The New Wave of Online Marketing: Leveraging the Power of Learning
John E. Phillips 12.07.12
One of the reasons many people in the outdoors haven’t been able to get the information they want and need to be more successful in living the outdoor lifestyle is that they don’t want to be embarrassed. None of us wants to appear to be stupid, especially in front of our peer group, or in front of people we admire and respect. However, if we can ask questions and get answers anonymously, we quickly and easily can become more successful afield and learn more about sports and the outdoors.
Lisa Wells, an online marketing and e-commerce consultant for the health-care industry and president of Get Social Consulting, started her career as a journalist in the outdoors, working for six years in the outdoor industry. She returns to her roots in March by speaking to the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) at its annual meeting. What Wells has learned about the impact of social media in the healthcare industry translates to the outdoors.
“In the healthcare industry, people are always looking for information, especially about medical problems that may be embarrassing to them,” Wells explains. “Because of their fear of embarrassment, people go online to locate more information to better understand their conditions and/or to find other people who have the same problems. By talking with individuals with the same problems, they learn ways to solve these problems. The outdoor industry, where I’ve also worked for several years, also has many men and women who are embarrassed to ask questions about hunting and fishing. The response they often get when they ask questions is, ‘I can’t believe you don’t know that.’ So, to prevent embarrassment, they can go to the Internet or to social-media sites anonymously and tap into the information they’re searching for without fear of embarrassment.”
Wells emphasizes that these people also receive reassurance that they’re not the only people who don’t know the answers to these outdoor questions.
“From an online marketing standpoint, the companies that do provide resource information are helping get the answers to the questions the consumers have in a comfortable, safe and anonymous way for them.” she says. “In addition, these companies are building bridges to those consumers as trusted friends, which will enable those companies to pursue relationships with those consumers.”
If your company provides expert information to solve outdoor problems, then you’ll have a solid connection to that consumer, which helps build your brand and opens that consumer up to more information that you can provide or products you can sell.
Companies throughout the business world are recognizing the importance of giving information, providing entertainment and delivering daily news and new research that’s timely, helpful, reliable and entertaining to their customer base to increase the amount of sales that the company or service provider produces. Another advantage of providing quality information on the Internet is the viral effect that information can experience as it’s forwarded from friend to friend to friend and the ability of that information to make the company a trusted friend. If the consumer can get information and news that he can use and that entertains him, he or she usually will tell his peer groups where he’s getting this information, which drives more traffic and more consumers to a company’s portals. Then the company can provide information for the consumers they already have, and actually can grow that consumer base and increase sales. A company never loses but always wins and grows when the company helps consumers get the information and news they’re seeking.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
