What is Inbound Marketing?
Today, you hear a lot about the idea of inbound marketing. To maximize your business in the Internet age, you must utilize inbound marketing, as outbound marketing is less relevant. But why is outbound marketing outdated and what is inbound marketing?
Outbound marketing is an old-fashioned adverting practice that includes cold calls, television ads, radio ads, and spam and is the type of marketing you see on shows such as Mad Men. So what’s the problem with outbound marketing? This type of marketing interrupts people’s daily lives and doesn’t draw them in. Technology has given people the power to control their own media consumption, so they can block out these disruptive advertisements, making outbound marketing far less effective today.
The Internet has ushered in a new era of marketing, inbound marketing. Why is this important? You want to be found wherever your customers are active, whether that is Google, social media, or blogs and provide them a value. By drawing them in with a deal, helpful information, or personal interaction, your customer will be turned on to what you have to offer. Instead of being in your face, inbound marketing allows you to be found by your customers but in a subtle way, by building a relationship with them so they are not turned away in an era where they control their content with the click of a button. However, you have to be found in order to interact with them. This is why SEO plays a big role in inbound marketing.
Why is Search Engine Optimization Important?
SEO is the backbone of your inbound marketing campaign. It is comprised of using various methods of increasing your rank in search engine results. SEO helps you be found through search engines by being one of the first search results. Why should you be at the top of searches, though? It’s simple. People don’t have the time or attention span to click through pages of content. By providing value for your customers, traffic increases, and you will be rewarded for it by being at the top of search results. This will give your customers the sense that they can trust your website, leading to a traffic and customer increase. You can’t pay someone to be the number one search result on Google, but you can take steps to elevate your company.