Why Inbound Marketing is Amazing

You may have noticed the recent buzz over the latest contendor to “traditional” marketing, inbound marketing. Seemingly the love-child methodology of the most proven facets of content marketing, search engine optimization, social media management & lead nurturing practices, inbound marketing seeks to completely personalize the digital experience throughout every stage of the buying cycle.

Why is Inbound Marketing So Amazing?

Results. Any company that fully adopts the inbound form of marketing, whether B2C or B2B, will see many of these benefits:

Increased website traffic.

Both consumers and search engines love quality content, the bread and butter of inbound marketing. When coupled with a strong keyword strategy, search engines will favor an inbound marketer’s high-quality content, increasing their website’s page rank and visitor traffic. The increased traffic consequently becomes the main source for lead generation and future sales.

More sales.

While basic content marketing only addresses the first part of the buying cycle, inbound marketing does not end when you get a consumer to visit the website for the first time. Rather, this marketing concept works to keep consumers coming back. It helps to transform visitors into leads, and to convert those leads into paying customers.

Improved credibility.

Due to the rampant potential for fraud on the internet, consumers are wary of investing in new companies without some level of credibility being established. A strong inbound presence goes hand-in-hand with a degree of transparency that puts customers at ease.

Higher consumer engagement.

Through social media and persona-targeted content (read: content that your potential customers actually find interest in) inbound marketing creates a two-way conversation between consumers and your company.

Increased brand awareness.

Inbound marketing naturally builds a presence throughout the internet that is not only widespread, but authentic. Businesses and consumers alike will find your organization consistently and naturally pertaining to their daily lives.

Higher perceived expertise.

A part of building trust with consumers is showing that you know what you are talking about. Offering quality content, engaging customers, and spreading brand awareness all work to position you or your company as an industry expert. As you continue to build your content, your website becomes a valuable resource for consumers.

Higher perceived value.

It goes without saying that people love to get more for their money. When you create a website full of information that they can actually use, they see a company that offers more than just a product or a service.

Delighted customers and brand advocates.

Inbound marketing shifts away from the intrusive product-centric model, where a company attempts to put its name and products in front of as many consumers (and as many times) as possible, to a customer-centric one. Consumers and businesses find your company by their own merit; through nurturing email campaigns, your company becomes not just a solution, but also a valued and ongoing brand experience.

Trackable results.

You made a sale, it feels amazing, and you want more. At one point, there was no way of knowing whether that sale was a result of masterful strategy or a lucky fluke. But, for arguably the first time, inbound marketing allows you to follow the path of every sale, almost-sale, and darn-I-had-the-opportunity-but-missed-the-sale. It offers a holistic view of your buying cycle that allows you to both develop a complete strategy and identify the strongest or weakest landing pages, emails, or eBooks in your arsenal.

When you fully embrace inbound marketing, your company will begin to change. You will become a customer-centered business that works to attract people and keep them coming back for more. Instead of relying on in-your-face traditional marketing, you will be showing your target audience that you are a trusted professional company they can rely upon. Delighted consumers will share their experiences with friends and family.

GO DEEPER: [5 Things You Should NEVER Say About Inbound Marketing]