There is an attractive concept in the B2B world right now. It is known as “Inbound Marketing.” I see the phrase being tossed around quite a bit – in blog posts, social media, webinars, etc. In essence, this is exactly where this phrase should be. HubSpot, a company that provides marketing software specifically for the purpose of lead attraction and conversion, defines inbound marketing as “marketing focused on getting found by customers.” This can be quite a paradigm shift for people who have been involved in traditional marketing.
For the traditional business marketer, where outbound marketing has been the lay of the land, inbound marketing is still a relatively foreign concept. While inbound marketing may represent a paradigm shift for businesses, there is a huge opening for B2B marketers to find success in areas such as demand generation, lead generation, lead conversion, and ROI. An increasing number of companies are finding that inbound marketing provides them with an easier and more efficient way to do business.
There are several reasons why businesses are jumping into the realm of inbound marketing. The following account for my conversion to the internet versus the phone:
- The ease of using the internet and social media platforms versus making those dreaded cold calls or by sending unwanted emails
- The potential to have conversations and more engagement with potential clients
- The opportunity to educate, as well as talk about my business, via blog posts and by sharing social media content
Inbound marketinghas flourished as more people and businesses have become internet savvy. As well, it has never been easier to be found on the internet — as long as proper steps have been taken for interested parties to find you before finding your competition. The playing field, i.e., the internet, has become rather aggressive. Not only does your business need to take steps to be found, but there is also a strong requirement that your business is perceived as one of the best in your industry.
Does your company consider the paradigm shift that is inbound marketing to be foreign or useful? I would be interested in hearing what is working for you or to answer any questions you may have about inbound marketing.
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Very interesting article. Most of the B2B marketers though keep Branding and Online reputation management as primary objective of inbound marketing activities as a long term marketing plan. Over a period this perspective is changing. Any marketing must add value to bottom line. Its no more about increasing number of fans/followers, its now about engaging them. Do read this post for a different perspective – http://www.rakeshsingh.me/b2b-inbound-marketing/
Thank you for your comments and insights, Rakesh, and have visited your blog post as well. I agree with you that marketing does add value to the bottom line, and it is important to engage your clients throughout the entire process.