Fact: Consumers are becoming more sophisticated every day.

Which is why as marketers we need to develop a new way of reaching out to these new types of prospects.

Gone are the days when a 10-minute radio ad can sway someone to buy your product. There’s just too much information going around, even average consumers learned how to separate the “hype-y” from the “helpful”.

This is the reason why it’s high time to supplement – or in some instances, replace – the age-old way of promoting products.

Based on studies conducted by marketing experts, inbound marketing is becoming the go-to strategy for capturing leads and converting prospects.

But what is inbound marketing?

What makes it different from traditional marketing?

Finally, what thought leaders can say about inbound and traditional marketing?

Let me show you.

Infographic: Inbound Marketing vs Traditional Marketing

How does it work?

Here’s a sample of modern-day traditional marketing:

(source: http://www.slideshare.net/salespanda/part1-outbound-marketing-finalslideshare) :

Here

Whereas Inbound Marketing focuses on 4 marketing actions (source: http://www.inboundmarketingassociates.com/inbound-marketing) :
Inbound Marketing focuses on 4 marketing actions

By the numbers:

32% of brands are spending more on content marketing and spending less on outbound marketing

The average person is exposed to 3,000 ad messages daily. Thus, lessening your chances of getting noticed.

89% of B2B purchases use search engine queries to research purchase decisions

80% of business decision-makers prefer educational articles versus TV ads when gathering company information

61% of customers feel better about companies that deliver personalized content. The same customers are more likely to but from those companies.

86% of people skip through television commercials

75% of marketers in the world preferred inbound marketing to educate consumers

Of the nearly 4,000 people HubSpot surveyed, inbound had a 75% chance of being the marketing approach of choice. Outbound has only 25% chance.

Inbound leads cost 60% less than outbound leads.

What can we learn from experts?

“Traditional marketing and advertising is telling the world you’re a rock star. Content Marketing is showing the world that you are one.” – Robert Rose, Chief Strategy Advisor, Content Marketing Institute

“Traditional marketing talks at people. Content marketing talks with them.” – Doug Kessler, Creative director and co-founder, Velocity

“Don’t interrupt what your buyers want to consume – BE what they want to consume.” – Mike Volpe, CMO, HubSpot

“These days, people want to learn before they buy, be educated instead of pitched.” – Brian Clark, CEO, Rainmaker Digital

“If you have more money than brains, you should focus on outbound marketing. If you have more brains than money, you should focus on inbound marketing.” – Guy Kawasaki, author, speaker and entrepreneur

“Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes, it’s an ad”. – Howard Gossage, “The Socrates of San Francisco”, advertising innovator

“Selling to people who actually want to hear from you is more effective than interrupting strangers who don’t.” – Seth Godin, author, speaker and marketer

“You never really learn much from hearing yourself talk.” – George Clooney, actor

“It’s no longer about pitching the Today Show. It’s about creating content that will attract the Today Show. ”- David Meerman Scott, marketing and sales strategist

“Listening is the new prospecting” – John Jantsch, Author of Duct Tape Marketing

“Marketers need to build relationships and reputation before closing a sale.” – Chris Brogan, bestselling author and business advisor

Sources:

I believe inbound marketing can be an effective strategy for any business in any market. Get in touch to learn more.

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