Inbound marketing produces leads that cost 67% less on average than leads generated by outbound marketing with 46% of marketers reporting that inbound produced higher ROI.
Here are some additional advantages inbound marketing provides:
- It helps build solid connections with customers
- It is more immediate than outbound
- It generates authority and brand awareness
- It helps you gain access to new markets and audiences
Inbound marketing is ideally suited for driving sales for businesses of any size, including small businesses.
Below are features of inbound marketing that can drive sales:
Relevant, High-Quality Content That Reaches Potential Buyers
Today’s consumers are more educated and enthusiastic than previous consumers. They’re also more demanding. They want high-quality content relevant to them. Inbound marketing helps businesses reach these buyers using content that expresses a company’s value proposition the way buyer’s want it.
Inbound marketing content also helps drive sales by producing high-quality leads that are easier to convert, so sales wastes less time and money than with traditional marketing. More importantly, it helps you initiate the selling process long before sales ever contacts buyers.
Buyer Personas
Inbound marketing uses accurate buyer personas as the foundation of its activities. Buyer personas are invaluable assets to your company.
Personas drive sales by helping you develop targeted, personalized content and connect with prospects at just the right time and in the right way.
Personas also let you speak your audience’s language, determine where prospects spend time online, and understand their challenges. Having accurate buyer persona is crucial at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
Using The Buyer’s Journey
Inbound marketing reaches prospects at critical stages of the buyer’s journey with content developed specifically for that stage. Savvy companies create content for every stage of the buyer’s journey in advance.
This content does three things to drive sales: It entices and educates prospects, moves them closer to the purchasing stage, and gives sellers more options for next steps and follow-ups with prospects.
Building Stronger Relationships with Customers
Already a customer? Inbound marketing also aims to delight existing customers with valuable information they can actually use.
That creates trust with customers and builds stronger customer relationships. When it’s time for them to renew a contract or upgrade equipment, sales has a better chance at retaining their business.
Delivers “Warmer” Leads to Sales
Inbound marketing delivers “warmer” leads to sales. That’s because it’s designed to attract and educate prospects, who will then be segmented and cultivated until they’re ready for sales.
That means sales spends more time talking to prospects and customers genuinely interested in the products and services being offered.
These are prospects and customers that want to talk to sales people about solving a problem or eliminating a pain point.
Warmer leads increases your sales team’s productivity and boosts your company’s revenues and profitability.
Provides Valuable Data
Inbound marketing boosts sales by providing valuable data that can guide your thinking and your actions. By adopting an analytical inbound marketing mindset, you can track day-to-day sales activities using a CRM.
The data collected tells you what’s working with your marketing and what’s not. That enables you to make informed decisions with emotion and pivot at a moment’s notice based on data streaming in.
Inbound marketing is here to stay. For business owners and managers that’s good news. This strategy is proven, powerful, and productive. It’s also cost-effective. For many, it’s the “go to” marketing tool for companies of all types and sizes.
Thanks for reading,
Christine
