Inbound Marketing Is Exactly What Marketers Want

Over the last few weeks, I’ve discussed the principles of how inbound marketing works. Hopefully, you understand how crucial an effective content distribution strategy is. Today, we’re going to see how well these principles sync up with what actual marketers want.

But first, let’s recap the six elements of an effective content distribution system:

• Content usage
• SEO (search engine optimization)
• Landing pages
• Lead scoring
• Automated prospect nurture programs
• Smart content
• Marketing automation tool

HubSpot, a leading marketing automation company, has done some nice survey work. Here is a chart of top marketing priorities of marketers of small- and mid-size companies:

Let’s take them one at a time:

Survey Goal 1: Increase number of contacts/leads.
Inbound Marketing: Creating and using content in combination with good SEO and landing page practices will do this. Check ✔

Survey Goal 2: Convert contacts/leads to customers.
Inbound Marketing: Lead scoring, automated prospect nurture programs and smart content will do this. Check ✔

Survey Goal 3: Reach the relevant audience.
Inbound Marketing: Content usage and SEO best practices will do this. Check ✔

Survey Goal 4: Prove the ROI of marketing activities.
Inbound Marketing: Most marketing automation tools have plenty of reports to assist in this area. Check ✔

Survey Goal 5: Increase revenue from existing customers.
Inbound Marketing: Smart content can help greatly. Check ✔

Survey Goal 6: Reduce the cost of contact leads and customer acquisition.
Inbound Marketing: It’s hard to imagine any other system, whether outbound marketing, direct mail, telesales, direct sales or any other method, providing as much bang for the buck as effective content distribution. Check ✔

Marketing isn’t complicated. Once we agree on where we’re going, then all we need is a roadmap to get us there.

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Join me next week as we discuss what specific inbound content distribution steps need to be done to achieve your inbound marketing goals.