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TRANSCRIPT
T I P S H E E T
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Inbound Marketing: What You Need to Know
THE BACKSTORY
A DEFINITION OF INBOUND MARKETING
WHY INBOUND MARKETING IS
EFFECTIVE
WHO USES INBOUND
MARKETING
The Inbound Marketing methodology was introduced in 2006 by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah. The MIT graduate students observed that consumers were identifying and blocking out traditional marketing and sales tactics (cold calls and mail), viewing outbound marketing as spam instead of the valuable information marketers intended it to be. So, they created HubSpot, a platform designed to help companies attract leads. Today HubSpot is recognized as the leading inbound platform offering integrated marketing, sales and service products.
The concept of Inbound Marketing is that companies dedicate their efforts to educating prospective buyers – answering their questions and addressing their needs – as opposed to the traditional approach of pushing products and services. This is accomplished by developing useful content and making it available 24/7 for buyers to find online, at their convenience, in a variety of formats (articles, e-books, blog posts, etc.). Once a buyer begins to benefit from a company’s assistance, they
tend to be receptive to future messages and a relationship. As a result, over time, companies are able to convert these buyers into leads and, ultimately, customers.
In simpler terms, the Inbound Marketing approach is dedicated to attracting, engaging, and delighting buyers, and repeating the process on an ongoing basis.
According to global research firm Gartner, when a company uses the right inbound marketing tactics to attract prospects, they are 10X more effective for lead conversion compared to outbound marketing tactics. (This is the part where it’s OK to say “Wow” or at least raise your eyebrows.)
The buying process has changed. As buyers, we resent the intrusive marketing and sales approach of many companies. You know – the ones that call you repeatedly, fill your email inbox with messages touting their greatness, send unsolicited mail, text you regularly, and more.
The Inbound approach puts buyers before sellers. It respects their wish to learn and browse at their convenience. It recognizes that it takes time for a buyer to trust a seller enough to say, “Yes, I’m ready to seriously consider your products!” It’s why when buyers are ready to speak with a salesperson and reach out on their own that the seller is far more likely to get the sale.
Businesses are typically attracted to the Inbound approach because they have a strong desire to grow and other methods of generating new business aren’t working.
All kinds of companies from all types of industries benefit from an Inbound approach – from accounting and dental to financial services, healthcare, insurance, IT and more.
The question of whether Inbound is right for your business isn’t so much about your industry (though some are very well suited for it vs. others) as it is about your goals, challenges, the cost of your products/services, the length of your sales cycle, and your budget.
To explore if your company is a good fit for Inbound Marketing, sign up for a FREE, 30-MINUTE GROWTH ASSESSMENT
When a company uses the right inbound marketing tactics to
attract prospects, they are
for lead conversion compared to outbound marketing tactics
10X MORE EFFECTIVE