5 Things You Should Know About Inbound Marketing

Having worked in outbound marketing for two years, my experience at SyncShow has completely opened my eyes to the different facets of marketing and helping businesses to generate customers. It is no easy task to gain customers, but taking an inbound marketing approach can help to make it easier. When I first heard of inbound marketing, I had one big question: what is it and how is it more effective than the traditional outbound marketing? I have 5 ways that inbound marketing is different from the run-of-the-mill advertising, and generates better sales results.

1. Inbound marketing EARNS the attention of customers

In today’s commercial product-filled world, we all know that the in-your-face tactics of traditional marketing gimmicks no longer work on consumers. Viewers skip commercials, shoppers unsubscribe from emails and listeners pay for radio stations to avoid commercials. Inbound marketing has the ability to use valuable data and content to attract customers in ways that they respond to. With the heavy use of the internet today, inbound marketers can help their client’s content and products rise to the top and attract customers through genuine methods.

2. Inbound marketing has married content marketing

It’s already been said – traditional marketing doesn’t work. Consumers no longer make decisions based on catchy jingles or fun cartoons. Consumers today see purchasing goods as more of an investment. They are more informed about products and services than ever before, and they will not be making decisions without spending some time on research. Because inbound marketing takes good product content and makes it easy to find for the customer based on what they are searching for, IT WORKS! Customers have the information they need through a marketing strategy that helps them to be a smart and informed consumer.

3. Inbound marketing will always be in style

Inbound marketing found its place and has shined brightly in the digital age. With the Internet, customers are able to learn a lot more about businesses through simply typing what they want on a search engine. Because inbound marketing has a large focus on SEO tactics, such as key words and Google AdWords, they are able to help businesses gain traction and visits to their Internet content, which then develops into leads for the business. The Internet is not going anywhere, and this has become the primary way consumers do their research. Inbound marketing has SEO methods of marketing down to a science, and they will always be needed.

4. Inbound marketing is smarter for small businesses

For a lot of small businesses, big marketing tactics like TV and radio commercials don’t work, and they are too expensive. What is the best way local businesses can reach their communities? Inbound marketing promotes prominent information about businesses, like location and services, to then give to customers. When customers do research on what they need, these small businesses get their chance to shine because their information rises to the top thanks to SEO tools. Inbound marketing is able to help small businesses become successful without spending big bucks on unhelpful advertising.

5. Inbound marketing is easily measurable

It can be hard to measure how many glances at a billboard turned into store visit, and even though those listeners heard the radio ad, did it really make them go into the store? Using inbound marketing SEO strategies, it is much easier for the marketers and sales team of the client to see the results of their efforts. Using tools such as HubSpot’s marketing automation platform, a business can know how the customer interacted with them on their web page and see if they are a potential lead or customer. A company can also evaluate what worked and didn’t work with their inbound marketing strategies and whether goals were met. Using inbound marketing, companies have more transparency into ROI because you are getting truthful results that show you how to gain customers.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved all of my experiences in outbound marketing – it was a fun and creative environment! Although, since my experience at SyncShow, I keep asking myself…what truly works in the game of gaining customers? Fun and loud commercials have their place, but what is really turning an average consumer surfing the web into a lifetime customer? Knowing these 5 facts about inbound marketing has really changed my opinion on what works and I am excited to see on how it keeps developing as it becomes a more prominent part of the marketing world.

Kasey Woomer was an inbound marketing Intern at SyncShow during December 2014. She is currently a junior at Miami University where she studies Mass Communications. Prior to SyncShow, Kasey interned at an advertising agency in downtown Cleveland. Learn more about her Intern experience here.

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