Inbound Marketing Blog

As we move into the second half of the year, many SMEs are taking the time to reflect on what marketing strategies worked, and what didn’t work for the first half of 2018. If your company is still relying on outdated outbound marketing techniques rather than inbound marketing, there’s never been a better time to make the switch. In HubSpot’s 2018 State of Inbound Report, when asked which marketing tactic provides higher quality leads for the sales team, 59% of respondents said inbound, while only 16% reported outbound. The thing is, outbound marketing works by disrupting buyers. Its relies on cold calls, direct mail and unsegmented emails. On the other hand, inbound marketing works to bring in the right people, people who are actually interested in what you have to sell. 

These days, marketing focuses less on “mass” and more on building and developing customer relationships. That’s what makes inbound marketing so effective: it’s about understanding your buyers on a deeper level, which improves the overall experience people have with your company, which ultimately leads to better engagement and eventually, more sales. The thing is, the world of marketing is constantly changing and it can be hard to keep up. Modern marketing is a rapidly evolving industry with incredible opportunities … but it also comes with potential pitfalls for the inexperienced. Outsourcing your marketing to industry experts improves your business results, while simultaneously leaving you the time to focus on your business and what you do well. So, if your organisation has decided to adopt an inbound approach, here are 4 financial benefits to outsourcing your marketing to an inbound marketing agency.

2017 has arrived and along with it has come the promise of some exciting new trends in the world of Inbound Marketing.

As we settle in and plan for the year ahead, now is the opportune time to assess the latest developments in Inbound Marketing and how they will impact you and your clients.

The increased need for smarketing, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and a surge towards video are amongst the top trends we predict will have the most impact in 2017. 

Advertising, direct mail and cold calling have been swept aside for blogs, webinars and Facebook accounts. Regardless of sector or industry, marketers are under increasing pressure to adapt and change — or risk being left behind.

"You better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone…"

I love the Olympics. To see world-class athletes giving their all in pursuit of their dreams is both powerful and inspiring. I suddenly become enthralled in sports that I would normally never watch. Sure, I may not know all the rules - but if there’s an Aussie involved, I ride every bump with them.

I was watching a replay of Australian swimmer Kyle Chalmers win his gold medal last week, and it occurred to me that there is an intrinsic link between the Olympics and Inbound Marketing.

It sounds crazy, right?

But when you consider that both are rewards for continuous effort, hard work and dedication, the two share distinct parallels.

I think it’s an important lesson for any small business embarking on the Inbound Marketing journey. Like a swimmer completing lap after lap in the pool, the results won’t always be immediate. But with hard work and genuine commitment, you will eventually see reward for effort.

If you run a small business, you’re well aware of the constant work it takes to generate leads, close customers, attract new customers and keep existing ones happy. It’s a perpetual challenge, not made easier by fluctuating economic conditions and changing consumer attitudes. And it’s not doing much for small business confidence.

This article comes to you from the waiting room for my mechanic’s service centre. My car is undergoing its mandatory service, mechanics tinkering with engine parts I would struggle to describe.

I remember the early days of Inbound Marketing, when it was a new philosophy that threatened to disrupt our very notion of marketing. Over the years evolution has continued, to the point where Inbound Marketing could become known as just ‘marketing’. Its growth has been phenomenal – but more remarkable yet is the diversity of businesses and organisations that are benefitting from the Inbound philosophy. B2B, B2C, government agencies and non-profits are all taking their organisations and marketing efforts to the next level with fundamental Inbound principles that anyone can employ.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s March already and if you’re like me budgeting for 2016-17 is already underway.

This week’s blog comes from the keyboard of my brand new computer - a long overdue upgrade and one I had been putting off for way too long. As anyone who’s bought a new computer recently would know, it’s a relatively painless process. I knew what I wanted and I was done in a matter of minutes. But as I was taking my new toy from the box it struck me just how different this purchase had been from our household’s very first computer.