“Have more money than brains? Focus on outbound marketing. Have more brains than money? Focus on inbound marketing.” – Guy Kawasaki
This powerful quote from Guy Kawasaki kicks down the door on the old way of thinking about marketing. Gone are the days of relying solely on outbound marketing. Things like radio ads, newspaper ads, cold calling, and other interruption-based tactics are no longer enough. Buyer behavior has evolved, so too should your marketing.
There is a better, more effective way to market your products and services that challenges traditional ways of thinking. Inbound marketing, also referred to as content marketing, is a strategy based upon providing valuable content – tips, advice, resources, and so on – that acts like a magnet, drawing your target audience to you.
Content is the cornerstone of an inbound marketing strategy and manifests itself in many forms: articles, white papers, videos, ebooks, infographics and more. Some common ways of distributing content are through websites, blogs, and social media.
What’s so great about a strategy based on providing content? For starters, inbound marketing costs less than outbound marketing. In fact, Hubspot research indicates that leads produced by inbound marketing cost 61% less than traditional leads.
Traditional outbound marketing tactics, especially mailings and advertisements, can be extremely expensive. They can exhaust most, if not all, of your budget depending on your marketing mix. Sure, there are still costs associated with an inbound marketing strategy. A considerable amount of time is needed to create compelling content. This can be at the expense of other duties, but you can see significant savings. The money you save can be invested in other areas to help grow your business.
Inbound marketing is more effective, too. Customers that seek out information you provide are essentially raising their hands saying they have a need and are engaged in the buying process. Accordingly, it’s easier and less costly to convert these prospects into customers.
Not only can you acquire customers more effectively at a lower cost, providing valuable content for your audience can give you a rewarding feeling at the end of the day. You probably don’t want to feel like you’re constantly interrupting people with cold calls, advertisements, and other annoyances; inbound marketing helps reduce or even eliminate these tactics.
Put this all together – lower cost leads, increased effectiveness, and the feel-good factor – and you have what it takes to not only transform your business, but your life! Isn’t it time you embraced inbound marketing?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to seek help from an inbound marketing service provider.