Nowadays, we read or hear a lot of people talk about inbound marketing. It’s like a new marketing concept to generating a exposure and increasing the sales. Should you or your company do the inbound marketing strategy? The first thing you must know, the inbound marketing is not pure a new things. Almost all people, especially marketing staff or department do those things, in order to introduce or branding in every space where the customers are.
Example : you running the vegetarian/diet cafe beside the gym. We know the people who workout at gym concern about their health, the diet food and things related to that. That’s inbound marketing.
The inbound marketing strategy make sure you or your products easily found by people who need your product or services. If outbound marketing send message about your products or services to customer that may or may not need that products or services.
So, in inbound marketing you have to find what the customer need. How you can get the information what your customers need? By using internet marketing strategy on internet, blogs and social media, you have more access to connect with the customers who want to buy your products or services.
Outbound marketing strategy like send direct mails, coupons, and telemarketing less effective. Many customers will feel annoying and sentiment with your product. Your mail will be junk mail that overflow the customer mailbox.
As a business man you must know about customers behaviors. 20 years ago, customers found the business, services or products by looking in Yellow Pages. 10 years ago, customers start to search its in Google or another search engine. But now, the customer try to search its in Twitter, Facebook or another social bookmark. Word of mouth has moved online. People believe and rely on any customer review and social media become their media to share the reviews.
Combine Inbound Marketing and Outbound Marketing
The benefits of doing inbound marketing as part of your marketing plan is you do not have to leave all your outbound marketing effort. You can combine the inbound marketing with outbound marketing. They can work together well and you can get more result. Blend your inbound marketing with the outbound marketing.
Offer to your customer to join your online community (blogs, forum or maybe your Facebook page). More customer join in online community will create more online exposure or online presence. It will guarantee the more potential customers will find you. If in the past you try to introduce your products or services to customer, now customer that try to searching your products or services (based on their needs).
So, will the customers find your products or services?