It is good to have a general understanding of what it means to delight your audience, but does it impact marketing today? Without results, inbound marketing ends up collecting dust on the shelf like an old marketing textbook. If it is not useful, there is no reason to spend time researching and understanding it.
In the past few weeks, we have discussed the many different aspects of inbound marketing including what it is and best practices. But how can inbound marketing impact you? To tie everything we have learned so far together, here are the impacts and results inbound marketing has on businesses today.
Inbound Marketing Solves Problems
Inbound marketing can help relieve many different problems within the marketing world. The first problem that inbound marketing can solve is brand awareness. One study has shown that 93% of purchase cycles begin with online research. Inbound marketing focuses on SEO to help improve your search results. By appearing at the top of Google or other search engines, you will be able to increase your sales.
The second problem is lead generation. Everyone wants to have more leads. More leads lead to more sales. Inbound marketing is a long-term investment that builds upon itself. While in the beginning, the process may seem slow, ensuring that you delight your customers will turn them into brand ambassadors. You won’t have to scour the internet for new leads, your leads will come to you through customer word of mouth.
The third problem is not having the staff or budget. While it does require effort in any marketing strategy, inbound marketing’s main key is great customer engagement and customer service. With a good strategy for how your company plans to do this including outlines, content, distribution, and key themes you can save time and money long-term.
ROI
Inbound marketing is a strategy that benefits everyone. Not only are customers so happy with the brand that they become brand ambassadors, but studies have shown that this strategy improves the marketing department, saving time and increasing leads.
Groove Digital Marketing did a study on inbound marketing’s impact on ROI, or return on investment. They found that 79% of companies that have a blog for inbound marketing report a positive ROI. This may be because 80% of consumers, or business decision-makers, prefer to get information from articles rather than advertisements. But ROI is not the only impact of inbound marketing.
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Inbound marketing also saves the marketing department hundreds of thousands of dollars, but do not just take our word for it. One study by Hubspot found that businesses that rely mainly on inbound marketing save more than $14 for every newly acquired customer. Not just every several customers, but every single customer. Not only that but content marketing is proven to cost 62% less than traditional marketing. That adds up fast.
Leads
The statistics do not stop just at ROI and cost efficiency, but they include leads as well. Inbound marketing practices produce 54% more leads than traditional outbound practices. This means that for every 5 leads the average traditional practices receive, your company could receive 7-8.
These are just a few of the beneficial effects inbound marketing can have on your company. But if it was that easy, wouldn’t everyone do it?
Key applications:
Over the last several weeks we have explored the many different concepts of inbound marketing. We reviewed what inbound marketing is, what makes it up, and the different steps along the way. But what are the key applications that everyone should walk away with? Now that we understand the concepts, what should we implement?
To help set your business apart using inbound marketing, make sure to focus on the following.
SEO- This should remain a top priority for you while improving your marketing strategy. Whether you are focusing on your blogs or your website, improving your SEO is the best way to get noticed by new potential customers.
Increase Mobile Friendliness- Most Americans look up a product before they buy it. When not at home, more often than not, they will research your company’s product online using their phone or other electronic devices. This is why it is crucial to ensure that your website, blog, product page, and any other sites are mobile-friendly.
Consider Adding Video Content- While not necessary, video content can be a great way to attract, engage, and delight your customers. Videos can be a great way to provide helpful information for those who are unwilling to take the time and read a blog.
Last takeaways
Thank you for joining us as we have explored and sought to better understand the many explanations, best practices, and benefits of inbound marketing. Here at Bridge Leadership, we hope you have enjoyed reading the blogs and have learned how to bridge the gap between your company and your target audience.
This is our end goal. We believe that inbound marketing can be one of the best ways to grow your business, making your customers and your company’s wallet happy.
Sincerely,
The Bridge Leadership Team
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