The Facts Behind Inbound Marketing
· BlueHat Marketing
Before the advent of the internet, the history of advertising had long been dominated by loosely targeted messages in and around a company’s market, or on some form of mass media. Outbound marketing (where you find customers via traditional means) was pretty much your only option.
Things have changed in recent times, though. The ubiquity of the internet, the ability to seamlessly find specific information, and the affordability of new marketing techniques has given birth to inbound marketing (where you bring visitors in via content). If you aren’t doing it, then you are missing out. Here are the facts behind inbound marketing to further prove the point.
What is it and what are the advantages?
Inbound marketing is the practice of creating and sharing content that appeals to your perfect customer. By putting out informative or entertaining content, you attract certain people to your business (think of it as that awesome cartoon you watched when you were a kid that was created to attract children to the line of toys associated with it). It is the art of publishing the right stuff in the right places. Unlike outbound marketing where you need to go out and find customers, inbound marketing attempts to bring them in. The advantages are:
- More qualified leads - A television ad is not only expensive, it is going to be shown to millions of people who don’t care about your product or service. Inbound marketing brings in those who are interested.
- More affordable - Studies done in the world of marketing have shown incredible savings per lead from inbound tactics. Kapost reported a 13% savings per lead in their study.
- Creates loyalty - By providing customized, appealing content and good services, customers are more likely to return to your business in the future. A large online marketing company reported a 133% increase in returning customers for their clients.
Eye-opening statistics
Don’t just take our word for it. Here are some statistics about inbound marketing that should drive the point home:
B2B companies that use inbound techniques (blogging) generate 67% more leads than those that don’t. By running a fresh and active blog, you give yourself the ability to bring in new customers and qualified leads.
According to Search Engine Land, 80% of people ignore paid ads on Google. This means that organic search and natural inbound tactics are the best ways to bring customers in.
60% less
Search Engine Journal reported that inbound leads cost 60% less than outbound leads. When you consider that outbound wastes a lot of time and money, it is easy to see why driving qualified traffic costs less.
The world of marketing has changed, and traditional tactics have lost much of their effectiveness. 80% of consumers now would prefer to get information from content rather than from advertisements. If you aren’t using fresh, informative, and engaging inbound marketing tactics, then you are missing out on your best opportunity to generate qualified leads and turn visitors into customers.
