Google has updated its search algorithm again, naming the update Penguin. Internet marketing consultants with integrity are rejoicing. Why? There are a few great reasons.

Inbound marketing is growing in popularity, but some businesses still devote their marketing budgets on traditional media.  If you're one of them, you're missing a great opportunity to grow your business.

These are ten things that make inbound marketing more cost effective than traditional marketing methods.

Larger Audiences
Traditional media audiences are rapidly shrinking, while the online universe has grow to 2 billion people who are spending more and more of their time on their devices.

More Targeted Markets
Traditional ads reach broad audiences that may or may not respond to them.  Inbound marketing only reaches people who have already expressed interest in your products and services.

Lower Costs
Traditional marketers spend a lot to create, produce, and deliver ads.  Inbound marketers do the same for much less, and they only pay for the number of views or clicks their ads receive.

Higher Response Rates
Traditional marketing typically generates a 1-2% response rate.  Because inbound marketing is more targeted, its response rates are closer to 5-6%, lowering the cost per lead by as much as 60%.

More Options
Traditional marketers use TV, radio, print publications, and direct mail to reach their audiences.  Inbound marketers use blogs, websites, social media, display ads, videos, e-books, microsites, and other options.

Greater Engagement
Traditional marketing pushes messages out to consumers, but offers no way for them to respond.  Inbound marketing is much more interactive because it allows consumers to reply to content and share it with others.

Better Measurement
Traditional marketing campaigns are hard to measure because their impact can't be easily gauged with the metrics available. Inbound marketing campaigns use keycodes and other tracking measures that help marketers determine how well their efforts are working.

More Flexibility
Once a print ad or commercial is complete, it can only be changed at huge expense.  Online content, though, can be changed in hours or even minutes at minimal cost, allowing marketers to constantly refine their efforts.

Better Testing and Optimization
The ability to instantly change online content makes it easier to test and optimize.  Marketers can test different elements of their ads, measure the results, and optimize the ads to generate even better results.

Higher ROI
Lower costs and higher response rates result in higher ROI.  This is the ultimate goal of a marketing campaign, and it's the one thing that proves inbound marketing more cost effective than traditional marketing methods.

I am an avid crossfitter. I love it, it is my obsession. I've been actively crossfitting for almost a year and a half and I haven't fallen out of love with it. That's true love, right? It is in the fitness world. Most people start working out in January and quit by the end of the month. Anyway, As an internet marketing consultant, I've had my eye on the marketing side of the CrossFit world and things are changing.

I read this article the other day on a business, chocolatebakery.com, closed their local shop and went 100% online. Their business is BOOMING! Their reach is further, their sales are off the charts and their ROI has never been better! 

I'm happy to announce that we launched the NEW and IMPROVED website for Windows on Washington!

This is a complete revamp from the old site. It is consistent with the new WoW branding guidelines. The new site includes all of the new service offerings that WoW is providing. It also includes new offers for current and new customers. We at Big Thinkery have designed and developed the new site. We are continuing to grow the site with our inbound marketing consulting services.

If you are in the DC area and you are looking for home improvement services for your home or business, contact Windows on Washington. They are an incredibly dedicated group of individuals and are VERY knowledgeable and hardworking. It has been such a pleasure working with Eric and Tara Novotny on this site and it will be a blast watching the site grow leads and customers using the hubspot methodology and software!

The new big social media website, Pinterest is creating a splash around the marketing circles. Many are recommending it, but I'm bucking the trend and today, I am not recommending my clients add their business on Pinterest.

How can I possibly do this? I have a few reasons for not recommending my clients join Pinterest. First, there is some legal language around copywriting that suggests the images that you upload eliminate your copyrights. So, say you are a photographer. Once you upload your images to Pinterest, you no longer have full ownership over your images. If somone wants to publish them in a magazine and they have pulled them from Pinterest, they have the right to do that. Its unethical, but its legal.

Social Media Training - Twitter - part 2 of 5

Social Media Training - Blogging - part 1 of 5

So often clients ask me, what is social media? The way I like to describe it is that it is a tool for delivering your message. There are quite a few parts to it, but in this series, I will concentrate on 5 parts: blogging, twitter, facebook, linked in and email marketing. Today we will start with blogging.

A hand full of times every year, I have to explain to several of my clients what domain registration is and how to do it. Part of being an internet marketing consultant is educating clients on the process of putting a website together.