Inbound Marketing: A Basic Overview for Business Owners
Daily, I am asked, "So, you own BlinkJar Media. What exactly do you guys do?" My short answer is, "We are an Inbound Marketing Agency." Undoubtedly, the next question out of their mouth is, "What the heck is Inbound Marketing?" Explaining Inbound Marketing in 30 seconds or less is not always the easiest of tasks. However, we will make our best effort to clear up any confusion in this blog. Additionally, we have produced a short video that explains the basics of Inbound Marketing. Inbound Marketing is about creating and sharing content with the world. The ultimate goal is to create remarkable content that is handy to your prospective customers. In creating useful content for your potential target market, you attract qualified leads rather than interrupt them. Inbound Marketing is a way to approach your marketing to capitalize on the way consumers are making buying decisions today. In a recent annual report survey conducted by Hubspot, nearly 50% of marketers plan to increase their Inbound Marketing budgets (see chart below). The main reason marketers are investing more into Inbound Marketing is due to the seismic shift currently taking place by today's consumer. The way consumers' research and shop for products and services today is vastly different than even a few years ago. So, smart marketers are embracing the need to adapt their marketing strategy or face the possibility of extinction.
By publishing the right information in the right place and at the right time, your marketing becomes relevant and helpful to your consumers. While this seems logical, there are still many companies that have failed to integrate Inbound Marketing into their current marketing plan. In the 2013 Hubspot report on Inbound Marketing, only 21% of enterprises surveyed completely adopted an Inbound Marketing strategy.
If Inbound Marketing is so powerful and effective, why are more companies not implementing Inbound Marketing in their overall marketing strategy? Just like in day to day life, change is tough. As stated in the book, "The Power of Focus",up to ninety percent of our ordinary behavior is based on habits. Marketers are definitely creatures of habit. In order to implement a new marketing strategy, there are many commitments and sacrifices that need to be made. The required commitment to ensure the strategy is applied from start to finish is not something every marketing department or CEO is willing to make. The second reason most companies are not making the full commitment to Inbound Marketing is simply due to a lack of understanding. By nature, human beings are not going to invest into something that they do not understand. Because there are so many elements involved with Inbound Marketing, it is often times tough to grasp. In fact, it is sometimes hard to explain the concept of Inbound Marketing in 30 seconds or less (see video below). So, for this reason, many marketers ignore the opportunities that a solid Inbound Marketing plan can provide. One of the most important aspects to understand about Inbound Marketing is that it is an ongoing process. It requires consistent attention and feeding in order to enjoy the results of your hard work. As stated in the book, "Inbound Marketing: Getting Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs," learning Inbound Marketing is like learning to play the guitar. When one learns to play the guitar, the initial steps of grasping how to play certain chords can be unsatisfying and frustrating. In order to get the maximum value out of playing the guitar, you must be fully committed to the final result. Because of the large hurdle in the beginning, a large amount of people never learn to play the guitar, as they are not fully invested in the end result. The same philosophy holds true with Inbound Marketing. In order to reap the benefits of an Inbound Marketing program (converting web visitors to leads to customers), you need to stick your leg in the water (not your toe) for several months. The benefits of a solid Inbound Marketing plan will accumulate over time, and you will eventually reach the tipping point, where the fruits of your labor really start to pay off exponentially.
Want to learn more about the basics of Inbound Marketing? Please click on the thumbnail below to check out our brief video on the definition of Inbound Marketing. In addition to the video, we have provided a link to a white paper on the "ABCs of Inbound Marketing," which is a collective effort by various Hubspot agencies around the country, including BlinkJar Media. Enjoy!
