If you feel like you just walked in on the middle of a really bad joke, fear not, for I quickly make the connection.

While Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” had nothing to do with inbound marketing, the title is intriguing. Typically the phrase, referring to hyper awareness of your surroundings or the actions of those around you, is “eyes wide open”, so how could you could use the term ‘shut’ to say the same thing?

When was the last time you had your eye exam? If you have to think, congratulations on your 20/20 vision, but if you are like most, they are annual. The eye doctor makes you sign a dilation consent form acknowledging your impaired vision for 2 - 4 hours. What the doc fails to tell you is what type of vision. When your pupils are indeed wide open, you cannot see a thing up close, but you are able to see items in the distance (which I imagine is the only reason they let you drive away from the doctor’s office!).

As you stumble around your living room, you must take a step back to see things you normally see just fine, rely on your other senses for direction, and enlist the help of those around you…ALL key pillars to inbound marketing (see, I told you I would connect the dots).

Inbound, quite simply, is seeing things around you differently by tuning IN to the BOUNDless amount of information.

Let’s take a quick journey back in time…you are sitting at the dinner table and the phone starts ringing. Your dad pushes back from the table, grumbling the entire time, and curtly answers the phone. It is, of course, a telemarketer. As Dad shouts “we are not interested”, he abruptly turns on his heel, knocking the pile of mail from the counter. Again grumbling under his breath, he picks up the stack of letters proclaiming deal after deal after deal. Already on edge, he throws the entire stack in the trash for tomorrow’s collection.

Phew, I am exhausted and annoyed just from reading that, but what really sticks with me is those marketing tactics accomplished nothing, other than alienating a potential customer. Coming back to today, you know people seek their own information, their own way, on their own time, since you do the same thing. Welcome, inbound marketing…

Inbound marketing, is placing your information where those people (potential or existing customers) are already looking. If people are searching for information on the latest widget and your company specializes in widgets, perfect! Talking about the benefits of your widget on your website, sharing the latest news with your Twitter followers, Facebook friends, or posting to LinkedIn, puts YOUR widget dead center in the crosshairs of the information seeker’s scope. Your competitor, however, still sends out mail and their information goes out with Dad’s recycling, thus missing the potential customer’s range altogether. So, taking the inbound marketing approach you not only reach more people, you stand out from your competitors, and keep the recycling bin free and clear of another piece of mail.

Inbound marketing is the future of marketing, starting today, and you are the trend setter lucky enough to stand on the precipice, see the possibilities, and make the leap into success.

Interest peaked? Want more? Let me know, so I can tune in and give YOU what you want.

Enjoy the journey!