What is inbound marketing? Simply put – it’s pulling people onto your website instead of pushing your ads out to the world.
It’s trying to create content that’s compelling, and using methods like ‘search engine optimization’ to draw people in, vs. that old-school model of advertising and “interruption marketing.”
So what is inbound marketing strategy?
According to those who have been around awhile, inbound marketing can be described as a way to get your message in front of the consumer. There are two schools of thought on this topic, the first being that there is nothing you can do without an inbound marketing strategy, the second that there is such a thing as too much inbound marketing strategy. Perhaps the key is – you shouldn’t ONLY rely on inbound marketing.
When we hear a client is ONLY doing inbound / SEO – we strongly suggest creating other avenues for new business as well. It’s best when there’s several different approaches to acquiring customers.
First – you need to figure out what your customers want. Dig in and do ‘keyword research.’
Then – you need to make those pieces of content.
Another common inbound marketing strategy involves the use of social media to market a business.
So content then can include everything from Facebook and Twitter to blog posts, videos and text.
As with television ads, people are prompted to respond in order to “sign up.”
Inbound marketing strategies used to be the sole jurisdiction of younger audiences (as is the case with social media marketing) but now – literally every age group is online.
What is inbound marketing? In general, it is a strategy that many marketing managers have employed in the past but which has been growing in popularity in recent years. With this increased popularity comes more responsibility for ALL marketers to ensure that their inbound marketing strategy is working – it’s non-negotiable at this point.
Examples of Inbound Marketing
- Using data, video, and a blog post to attract ideal customers onto your website (where they may dig deeper into your service)
2. Creating a blog or learning hub that attracts customers from Google Search
3. Webinars to attract e-mails and give value in a live format
4. Using a downloadable e-book to get e-mails
5. Deep guides that drive more traffic – particularly when you find topics your best customers search
This is just a short list of possible ways to do inbound marketing!
Inbound vs. Outbound marketing
According to Neil Patel:
Outbound marketing, also known as “push” or “interruption” marketing, is the use of marketing tactics to get your business (or its message) in front of people not necessarily searching for it. VS. Inbound marketing prides itself as the most reasonable and ethical way to advertise a business. This approach has been inexistence since 2006, about 15 years ago. It’s because inbound marketing is a subtle, not-so-salesy way of attracting prospects; then, engaging them with relevant, helpful information until they become customers and advocates.
So what do you think? Where do you want to focus the bulk of your efforts?
There’s no “wrong answer” – there’s only…
“What do we think will be the most effective way to get the word out – in our industry, and in our market.”
That should be the ordering principle in the emphasis of your marketing and sales efforts.
We suggest – both… or “all of the above,” long and short term systems. But my personal suggestion, is to do everything in your power to get customers knocking on your door instead of always knocking on theirs.
