We have something to tell you: not all companies are suitable for applying the Inbound methodology in their work processes. And although it's a shame, it's the reality. We had to tell you. But at Occam we don't like to be left with thorns in our side. We asked our marketing director, Javier Gutiérrez, who the Inbound methodology is aimed at and he revealed what it takes to be one of the chosen ones.
scroll down and let's check it out together.
' %}Inbound Marketing: For whom?
Exactly 14 years ago the world of marketing changed, and it did so forever. It was in 2005, when Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, co-founders of HubSpot, first talked about the methodology in the book Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, social media and blogs. They did it together with David Meerman, and today, we do it together with Javier and you.
"Inbound doesn't work for everyone". It wouldn't make sense to apply it when it comes to making impulse purchases, because, let's rewind: it's based on educating your customers, informing them, giving them things of value. And that doesn't happen in an impulse purchase. You need something here and now. And at this precise moment, what you're interested in is price. Nobody who needs to buy a notebook is going to research or compare the options offered by one supplier or another, nor will they look for the best notebooks on the market.
Inbound does not work like that. It connects, above all, with B2B, medium or long purchase cycles (minimum 6 months). One year is already a purchase that is susceptible to enter an Inbound Marketing campaign. In most cases, they are high ticket companies. And BEWARE! It could be the case of entering a B2C with a very expensive product, sometimes, because it requires a lot of research and data collection.
does it work for start-ups or is it better for companies with a long history?
are you one of those ideal businesses to receive the call of Inbound Marketing? What is your type of company? If your thing is to attract potential customers, reach those who really need you and distribute value among your audience, surely you are interested in checking if your business is suitable to apply a strategy of these characteristics.
It doesn't matter if you are just taking your first business steps, or if you have a long career and have tried a multitude of techniques that don't quite fit. Watch this video and find out for sure. We have something to tell you.
' %}and when will the first results be available?
Betting on a methodology such as Inbound requires several coffees. And its results, not to mention. You are not going to see them overnight. It is not a practice that you apply today and soon you will be reaping results, but it is a long and prolonged practice over time. 2 things to keep in mind:
- The buying cycle is not fast, it requires awareness of the problem or need, researching options and consultation, among other things.
- Some clients have the sales cycle defined as soon as they know they are going to apply the methodology.
For this reason, Inbound is not identified with early purchases, because even if it worked tomorrow, the sale would not happen for some time. You cannot expect that after 3 months you will be making customers in the same way that it would happen in a year or two.
You know what they say: "Good things come to those who wait".
' %}just the right amount of effort
Forget about making efforts in vain. Unlike traditional marketing, with Inbound you don't need to make an effort to attract the attention of potential customers, because, by creating content focused on their problems and needs, you will attract prospects in a natural way. And all thanks to the previous study of keywords and the definition of your buyer persona, among other actions.
Attract, interact and delight are the 3 elements that characterise this methodology, and as it progresses, the foundations are laid to create a more human way of doing business. Value is the spirit that moves you. That makes you vibrate. That is why it is delivered at each stage of the buyer's journey. Here are some tools that you can use to attract, interact and delight:
- ATTRACT: With video, a well-defined content strategy, social media and regular blog posts. You don't want everyone to visit your website, do you? It's better if those who are likely to become leads or sales opportunities do so.
- CLOSE: Email marketing can be a perfect tool to achieve this, although conversational bots are also gaining a lot of relevance. Think about generating long-term conversations.
- DELIGHT: Use attribution reporting, marketing automation and intelligent content to help you deliver the right information to the right person at the right time.
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is to think that this methodology is only the responsibility of the marketing department, but the truth is that this is not only the responsibility of these professionals, but of the whole team. Thanks to its complete integration, users can enjoy an unparalleled experience.
what is your company doing to attract potential customers and are you building long-lasting relationships with them?
Inbound Marketing: Driving Business Growth
If you look closely, the same changes that have occurred in buying behaviour coincide with the transformation in the customer experience. Consumers don't buy the same way they did 20 years ago, and companies don't sell the same way.
The advent of the internet and new information and communication technologies (ICT) opened a huge door to information of all kinds to users. Blogs, social networks and forums became the new scenario for consulting and debate before making a purchase. Until now, companies had been the only ones with the power to advise us or show us their products and services, but something had changed. As a result of this phenomenon, they had no choice but to join the change and transform their ways of selling as well.
It is difficult to change the way your sales team works; it takes patience, planning and consistency in the process.
Technology, as one of the main triggers of this change, has also been responsible for teaming up well with Inbound. The success of its operation is supported by HubSpot's marketing, sales, service and customer relationship management software platform. If these tools are already powerful on their own, imagine how much more powerful they are when combined together.
do you want to grow your business and keep your customers buying your products and services? Are you ready to build a long-term relationship with them? Do you want them to share their positive experience with your brand? Does your sales team have to make cold calls?
This may be a good time to combine the methodology with HubSpot's CRM. Ask us all your questions, we will be happy to answer them with you.
