as an analogy for different aspects of inbound marketing.
To explain lead nurturing, you can use the pumpkin pie. Sending unnurtured leads to sales is like giving an unbaked pumpkin pie to your guests. I suppose the pumpkin pie could be eaten raw, but … gross. Instead, you should bake the pumpkin pie — that ultimately makes it richer and more palatable.
Nurturing leads before sales contacts them works in the same way. It warms them up to your brand, and starts to qualify them with better information on what they might need. “Warm” leads, like the cooked pie, are already familiar with your business, and will close at a much higher rate than those that are “cold.”
Use whatever analogy you like to describe inbound marketing — it clarifies confusing issues by comparing them to something that, quite literally, is right in front of everyone.
2) The Real-Life Scenario
.gif?t=1480044136822&width=600&name=giphy%20(30).gif)
When I’m asked about inbound marketing, I like to use real-like examples of interruptions that they’ll likely recognize, and explain how the inbound methodology pertains to it. It usually sounds something like this:
Amanda: Hey, Dad. You know how much you hate telemarketers calling you in the middle of dinner?
Dad: Yes. Hate it. Why? Is that what you do for work?
Amanda: No, actually. Inbound marketing is the exact opposite. That’s interruptive marketing. They literally interrupt you. So annoying, right?
Dad: Yes. I’m surprised they’re not interrupting us right now.
Amanda: Well, in my job, I create marketing that doesn’t interrupt what people are doing. In fact, I create content that people are actively looking for, because it’s helpful, entertaining, or informative. Instead of a telemarketer was calling to sell you spoons, I create stuff that someone looking for information about spoons might be searching for on the internet.
Dad: So I would find you, instead of you calling to bother me?
Amanda: Yes! I provide you with actual value from my company,…
COMMENTS