To be interested in this blog, you probably already know about inbound, or have heard of it, maybe you're adopting inbound techniques without the all-important automation that rounds up all of that activity?
We believe that inbound marketing works because it is all about being in the right place for the right customers when that time comes, rather than just interrupting them like traditional marketing.
Automation adds to these inbound processes because it brings all of those methods together with feedback and analysis of your efforts.
"Inbound isn't just a one night stand, it's a long-term relationship" and here's why...
Why ‘go inbound’?
Inbound marketing is a terminology for adopting a number of wholesome content marketing methods, with a strategic plan behind them. Inbound marketing includes social media, blogging, traditional marketing, email marketing and so much more. You can perform virtually any marketing task with an inbound application!
Using inbound with marketing automation software is often popular because it certifies all of these efforts and gives them a specific value. Automation isn’t known for being inexpensive or a ‘quick fix’, it’s a long term marketing choice that ensures you continually build relationships and generate online leads, freeing up the time and resource of your marketing and sales teams further down the line.
Facts about inbound marketing and automation:
- Marketing automation has seen the fastest growth of any CRM-related segment in the last 5 years. (Source: Focus Research)
- Companies that automate lead management see a 10% or greater increase in revenue in 6-9 months. (Source: Gartner Research)
- 71% of B2B marketers use content marketing to generate leads. (Source: MarketingProfs)
- 21% of European companies placed blog content creation at the top of their inbound marketing projects list. (Source: HubSpot)
- Inbound leads cost 60% less than outbound leads. (Source: Search Engine Journal)
Timescales
We say that inbound is a long term relationship because of the amount of time that it takes to build a positive customer relationship.
Those of you who have participated in out bound techniques, such as cold calls and mailshots, will know that there is little clarity on their ROI and it doesn’t often result in successful sales.
Inbound works on the belief that if you provide strong content which is relevant to your customers, then they will come to you, engage with you of their own accord and hold you in a much higher regard than those traditional marketing methods earned you.
Automation helps to clarify the value of all of your marketing efforts and streamline your workload. Initially it can take a lot of work to set up your content marketing and other channels such as email marketing campaigns and social media content. Once you have got used to producing this invaluable wealth of resource and set up workflows and lead management processes – if using automation software – then you’re workload is much easier and efforts become streamlined.
Your sales team will find the time to only engage with those customers that have followed their buyer’s journey (see below) and therefore are warm leads, they know who your company is, what you do and why they should work with you / purchase from you. Marketing teams will see less work to do that is ad hoc, as using automation means all of your content and campaigns are planned in advance and are strategically put in place – increasing the chance of conversion.
Conclusion
Inbound marketing is a holistic approach to generating new prospects and turning them into leads and, hopefully customers, with your lead nurturing processes.
It is not an overnight success tactic – no tactic is, if we’re all being honest – but it does build long term results and who doesn’t love repeat customers and customers who will happily shout from the rooftops about a company?
Find out more about the inbound journey by reading our other blogs on the subject.
