Many companies feel pressured to enter into the digital realm without the proper planning and without the knowledge of what they’re doing. As a result, they dump money into tools that don’t really work. They create Facebook pages, buy paid search ads and send out email blasts because they think that’s what they’re supposed to do. And after all, that’s what everyone else does.
What these companies don’t realize is that all of these tools are part of a larger system. There’s a place for many different digital marketing tactics, as long as they belong to a cohesive, integrated and trackable plan to increase digital marketing ROI.
Take emails, for example. The uneducated marketer sends the same email to their entire customer base. He or she doesn’t know when the last email was sent, and the response rate to that email is unknown. Now, imagine that this marketer sent separate emails to different segments of the market based on their buyer profiles and how they’ve responded to previous emails. Furthermore, this email was timed out based on previous promotional efforts, and it contained specific instructions for how potential customers could learn more. That’s the smart way to do it, and that’s the key to inbound marketing.
One of the fears that some companies have about digital marketing is that it’s too complicated. Admittedly, an inbound approach does take some time and coordination. But it’s an approach that’s well worth your while.
Consider the traditional methods of offline marketing, such as newspaper ads and sales letters. How do you know what people do after receiving the message? How can you tell if one method worked better than another? How do you determine whether a marketing vehicle was worth your time and money? These are just a few of the fallacies of conventional marketing.
Digital marketing makes all of these things possible. Yes, you’ll have multiple parts moving around, but it’s all done with purpose. Your social media arm helps to generate basic interest and customer engagement. The lead then moves on to your website, where they can sign up for your email list. From there, you can send exclusive content and promotions, with the hopes that this individual will become a paying customer. All the while, you can track what works and what doesn’t, and you can create profiles based on the behaviors of those who interact with you.
You now know that inbound marketing gently nudges your leads down the buyer’s journey, tracking their progress at the same time. So how does all of this benefit your bottom line?
Inbound marketing’s greatest strength is that it goes so far beyond creating one sale. Inbound marketing is much more concerned with creating long-term relationships with customers. Your social media posts, your white papers and your exclusive subscriber-only content will satisfy yours in a way that was impossible with traditional marketing methods. As people get excited about your company, they’ll tell others, which means that your customers are actively marketing on your behalf.
Remember, it’s called inbound marketing for a reason. The idea is that, instead of pursuing customers, you’ll have leads coming to you. These leads have already been vetted and are excited about your company because of the content they’ve seen and the buzz surrounding your organization. In the B2B world, where loyalty is so important, the significance of these long-term relationships cannot be overstated.
Although the average firm only allocates a quarter of its funding to digital efforts, that number will surely increase in the future. Now is the time to get on board. Once you see the digital marketing ROI that’s possible, you’ll only become more efficient at generating leads and developing relationships with other businesses. You’ll be in a great position to build on your successes and become a digital marketing leader in your industry.