No matter your industry, the size of your company, or how long you’ve been in business, there is no better time than the present to start implementing inbound strategies. In this article, we’ll go over some of the top reasons why now is the time to switch to inbound.
Even just a few years ago, outbound marketing techniques such as cold emails, flyers and billboards could be relied on to grab the attention of your audience. However, now the attention landscape has changed drastically. Consumers are constantly confronted by outbound marketing strategies—on their phone, on their way to work, on TV, and on the media. As a result, most people have learned to tune them out, ignoring calls from numbers they don’t recognize or finding ways to block ads from their feeds.
Inbound marketing is less frustrating for consumers. When using these strategies, you only communicate with potential customers on their terms, when and where they’re looking for information. For instance, search engine optimization attracts your audience by offering them the content they asked for. In this way, your company meets potential customers where they already are and generates interest in your product naturally. This approach is much more effective and less likely to be ignored or dismissed by consumers.
The inbound content you create today has lasting power. Each piece of content created adds value to previous and future content, building a bigger and bigger marketing presence.
With outbound marketing, every day is spent on new ideas and efforts, with no momentum or information gained from previous efforts. Once you stop paying for that billboard ad, it’s gone. It won’t keep working for you. If you start making the switch to inbound marketing right now, you will be well on your way to creating a presence that continues to grow over time.
If you are solely relying on outbound strategies, then it’s likely your sales representatives are spending hours and hours on phone calls and emails, with a low number of those interactions leading to meaningful conversations or sales. Inbound strategies result in the customer coming to you for information, products, or services. This means your sales team will be interacting with people who are already interested, freeing up time they used to be spending talking to disinterested individuals. A lead generated through inbound is much more likely to close, increasing the efficiency of your overall sales strategy.
Chances are, you already have a few of the tools you need already, so why not get started now? Make your website work for you by blogging as often as you can. Start paying more attention to your existing social media accounts. Engage with your audience and link to relevant content. By employing the inbound methodology on assets you already have, you can significantly increase your inbound traffic with minimal effort.
So, when should you start investing in inbound marketing? The answer is right now. Don’t hesitate, or you might be left in the dust. Making these changes now will enable you to start building momentum that you can use to naturally attract more customers to your company.