Inbound Marketing has proven itself to be one of the most effective and efficient methods of marketing. That’s why 75% of businesses globally use inbound as their primary method of marketing (source).
If you’re looking for proof—we’ve compiled a number of compelling stats and information about the value of inbound marketing in our comprehensive overview.
Today, rather than talk numbers and stats with you—we want to break down why inbound marketing is so effective.
The internet, search engines, and social media have changed how people buy things. Ask yourself. When you encounter a challenge in your life that you haven’t solved before, what do you do?
You go to the internet (Google) and “ask around”.. Of course.
Being the savvy individual that you are—and knowing that the decisions you make will have an impact—you seek information on how to solve your challenge, search multiple sites, and compare notes. You read articles, watch videos, and maybe even read a blog or two (guess what you’re doing right now?).
You inform yourself because you’re an intelligent shopper—like other modern consumers—the internet has given you agency on demand.
The knowledge you gather during your research enables you to make a decision on your best course of action. You then choose to either solve the problem yourself or you hire someone to help you.
The content and information you interact with during this process is inbound marketing at work—and it happens throughout your customer journey. Helpful businesses leverage inbound marketing to provide insights and empower your decision-making to make the best choice for YOU.
In doing so, these organizations form connections, build authority, and imprint their brand on you. When you’re ready to seek a product or service to solve your problem, you remember the organizations that resonated with you and that you found helpful. In other words, they built trust with you and now they are on your short list of companies to call.
Why Inbound Marketing Is So Efficient
The time you spend engaged with an organization’s content is extremely valuable to both you and the organization. For the organization, they get the opportunity to engage you sooner in the buying process and to share their story, value, and personality with you. In return, you are equipped with the knowledge to make the best choice for you, easing your buying journey and helping you ultimately get what you want.
Also, because you likely viewed multiple sources and weighed your options, you have a good idea of what you want and what to expect from your purchase. You also understand the value of the solution you are seeking.
In other words, you know what you want, know what it costs and are motivated to buy. An ideal situation for both parties.
This is even a valuable experience for the businesses whose content you read but didn’t didn’t ultimately choose. Because inbound marketing provides opportunities to measure, engage, and nurture leads—even unsuccessful engagements help organizations gather information, learn, and refine their approach. No single business is a fit for every type of customer. Even when businesses offer the same services and products, the way they communicate and operate resonates with different people.
By narrowing your options, you also save those not chosen the time and money of trying to make a bad fit work. Now, that organization can now focus on their ideal customers, who are drawn to their brand and to whom they are a better fit.
In either case, win or lose, these organizations have content and websites out there constantly providing value. Helping consumers make choices and drawing their ideal customers to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Why Inbound Marketing Is So Effective
Inbound marketing is so effective because it provides a framework that helps organizations to stop talking solely about themselves and to listen and learn about their customers so they can provide more value.
When a company knows its customers and understands their challenges—it can anticipate their needs and provide value up-front and for free with no strings attached. In doing so—organizations draw customers to them, express their purpose, and build rapport.
This experience is more pleasant than traditional forms of marketing (I think it is fair to say we all mute/skip commercials and use ad blockers) and therefore is earnestly engaged with rather than ignored.
By presenting information in this way, prospects aren’t distracted while you’re communicating with them and they don’t have their shields up ready to deflect your pitch. They not only want to hear what you have to say but are actively seeking out your input.
Inbound marketing speaks to the habits and behaviors of modern consumers and comes across as more genuine and helpful. It is simply a better way to market, both for the marketer and the consumer.
How To Draw Customers to You With Inbound Marketing
While there are best practices and effective ways to leverage inbound marketing, there are no shortcuts. To draw your customers to you, you must:
- Know who your ideal customer is and how to speak to their needs
- Know their problems and help them solve them
- Be genuine in who you are and what you know
- Make your content authentic
- Create content in the mediums that your ideal customer wants to consume it
- Share it in the channels your customers frequent
- Solve problems from your customer perspectives and use their language so they find your content when they search
- Solve your prospects and customers problems for every stage of the customer journey
- Once you have converted your customer, keep providing value and turn them into advocates
That’s inbound marketing.
Share your knowledge in a way that’s true to your brand and form connections through value—rather than transactions. Do this and your customers will find you and share your brand with their friends.
If you’re struggling to get found by your customers, generate ideas on content, need an outside perspective, or help augmenting your inbound marketing efforts—there are many fantastic agencies and consultants who can help you. Each one with their own styles, methods, and purpose. One of them will be a great fit for your business.
Simply try to solve your problem and see which agency raises their hand to help out.
Learn More About Our Guide To Growth.
Our Guide To Growth™ is an end-to-end business growth framework that will help you empower your marketing, sales, and service teams.
Our approach can help you align a digital strategy and buying journey with the habits and decision-making process of modern customers—then work to streamline business operations.
