The Chameleon - Adaptive Marketing Ideas For Your Business

Your '12 days' of Inbound Marketing Success

Posted by JC Costarino on Dec 18, 2014 8:26:40 AM

Last Friday morning I showed up to my 5:15 am workout not quite sure what to expect.  The “Q” or leader for the morning posted a tease the night before mentioning a “12 Days of Christmas” style workout.  Since I am in North Carolina, the geese are in high supply, but they are currently not laying eggs, and I haven’t seen any cows recently in downtown Charlotte. Needless to say I was perplexed, but prepared.  As we jogged to our workout location, the Q covered the concept of the workout:  we would do X number of reps for each exercise based on which “day” of Christmas it represented, so while 2 tricep dips didn’t sound daunting, it certainly added up after 12 rounds!

How does my affection for working out before the sun apply to your inbound marketing success…simple…cumulative consistency makes for effective results.

Each exercise on its own was easily accomplished, although not super effective to get the desired burn, but all together, the workout was not only complete, but incredibly productive.  Since dips, push-ups, and squats are NOT what you need for successful inbound marketing, I’ve take creative liberties to give you a “12 day” guide to success for your inbound marketing campaign.

  • A Partridge in a Pear Tree:  Quite simply, this is your product/service—the reason for the eleven other “days”
  • Two Turtle doves:  Your sales and marketing team, for without one, the other's success does not matter.
  • Three French hens:  The coop is full of hens, and while they have similar traits, they are also different. So too are people! Identify the “personas” you want to reach with your product/service, and then tailor your message accordingly.
  • Four Calling birds:  You notice calling birds, even if you try to ignore them you hear them, and you want your clients/potential clients to hear your calls…calls-to-action, that is, so make sure you give them a reason to go to your site, or interact with you on social media.
  • Five Golden rings:  The golden opportunities for your clients and potential clients in the form of offers, whether they are free guides, whitepapers, or eBooks. 
  • Six Geese-a-Laying:  These geese happen to represent drip campaigns:  timely placed messages to your clients/potential clients based on where they are in the sales funnel or existing relationship.
  • Seven Swans-a-Swimming: Swans tend to travel as a pair or a small bevy, whereas other birds travel in sky-darkening flocks.  Since they are large and loud, though, you tend to notice them even if they are fewer in number.  Email is the same way! You may not send as many as you used to, but when they receive them, your clients/potential clients certainly notice.
  • Eight Maids-a-Milking:  Your sales team nurturing the leads coming their way from all the great marketing.
  • Nine Ladies dancing and Ten Lords a leaping:  Inbound marketing is fun, so take a few moments to grab the lads and lassies around the office to celebrate how well everything is going. Then dive right back in!
  • Eleven Pipers piping:  Your delighted clients spreading the word.
  • Twelve Drummers drumming:  The massive hoards who want to be your client!

Notice how you start seeing great results in the last few “days”.  This is a result of the key to success:  consistency! You build upon your great foundation over and over again, and clients, both new and existing, notice.

Once you stop singing the jingle, get on out there and start implementing.  Wishing you great success and a delightful holiday season!

Feeling inspired? Grab your free checklist below, and run your next campaign like a pro!

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Posted by Patrick Sitkins on Dec 11, 2014 6:30:00 AM

Do you go all-in, or dip your toe in the water?

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Inbound Marketing…Dressing on the Side

Posted by JC Costarino on Dec 4, 2014 8:00:00 AM

As I read the menu of a new restaurant last week, I had a mild panic attack since the asterisk noted “only one substitution” per order.  I am rather particular about what I eat, so instead of doing my typical song and dance with the poor waiter about being “that person” I sat back and thought about my decision. The contemplative time with the menu gave me a chance to think about all the places we make substitutions and how infrequently we actually try something the way it was designed before making changes. 

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Topics: inbound marketing

What to REALLY Expect With Inbound Marketing

Posted by Patrick Sitkins on Nov 13, 2014 7:00:00 AM

Before You Read The Post:

I am more excited about this post than anything I've written lately. This message will hopefully open your eyes to the infinite possibilities of Inbound Marketing. I poured a lot of passion into this one, and the final product is quite lengthy. So, if you are looking for the general idea and some quick hit advice then continue reading. I omitted a lot of the detail in this post to make it easily digestable. If you want the full story, then head on over to LinkedIn to get the full article. 

I would love your feedback on this one, so please leave comments or email me directly.

- Patrick Sitkins

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Topics: inbound marketing

Forging the Generational Divide to Inbound Marketing

Posted by JC Costarino on Oct 22, 2014 8:19:51 AM

As I began my own journey of inbound discovery, I absorbed everything around me from books to blogs to white papers to old fashioned face-to-face conversations. While there is a plethora of information out there about inbound marketing covering a multitude of topics, one theme I gravitated towards with great passion is the generational gap, both perceived and actual.

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Stanley Kubrick, Eye Exams and Understanding Inbound Marketing

Posted by JC Costarino on Oct 20, 2014 8:00:00 AM

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?

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Topics: inbound marketing

Why Most B2B Marketing Strategies Fail

Posted by Patrick Sitkins on Oct 20, 2014 8:00:00 AM

Without an integrated marketing strategy, your investment is the equivalent of decaf coffee. It’s activity without providing you with the results.

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The Oakland A's Season Collapse & Timing in Marketing

Posted by Patrick Sitkins on Oct 20, 2014 8:00:00 AM

The Inbound Marketing Sales Funnel: Peaking Too Soon?

Any athlete or fan of sports understands the idea of ‘peaking’. This occurs when a team or individual athlete reaches the height of its potential in particular season. There are teams that peak right at the end of the season (we typically call them champions), those that peak too early (sorry A's fans, too soon?), and those that never do. Peaking at the right time can be the difference between hoisting a trophy at the end of the season or watching the game from your couch.

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Topics: inbound marketing

How to Create Harmony Amongst Your Digital Marketing Assets

Posted by Patrick Sitkins on Oct 15, 2014 10:24:15 AM

HARMONY |ˈHÄRMƏNĒ| NOUN (PL. HARMONIES)

the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions having a pleasing effect: four-part harmony in the barbershop style | the note played on the fourth beat anticipates the harmony of the following bar.

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Topics: inbound marketing