What Is Inbound Marketing? (And Why Is It Better Than Outbound?)
Inbound marketing can be a great resource for any business. While you spend a lot of time and energy on outbound marketing, when you foster the right relationships, inbound marketing can even start to take care of itself in some ways. All you have to do is be there to field the leads when they come rolling in.
What is Inbound Marketing?
Inbound marketing is a three-step process that involves attracting, engaging, and winning the confidence of potential clients or customers. This allows you to create better value for the customer while also increasing trust, which helps increase their trust in your brand, as well as your products and services
Essentially, inbound marketing helps people find their way online by helping them feel educated and supported, not just like they’re being sold a product or service. When done correctly, this can be a seamless transition that can enhance your marketing with less effort on your part. Content marketing, such as your blog, can be considered a form of inbound marketing. You’re not directly selling or promoting a product, but instead educating people on something relevant to your industry.
Social media is another inbound marketing tool that can be harnessed without spending a dime. You can engage with your audience and create posts that spark conversations, helping build your brand and increase your visibility on all social channels.
Why is Inbound Marketing better than Outbound Marketing?
Inbound marketing is targeted and focused on people’s needs. It’s also usually interactive and offers information in exchange for nothing more than a few minutes of people’s time. If they also choose to become a customer or make another conversion, that’s a bonus, of course. Inbound marketing works because it’s more personalized and focused.
Outbound marketing is generalized, focused on your product, and disruptive of content consumption. Even your online ads on Google are disrupting the natural search result order because you’re paying to have the advertising spot. This one-way communication is not nearly as effective as pulling clients and customers in by getting their attention with social media and other means.
How can I get the most value from Inbound Marketing?
You’ve already started on a path toward better future success by taking the time to learn about inbound marketing and all that it can do for your business. Knowing, as they say, is half the battle. Once you are more aware of digital marketing efforts like inbound marketing, you’ll be better able to create dynamic marketing strategies that utilize all of the best assets that you have.
Creating an effective inbound marketing strategy requires creating goals, as well as coming up with a content strategy and choosing an inbound marketing platform. Keyword research and defining the buyer personas that you want to appeal to will also be on your to-do list.
Upskill and Educate Yourself and Your Marketing Team
Of course, the final suggestion we have is to check out the personalised training solutions available from our Academy. Here, you’ll find all the tools and support that you need to become an expert in inbound marketing and launch campaigns that deliver impressive results.
