These days, a new technique is revolutionizing the way companies market their products. It is known as Inbound Marketing.
Today, let’s talk about what Inbound Marketing is, how it’s changing the face of traditional or outbound marketing, and why you should care.
Traditional or outbound marketing
Outbound marketing or traditional marketing is a way in which companies go out to find customers. It is a push strategy. Outgoing salespeople mainly adopt two strategies:
- They run ads on television, billboards, print media, etc. for people to see.
- They also actively communicate with people by making cold calls, sending direct mail, etc. These are techniques that are disruptive in nature.
Not everyone likes interruption.
Remember how you got calls from salespeople while you were in that urgent meeting, or that ad that came on TV just before the climax of the movie started? What was your reaction to these interruptions?
I remember blacklisting a financial services company because a sneaky person from their office called me three times in one day, and I finally got really upset because I couldn’t talk to them because I was on a business trip.
It goes without saying that only a handful of those who receive these calls or see the ads actually remember the product and buy it. Outbound marketing is based on purchases made by a small percentage of people who see the ads or receive these types of calls. This results in wasted money spent on reaching people who are not interested.
Another problem is that with the advancement of technology, users can now easily block these marketing messages. Most direct mass emails end up in the spam folder. There are reports that people have also developed a blindness towards most of the advertisements shown on television. And let’s not forget how people get irritated by cold calls being made to them. As you can see, the outbound marketing method is rapidly losing its shine.
internal marketing
Inbound Marketing, on the other hand, is not a disruptive strategy at all. You adopt a pull strategy, where instead of reaching out to your customers, you pull them towards you.
Its foundation lies in adding value to users instead of bombarding them with marketing messages. This value is provided in the form of useful content that helps users in one or more ways. Many users go online looking for a solution to a problem they are having. Inbound is all about solving their problems or giving them valuable information first, and then building engagement with them.
When users benefit from what you have to say, they try to hear from you more often. Over time they start to trust you and would also be interested in using the product or service you have to offer. When people come to you for solutions, it’s much easier to please them and eventually increase your sales.
Therefore, unlike outbound marketing, where communication with the customer begins by trying to sell them something, inbound sales are something that comes later, only after the user feels comfortable and has begun to trust your business.
The Inbound Marketing Process
- It starts with attracting visitors to your website
- You then convert these visitors into potential customers.
- Close potential customers to buy your offers
- From then on, you become much more involved with them and continue to delight them. This will keep them loyal to you and they will also become ambassadors for your brand by telling others about you. This increases repeat sales and cross-selling. Eventually, the need to search for new clients will lessen over time.
The techniques used in Inbound Marketing
Inbound Marketing is a strategy that is created by combining the best of digital marketing techniques. The exact techniques used in this strategy depend on the type of business, its goals, and the customers it wants to serve. The following are the digital marketing techniques used to create an Inbound Marketing strategy:
- Content Marketing: This is the core of inbound. The company needs to create great content that will attract users. When users read content that is valuable to them, they visit the company’s website for more information. The business has to continue to provide valuable information to customers on a regular basis.
- Search engine optimization: The website must be optimized for user visits. Various search engine optimization techniques are applied to ensure that they get the best experience when visiting the company’s website.
- Social Media Marketing: A strong presence must be built on relevant social media channels to engage with users. In addition to the website, the company will also provide information through social networks. You also have to listen to what users are saying, receive feedback, and offer solutions to user problems. Social media is also a great way to understand your business needs and expectations.
- Junk mail: The company needs to keep in touch with customers by sending them emails. Not only is it a great way to build engagement with potential customers, but it’s also a very effective tool for customer retention. However, entry is dependent on permission-based emails that users have consented to receive. Unlike outbound marketing, email blasts are never sent to any inbound customers.
All of these strategies combine to form an effective strategy that completely changes the way the company markets its products. Entry can also result in significant cost savings when done correctly. However, the results of Inbound Marketing take time to appear. Companies must do this consistently over a period of time before reaping the benefits. However, once the transition is complete, the benefits keep coming.