The first adopters of Facebook were teens and college students. Today, adults comprise the biggest audience, and marketers embrace social media with enthusiasm.
When something turns out to be a good idea that appeals to a specific need or want, folks respond. Maybe that’s why the turnout for Inbound13 – the annual conference presented by HubSpot, the first name in inbound marketing – topped 5,000. Compare that to under 2,000 attendees for the conference just a year ago.
Quite simply, marketers are quickly discovering that outdated media and SEO services are no longer making their phones ring. At the same time, the continuing evolution of the Google search algorithm has rendered some previous SEO tactics obsolete.
If you’ve been left in the wake of the digital marketing revolution, there’s good news: It’s not too late to make up ground, reach out to your online audience and realize the benefits of inbound marketing.
Conversely, what you don’t do now could end up killing off your marketing campaign, compromising your brand and hurting your business.
Staying tied to yesterday’s tactics. You may hold a place in your heart for radio, direct mail, newspaper display ads, Yellow Pages or outdoor boards, but statistics don’t lie. Each of these media saw significant downturn once inbound marketing caught on. Today’s consumers, clients and patients turn to their computers, smartphones and tablets first. They seek information, not ads, and they’re quick to recognize the difference. The outstanding online content you provide – blogs, articles, videos, eBooks and more – are what gets liked, shared and commented upon. Yes, you may still use traditional “outbound” media if your audience truly responds to it, but integrate it with your inbound tactics. For instance, put a QR code on a piece of direct mail, or use an outdoor board to direct people to your Facebook page.
… and for the better. Your audience will benefit from improved content, and your business will benefit from more targeted inbound marketing efforts that make the most of every piece of information you put out there.
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