When it comes to inbound marketing, you've probably been overwhelmed with the results you've been told you can gain. Truth is, inbound marketing will bring about a variety of benefits, some of which will change your operational processes overnight. Many, however, will take a bit of patience to see. Here's an overview of what you can really expect when you decide to kickstart an inbound marketing campaign.
It Takes Lots of Involvement
If you don't have time to manage your own inbound marketing campaign, you need to hire someone to handle it for you. Creating a blog post in 20 minutes and posting it to your blog once a week isn't going to cut it. Inbound marketing is about engaging your customers, and it takes a lot of time to develop engaging content. As you can imagine, since it is time-consuming, it's going to cost some money. Sure, you can perform many of the tasks yourself, but be prepared to set aside a portion of your marketing funds for inbound-specific related activities.
You're Going to Frequently Communicate with Customers
Instead of performing traditional marketing methods, inbound marketing is all about getting to know your customers. The better you get to know them, the better you can meet their needs. Because of this, you must be prepared to communicate with your customers, and not all communications will be about your specific products. It's about cultivating a relationship that shows you want to better your customers' lives in any way possible. Some of the best ways to communicate with your customers is face-to-face, through blog posting comments, social media comments, etc.
There’s a Lot of Analyzing of Data
Although you might not personally be looking at your analytics, your inbound marketing manager will be. He or she will evaluate the measurements and be able to determine which efforts are paying off. You'll be able to align your inbound marketing efforts toward effective strategies that increase your leads. Because of this, you'll likely find your sales team increases in number anywhere from four to six months after your campaign starts.
You're Going to Need a Copywriter
Not just anyone can write. In fact, talented writers are somewhat few and far between these days. They are out there, though, and you're going to need one. Ideally, your inbound marketing manager will have connections with several top-rated copywriters who can create engaging social media and blog postings. Copywriters understand how to research your customers and they incorporate specific SEO and demographic characteristics in their work that effectively attracts customers to your site.
It Stays Around Forever
Inbound marketing efforts produce long-term results. Unlike a TV commercial, an online blog posting is always available for viewing. As long as your website and social media profiles stay live, your inbound marketing will be producing results. Businesses are constantly raving about the lasting results of their inbound marketing campaigns, many of which say they see the results 10+ years down the road.
As mentioned before, if you don't have the experience or time to handle your own inbound marketing agenda, it's best to leave it to the professionals. To learn more about outsourcing your inbound marketing efforts, contact Marketing Essentials today at 419.629.0080.
