About Chris Behan
Chris Behan entered the field of Internet marketing when the Internet was still young and search engines like Google and Yahoo were in their infancy.
With no road map to follow and virtually no information to go by, Chris was determined to learn what makes search engines tick. He then used this valuable knowledge to help other businesses grow and prosper in ways they never thought possible. It is this self-drive and self-motivation that has enabled Chris to turn his idea into a thriving company that shows his clients how to tap into new markets, increase sales, and achieve their goals.
How It Began
As an Internet marketing pioneer with more than 20 years of hands-on experience, Chris Behan is not just an expert in his field – he’s a true master. Chris began his Internet marketing career while serving in the role of vice president at VÄXA International in Tampa. At a time when Internet marketing was still virtually unheard of, the leaders at VÄXA were seeking ways to enhance the company’s online presence. In an effort to accomplish this, VÄXA hired an outside firm that was tasked with increasing traffic to the company’s website.
Through this outsourced project, VÄXA’s initial foray into the world of Internet marketing fell disappointingly short of its objectives. After careful consideration, Chris concluded that the best option for VÄXA would be to execute all of the company’s Internet marketing initiatives in-house. In this way, Chris believed he could gain a full understanding of the many nuances of this as yet uncharted territory, allowing him to expertly oversee the processes and make adjustments as necessary.
Eager to begin, Chris immediately rolled up his sleeves and immersed himself in VÄXA’s Internet marketing project, working diligently to learn everything he could about this completely new industry. Without the benefit of an established knowledge base or proven best practices, he designed, developed, and implemented algorithmic testing websites to help him learn exactly how search engines were ranking websites. Building on this newly acquired knowledge, Chris transformed VÄXA’s existing website into one of the best-ranking nutritional sites on the Internet, helping to grow this start-up company’s sales to more than $5 million annually within its first six years of operation.
Impressed by this unparalleled success, VÄXA’s investors asked Chris to optimize the websites of several other businesses. As he helped each company build and enhance its online presence, Chris discovered his passion for Internet marketing.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
In late 2006, Chris went on to found Socius Marketing, an Internet marketing agency. At the time, the economy was floundering and the Internet marketing world was swarming with self-proclaimed experts, all of whom were trying to grab their piece of the pie. Having closely observed the workings of the industry for several years, Chris took an approach that was vastly different from those of many Internet marketing firms that had gone before him.
Some considered his methodology to be counter-intuitive. Others thought he was destined to fail. Undeterred, Chris forged ahead without hiring a single salesperson or implementing an aggressive marketing strategy for a full year. Instead, he developed, tested, and perfected strategies and systems exclusively for ten core clients. In doing so, Chris revolutionized an approach to Internet marketing that was not just a concept, but a business model that achieved tangible results and successes that he could clearly illustrate to both stakeholders and potential clients.
A Groundbreaking Approach
In the fall of 2007, armed with these core principles and a proven system to help clients succeed online, Socius began to actively market its services with unprecedented success. In just four short years – and in the midst of a record recession – Socius grew from just four employees working at Chris’ dining room table to more than 30 professionals housed in a 9,000-square-foot headquarters in Tampa, along with an additional sales branch in Atlanta. At the same time, Socius’ customer base expanded by an astounding 2,400 percent. Since then, the company has continued to grow by leaps and bounds, and today employs more than 60 Internet marketing professionals. Socius’ diverse clients are located throughout the United States and include businesses of all sizes and types, from home improvement companies to national health care providers.
As a self-taught guru with extensive experience in developing and executing complex Internet marketing strategies, Chris is not only passionate about his profession – he also takes great pride in sharing his wealth of knowledge. For Chris, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a business succeed and thrive online after implementing his ideas. An engaging and sought-after Internet marketing keynote speaker and trainer with a knack for establishing an easy rapport with his audiences, Chris captivates his listeners and leaves them with actionable concepts that are easily incorporated into their business models for fast and quantifiable results.
Giving Back
Chris Behan is a strong proponent of giving back to the community, and has actively raised money for several charities close to his heart, including The Children’s Cancer Center, Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, The American Lung Association, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Through impactful efforts such as these, Chris is hoping to see his local community prosper and thrive, and contribute to its success the way it has helped him to achieve his.
