What is Inbound Marketing and How Can It Help Your Business?

Television remains one of the most popular channels for entertainment. Whether it’s movies or TV shows, many consumers love to wind down and spend some time watching a few hours of TV. However, when it comes to TV ads, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who enjoys having their favorite program paused for a commercial.

The same goes for other forms of traditional marketing. These methods force a one-way communication with consumers and push brand products and services onto them. As you might guess, these techniques are no longer an effective way to market to target consumers. In fact, according to MDG Advertising, around 70% of consumers are interested in learning about a product or service after they view digital content as opposed to traditional marketing methods. Consumers are bombarded with ads on a regular basis so it’s important for brands to fully embrace inbound marketing.

Unlike the older methods in outbound marketing, inbound marketing focuses on earning target consumer’s trust and interest by drawing them to a brand. An inbound marketer will use engaging, relevant content that will provide value to a consumer rather than force unsolicited marketing messages.

In this blog, we’ll explore the specifics of inbound marketing and how effective inbound strategies can encourage consumers to come to your brand.

What is inbound marketing?

Also referred to as “new marketing”, inbound marketing typically involves generating content that is interactive and engaging to consumers. Marketers who utilize inbound marketing understand the buyer’s journey and will implement strategies that meet their target consumer’s expectations. This is because inbound marketing facilitates two-way communication, with the main objective of converting potential consumers into customers.

In contrast, outbound marketing (also known as “traditional or old marketing”) involves placing marketing messages in front of customers in the hopes that it will stick with them. Some outbound marketing techniques include TV ads, billboards, and print advertisements. Although outbound marketing is still a good way to market to consumers, inbound marketing strategies are highly recommended in your marketing mix. Many consumers will actively seek ways to block ads with chrome extensions and spam filtering. Through inbound marketing, you have a better idea of your consumer’s needs, helping you save money, build awareness, and strengthen your brand’s relationship with customers.

How can inbound marketing help your business?

Inbound marketing is an effective marketing tool that can help you or your client’s brand in the long run. Some of the ways inbound marketing can help your business include

1. It leads to higher ROI.

Because inbound marketing is more focused on earning your consumer’s interests, a business may see a higher return on investment (ROI) after a while. Inbound marketing techniques also attract qualified leads to your product or services, which can help you save money over time.

2. It builds credibility.

When it comes to inbound marketing, consumers come to you for solutions to their problems. They may find your business organically through search engines, referrals, and social media. In fact, Salesforce writes that at least 85% of consumers perform some type of research online before making purchasing decisions. If you have a consistent inbound marketing strategy, you can create effective content that will build your brand as a trustworthy source.

4. It allows brands to evolve.

As previously mentioned, inbound marketing involves two-way communication. You are actively listening to customers—their opinions and questions about your brand. By engaging in discussion with consumers, you can learn how to enhance your brand and its offerings so that consumers can keep coming back.

Don’t place all of your focus on outbound marketing messages. Throwing promos and ads at customer’s faces may end up being costly in the long run. With inbound marketing, you ensure your marketing messages end up seen by the right people at the right time. With the right strategy in place, your inbound marketing efforts can build brand awareness, strengthen consumer relationships, and increase brand equity.