Over the last several years the rules of marketing, search engine optimization, and buying behavior have drastically changed for small and large business . Your customers and potential customers are turning to technology more and more to answer their questions and find the best solutions to solve their pain points. Inbound Marketing principals align with what's working by helping people find the best content - blogs, videos, and webpages - that will answer questions customers are searching to find. continuing to answer a question with helpful and honest content time and time again will builds a know, like, and trust relationship with your leads and customers.
This is completely the opposite of old school marketing that says " keep pushing your message out there and eventually people will hear it enough and magically be brainwashed enough to buy from you..."
Old school marketing has a place and can be helpful when combined with a strategy to build your relationships with your audience nto just be a bullhorn to them. But just like old school marketing inbound marketing isn't for everyone. You have to be willing to be a teacher and helpful in your field.
Outbound marketing is the traditional way. Essentially it’s bombardment: cold-calling, television and print ads, and flyers. It’s focused on quantity instead of quality. Outbound marketing wants to simply reach as many people as possible.
This way of marketing can be costly and outdated. Nobody likes those unasked for messages, and now consumers are becoming more perceptive and smarter. And they are more in control of the messages they receive. It is said that by 2020 customer experience will be the #1 reason someone will choose your business anyway. They want Speed- Customer Service and Relationships with your business.
Of those who watch television 86 percent will flip the channel or fast-forward during a commercial, and 44 percent of snail mail is thrown away before it’s even opened. Even with these high failure percentages the average cost-per-lead is $346.
So what’s the best way to reach consumers? The answer to all of this is inbound!
With inbound marketing prospects aren’t interrupted. Instead it uses tools such as blogging, search engine optimization, social media, and content creation. This is what modern consumers are looking for.
Inbound boils down to trust. You are actively communicating your brand to potential buyers, with the bottom line being quality information. It’s done by combining education with engaging, entertaining, and expert content, and creating a strong presence on social and online media. This means long-term sustainability.
Inbound means switching from a fly-by bombarding campaign into a focused, insightful, and helpful two-way communication process. This way you build long-term relationships with your customers and create a loyal following that will advocate for your brand.
With inbound customers come to you. Through Google searches, blogs, social media, and referrals, your leads will find you. This is because you are providing them with valuable information on a daily basis.
We often use the example of a bullhorn versus a magnet. Outbound marketing blares messages out, hoping for a few to respond. Inbound instead works by creating content that magnetizes the perfect leads and turns them into your customers.
Inbound is also a better investment.
Remember that $346 average cost-per-lead for outbound? Inbound leads are, on average, 61 percent less -- at $135. And of companies that have a blog 57 percent have acquired a customer from that blog.
Inbound isn’t some kind idea from the future. It’s already here and working for many businesses. Those businesses aren’t just surviving, either. They’re thriving! That’s because they have recognized the value of bringing it back to the basics. It’s about who and what their businesses are, and valuing the human in us all.
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