Consumers are constantly bombarded with advertisements wherever they go – online and in person. Traditional advertising has become saturated over the years, with many people opting to do their own research to help them make educated purchasing decisions.
According to Hubspot, 47% of buyers view 3-5 pieces of content before speaking with a sales rep. That means people are most often turning to Google searches, blogs, and influencers to learn more about a company and its solutions before ever speaking with a company representative. What people find in those searches is a key part of inbound marketing, and illustrates why this method is important for any business.
What is Inbound Marketing?
Inbound marketing is the methodology of drawing customers to a business rather than pushing a message out to the masses in hopes it’ll reach the correct audience. Inbound marketing builds relationships with consumers by creating a positive brand reputation and delivering informational and relevant materials to potential customers.
By understanding the buyer’s journey and how customers work their way through it, a business can create relevant content for each stage of the journey and guide their audience to ultimately make a purchase.
Inbound marketing can be broken down into three stages: attract, engage, and delight. The goal is to attract the right leads, engage them by delivering relevant content, and delight them by continuing to engage with them long after they have made a purchase.
Inbound Marketing vs. Outbound Marketing
The key to understanding the difference between inbound and outbound marketing is to look at the names.
Inbound marketing focuses on drawing customers in while outbound marketing focuses on pushing a business’s message out to the masses.
Outbound marketing is often viewed as more traditional forms of marketing and advertising like TV commercials, advertisements, and paid email blasts. Inbound marketing challenges typical outbound marketing tactics by drawing customers in with relevant content and information. Some examples of inbound marketing techniques include content marketing, opt-in email marketing, and paid search.
The Benefits of Inbound Marketing
Outbound marketing tactics still consume a majority of the marketing budget for many businesses, but there are several reasons why a company would want to switch some of that budget to invest in inbound.
Inbound marketing has proven to have a higher return on investment (ROI) than outbound marketing. According to HubSpot, 60% of marketers say that inbound marketing is their highest quality source of leads. That’s likely because with inbound marketing, you’re drawing people in with your unique solutions to their particular problem, or solving a pain point for them.
Another benefit of inbound marketing is that although it tends to have a higher investment cost upfront, it actually costs less money compared to outbound marketing campaigns in the long run. According to IMPACT, a lead generated by inbound marketing costs on average 61% less than a lead from outbound marketing.
In summary, inbound marketing produces higher-quality, less expensive leads. Who wouldn’t want that?
Making the Switch
In the words of Craig Davis, Former Chief Creative Officer at J. Walter Thompson, “We need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.” Inbound marketing is your key to accomplishing just that!
Ready to get started with inbound marketing? River Valley Media Group is here to help! Our team has the tools, experience, and expertise to build a customized inbound marketing campaign for your business. If you’re interested in more information, contact us today!