Have you ever found yourself wondering what the big deal is about inbound marketing? For some people, seemingly overnight, the world transformed from one where the primary form of advertisement was billboards and TV commercials to one where blogs and chatting on social media is somehow the most powerful way to draw in customers.
While this may seem like a complete change from traditional methods, we assure you, inbound marketing has become popular for a number of good reasons, not least of which because people are dead tired of being marketed to by traditional disruptive methods and are happy to interact with almost any alternative. Whether you’re thinking about starting an inbound marketing campaign or are simply looking to up your game and results from your current online marketing efforts, it may help to understand why people are so responsive to inbound marketing in the first place.
The Rise of the Search Engine
The first thing you need to understand is how much the world has changed in the last twenty years. Most adults remember the days of separate internet networks, the war between Yahoo! and AOL, and all the little separate search engines. However, somewhere between the rise of Google and the dawn of smartphones, the population changed and so did the role of business in the online environment. Why flip through the yellow pages when you can simply search for a business on your phone? Suddenly it wasn’t optional to have a business website, it’s a necessity in order to avoid slipping into obscurity.
This created a society driven by search engines, well, one search engine. Now, in order to get customers, you have to show up on searches for businesses in your industry and region. Otherwise, the modern consumer is going to hire a competitor with better SEO and a nice website.
The DIY Generation
Of course, as the world moves onto the internet, including information sources, people find that it’s convenient to start looking up everything. Rather than hunting down a friend or relative that understands cars, they simply look up how to fix the leaky radiator themselves. Instead of calling a professional immediately to install a new light fixture, build a backyard shed, or repair the toilet, they look up how to do it for themselves. This is a natural product of the rising search engine culture, giving people the ability to sate their curiosity and solve their own problems at the same time.
Of course, most people are much less DIY savvy than they are curious. In many cases, they want to know how an appliance or process works but are also perfectly happy to call a professional to take care of the issue for them. This is your opportunity to shine. Inbound marketing is often based on arriving early in the sales funnel and providing online professional advice without actually having to take a customer service call. That’s the reason for all those (very successful) how-to blogs and videos. When a researching lead sees your expertise, friendliness, and availability, they are much more likely to call you when their curiosity is sated and it’s time for professional help.
The Pendulum Swings
The final piece of the inbound marketing puzzle is just how tired everyone is of outbound marketing tactics. TV commercials with makeup-caked actors proclaiming the wonders of a product, flashing ad banners that are both unhelpful and distracting, radio commercials that yell at you for 30 minutes, these things are all on the ‘out’. The pendulum has swung in the other direction. The modern consumer audience wants genuine connection instead. People don’t mind seeing little human flaws like a messy workshop and technicians that don’t look like actors. They want to be talked to like friends instead of ‘marks’ and they want advice from real experts, not people paid to say ‘expert’ messages. They even want to hear about your coworker’s new puppy. The more real your message, content, and social media conversations with your audience, the better.
Inbound marketing isn’t so much a trend as a movement away from pushy promotion and toward informed and interactive customers. When you’re writing your blog articles, managing your social media presence, and shooting inbound marketing videos, remember to be real. Interview your employees at their actual workstations, share genuine industry inside information, and ask your audience to participate through comments and questions. Not only will you make sales and build your online support, everyone will have a better time including you and your employees. For more tips, tricks, and trends about inbound marketing, contact us today!
