Five years ago, social media was still emerging. Facebook had 50 million users, compared to 955 million today. Five years ago, Apple’s iPhone was new, and there were no iPads. But just last year, nearly half a billion smartphones were sold worldwide.

In the last five years, how your target audiences communicate and seek information has changed dramatically. And the digital world has made traditional outbound marketing tactics—telemarketing, advertising and trade shows—less effective.

People are researching and evaluating companies like yours online long before they call you. In fact, studies show that business-to-business buyers are typically 57% into a buying decision before they’re ready to talk to a sales rep.

Today it’s your job to position yourself to get found online, and then be seen as an expert people can trust. That’s why inbound marketing is so powerful. It connects you with people who are Googling or Binging for the answers, goods and services you provide.

Put your website to work
You’ll first need to supercharge your website by providing visitors targeted information—a blog, e-newsletter, videos, and white papers or other downloads. These provide value while helping your target audience become engaged with your organization.

Of course, your website will need solid SEO to help searchers find you. Plus it must be attractive, easy to navigate, and have plenty of “calls to action” throughout. Social media, as an additional touch point, also integrates well into inbound.

Spend less on leads
Whatever your industry, inbound marketing requires a long-term commitment. But it does pay off. According to software developer HubSpot, businesses that use inbound marketing extensively spend 61% less to generate sales leads than those that rely heavily on outbound sales techniques. Those numbers speak for themselves.

Are you ready to see some serious results with your newly reinvented marketing program?

Here are a few helpful guidelines:
    > Download our Inbound Marketing Overview
    > Build a strong web presence using our Website Guidelines for Credibility
    > Read our blog post about HubSpot’s guide to a stronger website

Get more response
The more we understand our audiences and deliver the content they desire, the more response we can expect. If you want to build an inbound marketing program, let’s talk. Give us a call toll-free at 866.363.4433 or drop us an email.