Now is the time to start an inbound marketing program

The new year gives business owners an opportunity to reflect on the past year, then ultimately determine which direction and strategy to take in the upcoming year. Perhaps the goal is more leads, more sales or more website traffic. Those are all admirable goals, but how do you get your company there? The desire to more easily and efficiently manage otherwise complicated digital marketing efforts has led to a new discipline: inbound marketing.

Inbound marketing is the idea of creating content with a strategy that appeals to the needs of your prospects and subsequently turning those interested prospects into customers.

Why should you get started this year? Let’s consider three reasons why 2015 is the perfect time to start your strategic inbound marketing program.

1. The inbound discipline is still relatively new to the world of marketing. Most companies are still tirelessly working their old, outbound marketing programs. That is great news for your business, as most businesses have yet to implement a strategic inbound marketing plan. This provides the opportunity for your business to emerge as the thought leader in your industry. This is an excellent chance to get – and stay – ahead of your competition.
2. Often times, introducing new, unknown processes can be a daunting process. This is hardly the case with inbound. In fact, you could already be executing some of the elements of an inbound markeitng campaign, i.e. email or social media, without employing a reliable inbound strategy. Whatever the case, it is simple to plan and execute an inbound marketing strategy. Depending on your needs and technical ability, you could research and attempt a program on your own, or you could partner with an experienced agency like STIR. The most important thing to remember is that, like any good marketing program, inbound is an ongoing process. To be successful, the program must be monitored and updated regularly.
3. Business owners are often looking to grow. In order for that to happen, sales or work must increase. Every business owner strives to increase sales but may feel limited due to time or resources. Drumming up new business over the phone and knocking on doors takes valuable time. Perhaps it’s too costly to hire a full time sales agent. This is truly where the value of an inbound program becomes evident. When properly in place, an inbound marketing program works on building your brand and educating your prospects, allowing you time to focus on your business. Technology has allowed many elements of the inbound marketing strategy to become automated and based on uniquely defined triggers.

Now you that you know the importance of starting an inbound campaign, it’s time to get started. For more information on the key elements of a strategic inbound marketing campaign we've created an eBook: Inbound Marketing 101.

Click here to download the eBook.