Since 2006, Inbound marketing has been the most effective marketing method for doing business online.
Our team at Search & Be Found embrace Inbound marketing which is a relatively new methodology in comparison to other traditional marketing strategies.
In essence Inbound recognises the change in the way people buy with the emergence of the digital, online technology that we all live with in the modern world. Historically, the power has been in the seller’s hands in a transaction, whereas the power has shifted to being in the buyer’s hands. This observation is supported by the infinite information available on the internet to everybody in regard to products and services that are available to the consumer. When a buyer recognises that they have a need or want, typically the first step is to google search for information in pursuit of a solution to their needs or wants. We are all surrounded by people searching content on their phones, tablets and laptops in all manner of locations.
Inbound methodology responds to these behaviours and allows marketers to publish content on the internet that is educational, informative and perhaps useful in providing some insight to the buyer that could be useful to them in finding a solution to their needs or wants whilst they are conducting their searches for relevant information. This content could be published in many different forms such as: blogs, e-books, infographics, email, white papers, webinars, case studies, checklists and social publishing to name just a few.
Inbound methodology is non interruptive and ideally not salesy. It recognises that a buyer is in a buyer’s journey that contains several distinct stages – Awareness, Consideration and Decision. With a little forethought, the content that we publish is tailored to these different stages and can be used to nurture a buyer towards a solution that could be your product or service. A welcome outcome of this strategy is that when a potential client makes contact with your business they are informed, educated and ready to make a purchase. Conversely, the occurrence of a ‘tire kicker’ type enquiry is minimised – remember that often, not everybody is your customer.
Below is a graphic that illustrates Inbound Methodology
The opposite to Inbound is what we call Outbound marketing which is the traditional forms of marketing that we all know e.g. billboards, radio, television commercials, print media etc
We have the opinion that Outbound strategies are interruptive by nature and are seen generally as a nuisance to most consumers – I mean, when we tune in to watch a show on television do we need to regularly stop the broadcast to see advertisements for products and services that most probably don’t even interest us?