Inbound Marketing isn’t for Everyone

Studies have shown that 60% of the buying process is over before a potential customer even speaks to a sales associate. So what is happening in the time period before your awesome sales process gets to take place?? Your potential buyer is on a journey, the buyer’s journey. They are identifying and putting a name to the problem they’re having and searching out ways to fix it. They are comparing solutions, looking for advice from others and trying to educate themselves on what options are available. The internet is a beautiful thing…it gives us immediate access to any type of information. But how are your buyers finding you on their journey? How do you become their solution?

This is where Inbound Marketing takes place.

Let me start by saying inbound marketing isn’t content marketing, nor is it social media marketing. It’s a shift in the way you think about marketing entirely. In order to understand this shift we have to revisit the evolution of marketing.  Don’t worry this will be completely engaging and fully educational!

Using the old traditional approach, marketers were renting their audience’s attention. It’s the bullhorn approach: “If I can shout my message loud enough to enough people, they will buy from me.” Pushing out messages, pleading for attention, almost begging for the sale.

Inbound marketing is a magnet approach: It’s is all about being a teacher in your field. Providing answers and solutions to their pain points, which points them back in your direction. It almost follows the most basic of networking principles: ask how you can help, rather than how they can help you. By positioning yourself as an educator, you are becoming an expert, offering solutions and building trust. All things buyers are looking for in a provider.

Using this process, you end up becoming a magnet - drawing in the buyer - instead of a bullhorn, yelling at them.

Creating your magnet approach isn’t an overnight process. You have to be willing to become the teacher, to WANT to help people solve problems and be ready to answer any and all questions that could potentially come up in the buyer’s journey. This means you have to know who you are as a brand, who you’re trying to target and how you can specifically help them.

You may be hesitant to post solutions on your website for fear of your competitors stealing your “secret sauce.” I get that. I can appreciate your hesitation. You put the time and work into building your business and you don’t want to share all your trade secrets.

I’m not asking you to spill the bean on the “secret family recipe,” most buyers are looking for quick easy solutions. Share high level tips or ideas in a blog post, then add a next step - invite them to engage with you so you can share in full detail what separates you from the competition. What makes you special and the reason you stand out, is in the way you make a buyer feel during the process. It’s all about the experience and you creating your own art. No one can duplicate your art. I love the way Seth Godin explains this in his video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y75UVNPnPQA

In order to build that “know, like and trust” relationship, you need to be ready to be that teacher. One thought leader I admire - Marcus Sheridan - puts blogging this way, “They ask, you answer.” Marketing anymore isn’t just about being a bullhorn, it’s about building relationships, and creating customer loyalty. I saw a quote the other day “The purpose of business is to create a customer who creates customers.” - Shiv Singh. By utilizing inbound methodology you are building customers who are loyal to your brand, and help share your message, pass along their positive experiences, and essentially create customers.

So, let me ask you… Are you a magnet? Or are you a bullhorn? Are you ready to take the role as the teacher in your industry? Invest in your potential buyers by helping them make the educated choice to partner with your brand. If you're not willing to invest in educating your audience than inbound isn't for you.