It’s that refreshing time of year when everyone starts to talk about what they’re thankful for. I’m sure you’ve seen Facebook statuses of enthusiastic friends writing about a different thing they are thankful for each day during the month of November. As the season of thankfulness and giving progresses, I’m sure you count your job as one of your blessings. If you’re as lucky as me, you live and breathe inbound marketing and inspiring others is on the top of your to-do list every day. It’s no secret inbound marketing is on the rise because of its simple, useful, and successful tactics. Of course I’m thankful for it, and here are some reasons why you should be too.
Reason #1: It’s an organic approach.
If you haven’t realized this already, outbound marketing is a thing of the past. The consumers are now in control and they know exactly what they want. They want useful, educational information that is easy to digest. Inbound marketing has given you a way to provide this practical information for all of your consumers. Instead of bothering consumers, you are now able to relate to them on a human level. Thanks to inbound marketing you can research and measure exactly what your consumers are looking for. Inbound marketing empowers you to create solutions your consumers want, instead of forcing them to see ads or promotions they don’t want to engage with.
Reason #2: It’s honest marketing.
One of the best parts of inbound marketing is that it’s honest. In the past, marketers and sales people may have gotten a bad rap for attempting to force consumers to buy, or for pressuring them into making a move they weren’t sure about. As an inbound marketer, you want your consumer to be absolutely sure before they buy. You want them to be educated on your company, your products, and what your business stands for. Inbound marketing allows you to remove this element of secrecy that has traditionally surrounded many businesses. Inbound encourages you to be transparent and authentic. Giving consumers an honest look into the inner workings of your organization allows business to become personal. Your buyers love this personal element and they will reward you for this transparency by becoming your biggest advocate. Thanks inbound for making me more honest!
Reason #3: It makes you a leader.
In inbound marketing, content is king and producing useful relevant content will help you become a leader. How amazing is it that you can use your practical skills to help others? Thanks to inbound marketing you are able to put your skills and ideas into useful content like eBooks, whitepapers, or blogs and spread your knowledge around the world. Your consumers that are searching high and low for solutions to their problems will come across your information. They will be thankful to your organization for helping them answer their questions and the result will be a relationship built on trust and honesty. Not only will you become a leader in your field, but you will earn the preference of your consumers. Thanks inbound marketing, you’re great.
Reason #4: It helps communicate your company culture.
As if inbound marketing hasn’t done enough already, it also helps to communicate your company culture. As you know, company culture is the foundation on which businesses are built. A business’s mission used to be a few lines of copy on their website hidden under the “About Us” section. Now, companies are developing a culture, where share values and a constructive environment are not only lived within the organization, but they are communicated through their content and strategies. You have the power to construct and control an evolving message about your company through social media, blogs, your website, emails, and more. You aren’t just telling your consumers what your mission is, you’re showing them how you live your truth every day, thanks to inbound marketing.
Reason #5: Big and small businesses are on the same level.
In the past, big businesses have had an unfair advantage over small businesses in terms of marketing. They were able to spend more money on advertising, direct mail campaigns, and cold calling. On the other hand, using inbound marketing and content creation actually levels the playing field and allows organizations of any size to create unique, helpful content that their consumers will find useful and share. Even if budget sizes differ, small businesses are equipped with the exact same tools as big businesses to make purposeful and original content that will communicate with real people who want their products. Thanks to inbound marketing, the world is literally at your fingertips.
Reason #6: It’s fun!
I can’t forget to mention that above all else, inbound marketing is fun and rewarding. Making use of social media tools that has the capacity to reach literally the entire world is mind blowing. Writing a good piece of content and having people from China, Australia, or Italy share it and take something away from it? Amazing. The internet has given us the power to empower ourselves, our businesses, and our consumers, while inbound marketing provides a path that streamlines these opportunities and tools. It’s fun and makes you feel good!
Wow, I didn’t realize just how thankful I was for inbound marketing until I started this list. Inbound marketing provides us with a structure for a dynamic, evolving internet savvy world. As communication grows, so does inbound marketing. Thank you inbound marketing for helping real people connect with real businesses. As you count the things you are thankful for this holiday season, don’t forget about how inbound marketing has empowered you.