Was Shakespeare clairvoyant when he wrote “As you like it” or did he actually foresee the modern-day power of the word like?
The word has its own life today, a life that can be counted, followed, nurtured and finally tracked till it turns into a “lead”. Is push-based outbound content/marketing struggling for its breath in a relentless chase across channels and content types today?
From 90 second reels to 90-minute podcasts, content seems to be on a “hunt” to “acquire” customers in a conversion cycle that has multiple drop off points from fleeting interest to lasting loyalty.
Let’s turn this paradigm on its head, in an inbound world where you have to earn the customers’ respect not hunt for her, along the way, inspired by Shakespeare’s other wise quotes.
Step 1: Finding our audience
Shakespeare’s wisdom: “Romeo, Romeo, where art thou, Romeo?"
In the inbound world, the search ends when people find us, because they connect with something we stand for. The focus here is on gradually finding our audience; people who find not just a real but also a regular reason to actually “like” what we create and share, instead of bestowing the like icons in abundance.
Step 2: Being original
Shakespeare’s wisdom: “the whole world’s a stage”
Today, the whole world’s a publisher. The content clutter surrounding us is enough to send one into a tizzy of content hibernation but quite paradoxically, there is an exploding demand for inspiring and original content. After all, it may be one of the few ways to differentiate us humans from machines that learn in split seconds and content that copies, in AI borrowed time.
Step 3: Authenticity
Shakespeare’s wisdom: “This above all; to thine own self be true”.
Today, customers, listeners, watchers or readers of content form impressions at every click and have reasons to quit at each scroll. There is no place to hide; being true to our voice and to our craft and our skill is the only survival tactic for a long term Inbound life.
Step 4: Relevance
Shakespeare’s wisdom: “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late”.
So, yes, while we might take our time to craft our original, thoughtful masterpieces, speed is also of utmost essence in the inbound world, specially, when it comes to responding to people who really “like” what we say.
Maybe, even today, on a mid-summer night, the few islands of Inbound led content shine beacons of light across a turbulent summer storm struck ocean of lost content.
To misquote Shakespeare, one can no longer say to inbound or not to inbound is the question. That is the future, whether we “like” it or not. Till then, let’s like and let live.