Embracing the content marketing strategy automatically puts you in the inbound marketing game. Inbound marketing is a lot more cost-effective than traditional, outbound marketing. Think of them this way – inbound marketing makes the clients come “in” or to you, outbound marketing means you need to go “out” and get them. Outbound marketing can be media advertising like TV, radio, or print, direct mail, fliers, placemats, expos or events, sponsorship, cold calling, or pop ins. Read our prior post What is Inbound Marketing?
Start to think of potential customers coming to you and read here if you don’t believe us – Content is King ; Your Website is your Virtual Storefront
90-93% of your colleagues nationally are already using this strategy so it’s time for all businesses, including small business, to embrace this concept which is how your customers want to find you anyway.
Content marketing produces 3 times more leads than other online strategies like paid search. Don’t get me wrong; paid advertising online is still important for reaching new customers, but what will they click to when they get to your site? A homepage with a phone number is not a website and that potential customer will hit X or Back on their web browser leaving your site.
Sarah Goliger at HubSpot puts it this way – “marketers used to create content only when it suited their company’s internal needs – say, when they had a new product to promote. Well, inbound marketing forces you to give up that approach. Now marketers need to produce a constant flow of new content, from blog posts and social media updates to videos, ebooks, and webinars. this content serves them in many ways: it improves their search engine rankings, drives traffic to their websites, and helps to nurture existing leads. but it can’t be just any content. it has to be relevant, remarkable content.”
Many Americans begin their purchasing experience by doing online research to compare prices, quality, and the reviews of other shoppers. Even if they end up making their purchase in a store, they start their fact-finding and decision-making on the Internet.”
JIM JANSEN SENIOR FELLOW PEW RESEARCH CENTER’S INTERNET & AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT SEPTEMBER 2010
61% of internet users research products and services online first. When researching those products and services, 4 out of 10 people began their shopping by using a search engine – not typing in a web address or YOUR web address. Google searches accounted for 65% of these web searches consisting of all types of things from new cars, dog grooming, golfing, computers, cell phones, drug stores, pizza, restaurants, bakeries, wine, business services, candy, electronics, vacation destinations, home loans and banks/credit unions, home improvement services, clothes, education/college, and a lot more.
On top of this infographic above, 60% of TV viewers use the web simultaneously on their computer/laptop, mobile device or tablet.
75% of users never scroll past the first page of web search results. 70% of the links search users click on are organic—not paid —meaning people skip the grayed out box of “Suggested Results” at the top of the page and scroll down the Google, Yahoo or Bing page looking for other information and results that have credibility, not paid advertisements. Many of these search engines value Blog posts and Social Media content more than webpages. Does your website have a blog? Do you manage your own Facebook or Instagram account? If not, please contact us asap.
It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to invest in your inbound marketing with us at Magnus. Talk to us today and we look forward to reviewing our affordable options for you.
SOURCE: MARKETINGSHERPA, FEBRUARY 2007
SOURCE: NIELSON, 2009
SOURCE: COMSCORE, MAY 2011
SOURCE: INTERCONNECTED WORLD: SHOPPING AND PERSONAL FINANCE, 2012
SOURCE: STATE OF INBOUND MARKETING, HUBSPOT, MARCH 2012
SOURCE: POWERREVIEWS, FEBRUARY 2012
