So you started implementing inbound marketing. Maybe you created an editorial calendar, started posting some blogs, and ran a paid ad or two. You’re seeing a boost in traffic and leads, your sales people are keeping a consistently filled pipeline, and your CEO seems happier, even on the dreaded Mondays.
Here’s the thing, implementing inbound marketing and getting these results is great but I hope you have a strategy created behind it otherwise you will experience growing pains. Here are 2 of the biggest growing pains you can experience.
The wrong kind of traffic and leads are coming in
Isn’t it great to see your metrics increasing from month to month? It can be kind of addicting and you can keep doing the things you’re doing, putting more money into your ads, creating more of the same content, etc. But first, you need to make sure that the people behind those numbers are the people you really want so that you aren’t wasting your money.
Let’s say you run a primarily women’s hair salon and you keep running paid ads and blogging about crew cuts which is attracting men. Sure, your numbers keep going up and more people will be coming to your site but not the stylish women you want to drop $150-$200 on a root touch up and trim. But if you had a strategy implemented behind the paid ads and planned out who you were going to go after things might be going differently.
The thing about inbound marketing is sometimes higher numbers doesn’t always mean you’re doing it right. Looking at the analytics and figuring out your ROI is a huge priority to understand if it’s working right.
You’re passing off unqualified leads to the sales department
Maybe the kind of traffic coming in is actually the kind of people you want to become customers. Great! So pass them right along to your sales team right? Well, depending on your sales cycle that might now be the best idea at all.
The beauty of inbound is the ability to automate processes and nurture leads that way until they’re absolutely ready. In some instances it might make sense for your business to speak with a lead as soon as they come in, but in most scenarios a business can help the sales team waste less time by nurturing a lead.
If you strategize a lead nurturing system you can send emails giving prospects what they want, when they want, how they want. And by the time your prospects are done looking through all this information THEN it will be time to pass these QUALIFIED leads off to the sales department.
Takeaway
Growing pains are common and can be found in most growing businesses. But you can avoid these 2 types of growing pains if you just implement a strategy!
