The world has gone to inbound marketing in the last few years. More and more businesses have made the switch from an outbound-based strategy to an inbound strategy, and most are realizing the benefits of making this switch.
What is inbound marketing?
Inbound marketing is the art and science of drawing leads to you. Unlike outbound marketing, which focuses on broadcasting to a large, passive audience, inbound narrows the focus to interacting with a smaller, yet motivated audience. Inbound is often more successful than outbound because it thrives on the personal.
Inbound marketing has to be done right to be successful, just like anything else you do in business. Many people have doubts and fears, often stemming from a misunderstanding about what inbound is and what it does. These doubts then hold them back from truly making inbound marketing a success in their businesses.
If you or your co-workers have expressed the following sentiments, it’s time to let go of what’s holding you back and allow yourself to flourish as an inbound marketer.
1. Inbound Marketing Is Costly
This sentiment may have come from above, where the higher-ups are concerned about the budget you’d need to execute an inbound strategy properly. Inbound can seem labour-intensive, which leads many to believe it has to be capital-intensive too.
After all, if you need to be blogging, creating videos and infographics, and running several different social media accounts, you’re going to spend a lot of time and effort on inbound.
The good news is inbound doesn’t need to be capital-intensive. Content creation can be quite reasonable, especially if you already have a library of great content to work with. Social media can be a low-cost method as well, especially compared to creating TV spots or buying glossy print ads.
2. Sharing Knowledge Will Give Away Your Competitive Advantage
One of the principles of inbound marketing is peeling back the curtain for your leads and customers, giving them a “sneak peek” at what you do and how you do it. Some people worry that by being more transparent, they’ll give away trade secrets.
No one is asking you to give away those secrets, though, and sharing your knowledge and expertise is vital. While you might think this expertise is what customers pay for, sharing some insights in a blog post helps build trust. How does a lead know you’re an expert otherwise? They’d have to take your word for it, and you haven’t given them any reason to trust you.
This aspect of inbound marketing helps you build the trust you need to have productive relationships with leads and clients.
3. Inbound Is All about Technology, and You Don’t Have the Skills
Inbound marketing was made possible by technological change and advancement.
Many people feel overwhelmed by the pace of change, and you may worry you don’t have the skills to keep up. The good news is keeping up is easy when you have the right training and development program. When a new technology arrives, no one else really has the skills to use it effectively.
Keep an open mind, and you’ll be able to master the technologies you need for a successful inbound strategy. Alternatively, you can outsource it to the experts.
4. Your Audience Can’t Be Reached
Some people have convinced themselves their audience isn’t reachable via inbound marketing because they’re not online. The truth is people of all walks of life and of all age groups are online. You can reach them with your inbound strategy.
A little research will shine a light on where you can find your audience. In the process, you may discover new audiences and niches as well.
Inbound marketing is an effective strategy. Leave behind your doubts and fears so you can truly achieve inbound success.
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The Secret to Generating High-Quality Leads for Your Sales Team
The Secret to Generating High-Quality Leads for Your Sales Team