The business environment is changing yet again. As companies move away from the office to more remote working existing sales and marketing channels are no longer delivering results which means that there is more pressure than ever before on sales and marketing teams to find ways to fill their sales pipelines.
For many businesses this means that marketing efforts are becoming heavily reliant on paid channels such as Google Ads or LinkedIn but for others adopting inbound marketing principles could help attract new prospects and convert them into customers. Therefore the question for you is if inbound marketing is right for your business?
The team at Volpes Marketing have looked at some of the key questions asked by companies considering an inbound marketing strategy, if it is right for them and will it deliver results.
Is my company big enough for Inbound?
Let’s get rid of the first myth about inbound marketing. It is not just for companies with large marketing budgets and endless resources. Inbound marketing can be a fantastic way to generate sales leads for companies of all sizes because it is all about understanding your target market, buyer personas, the best channels to reach them and providing content they will engage with.
For smaller companies to take advantage of the methodology they need to focus on one campaign at a time rather than operating multiple inbound funnels. This means that the number of leads will be smaller but the quality is much higher. Larger companies with greater resources can build multiple campaign funnels which will target all their personas at the same time.
I’m not sure if my prospects are right for inbound marketing?
Generally speaking inbound marketing is best for prospects where they take time to consider a purchase rather than react on an impulse, more often than not a business to business sale.
A good example of a type of prospect who would be right for inbound marketing would be an organisation that is considering hiring a new IT managed services provider. They take time to consider the pros and cons of a service, identify sources of expertise and knowledge and look into existing customer experiences before engaging with your sales team.
Although B2C businesses can utilise some inbound methodologies their target audiences are more likely to move along a sales funnel very quickly and there is very little consideration before they make a purchase so if your focus is consumer sales then inbound marketing may not be suitable .
I’ve already got loads of leads so why would I need any more?
Inbound marketing aims to fill your sales funnel for the future. It can also support your existing successful sales channels.
As we all know rapid changes in the business environment can change prospect buying behaviour overnight and how they engage with you. A channel that has been great for years delivering all the leads you need can suddenly fail and because inbound marketing takes time to deliver results (between 3 and 8 months) it can’t be switched on overnight. Therefore implementing a strategy now could help you avoid problems in the future.
Will inbound marketing deliver quick leads?
Inbound marketing will not generate instant sales. It helps attract prospects and move them along a sales funnel so that when your sales team engages with them they are easier to close. This takes time, usually between three and eight months.
That said, one of the important initial steps in developing an inbound marketing strategy is conducting an online marketing audit. This will often identify quick sales opportunities which can be used to fill a gap.
Do I have the resources for inbound marketing
You and your team will need to be committed to inbound marketing to make it work for your business. This means that once you have created the plan you need to implement it and it can include things such as:
Analysing customer data and identifying personas
Researching topics and keywords
Creating new website content and user journeys
Authoring high value content such as ebooks and webinars
Engaging with prospects on social media
Monitoring campaign performance
Because of this commitment many organisations opt to outsource their inbound marketing activity. By working with experts who understand the inbound methodology as well as have experience in your market they will develop effective inbound campaigns that deliver qualified leads that are already engaged with your brand.
If you would like to arrange an initial call and a Free Inbound Audit contact the team at Volpes Marketing on 01625 403199 or complete the form on the Contact Us page for more information.
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