What IS Inbound Marketing Anyway?
Simply put, it's a way to attract customers with online content that addresses their specific needs and establishes your company as a trustworthy and credible one they want to do business with. Let's take a closer look, and start thinking about how to teach the concept to your organization.
Instead of buying ads, email lists or cold calling, inbound marketing focuses on creating informational content that pulls people toward your website. There, visitors can learn more about what you sell on their own accord. If you're doing inbound right, you're also offering them solutions to their problems and building trust. Eventually, when they're ready, you'll be the first company they call.
Why Is Inbound Marketing So Important?
According to HubSpot, B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads per month than those that don’t. In the manufacturing B2B world, more companies are investing in inbound marketing than ever before. The Content Marketing Institute’s latest trends report states that companies spend nearly 30% of their total marketing budget on content marketing alone. So, if you don't get on board, your company will be left behind.
Today's consumers are techno-savvy. They're also doing much of their research and initial supplier vetting online before they ever pick up the phone, email or send an RFQ. You need to reach your customers in a new way, and inbound marketing is a tool that enables your organization to get found online.
What Can You Do About It?
Many small to medium-sized manufacturers have small to non-existent sales and marketing departments. Companies need help creating and executing digital marketing plans. Fortunately, there are tools and partners to help you structure your plans, execute them flawlessly and measure the all important return-on-investment.
As a HubSpot Gold Partner, we help our clients navigate what can be uncharted territory. We chose HubSpot because it's more than just a new marketing tool. Think of it first as a philosophy: The Why. Think of it, too, as a methodology: The How. And lastly, think of it as a tool set: The Playbook.
To summarize, HubSpot and partners like Acadia take your prospects on the digital journey: a contact finds you, realizes you can alleviate her pain, becomes a customer, and (hopefully) eventually becomes a promoter. It doesn't happen overnight, so if you aren't already doing inbound marketing - let us know what you're waiting for in the comments section.
In my next blog post, I'll dig deeper into the HubSpot Inbound Philosophy and why it works.