Inbound
marketing
Inbound marketing lures customers by offering them appealing content, and
engaging with them. The approach pulls customers into a relationship with a
brand rather than “pushing” them into making a purchase, which is how
advertising works. Inbound marketing is also known as permission marketing as
potential customers are giving a business permission to communicate with them.
In other words, they are actively interacting with the company or brand.
Inbound marketing process
Content forms the core of inbound marketing. It
includes text, images, and video that consumers seek
out online, especially on social media sites, or in person
at events, such as trade fairs, and share with their
network of friends, family, and colleagues. Potential
customers respond to inbound marketing because the
business or brand is offering interesting and relevant
information, entertainment, or content with emotional
value. Businesses expect this interaction to culminate in
a sale, or create brand recognition that leads to a sale.
Top types of content marketing
Exploration
Publish and actively promote content; use search engine
optimization (SEO) to attract consumers online
Decision-making
Ensure that content captivates potential customers or solves
problems for them; encourage two-way communication
Purchase
Entice interested site visitors to become customers;
make shopping online an easy and positive experience
Advocacy
Provide excellent customer service; spur customers to make
recommendations and share on social media
1. Blogs
2. How-to guides
3. Images
4. Infographics
5. Videos
6. Testimonials/reviews
7. Case studies
8. Internet memes
9. Email newsletters
10. E-books
11 . Podcasts
12. Twitter chat
13. Newsjacking (giving
content to news media)
Top of funnel marketing (TOFU)
Offers content to grab the initial
attention of potential customer
Middle of funnel marketing
MOFU Offers more detail and
encourages participation
Bottom of funnel marketing
(BOFU) Attempts to win a
sale with low pricing, offers, or
via customer recommendations
NEED TO KNOW
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220 221
Search engines, social media networks,
web publishers, and third-party blogs
Company website, blog, podcast,
community, and interactive tools
E-commerce process, product,
price, discount, and promotion
Customer championing
of product or service
inbound marketing
strategies
how sales and marketing works
Inbound marketing
41%
of marketers surveyed in
2013 believed inbound
marketing produced
measurable return on
investment (ROI)
Optimize retail space
Provide a well-designed physical
environment that will both draw
customers in and encourage them
to come back.
Engage media Generate press
releases to gain media coverage.
Focus on topics of real interest,
especially ones that can be backed
up by statistics and research.
Interact face to face
Conduct events in stores that
provide a new experience/benefit
to customers; rent a stand at a trade
event and offer key information.
Post blogs Update company blog
with appealing content to attract
visitors. See pp.224–225.
Create podcasts Produce content
relevant to customers searching for
information; engage experts to add
value. See pp.226–227.
Produce other content Post
articles, photos, and videos
on social media sites; target
influential users to encourage
viral sharing. See pp.228–229.
Apply search engine optimization
(SEO) Fill search engine listings with
key phrases that answer specific
questions; add inbound links from
popular sites. See pp.230–231.
Offline
Online
@
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Search engines, social media networks,
web publishers, and third-party blogs
Company website, blog, podcast,
community, and interactive tools
E-commerce process, product,
price, discount, and promotion
Customer championing
of product or service
inbound marketing
strategies
how sales and marketing works
Inbound marketing
41%
of marketers surveyed in
2013 believed inbound
marketing produced
measurable return on
investment (ROI)
Optimize retail space
Provide a well-designed physical
environment that will both draw
customers in and encourage them
to come back.
Engage media Generate press
releases to gain media coverage.
Focus on topics of real interest,
especially ones that can be backed
up by statistics and research.
Interact face to face
Conduct events in stores that
provide a new experience/benefit
to customers; rent a stand at a trade
event and offer key information.
Post blogs Update company blog
with appealing content to attract
visitors. See pp.224–225.
Create podcasts Produce content
relevant to customers searching for
information; engage experts to add
value. See pp.226–227.
Produce other content Post
articles, photos, and videos
on social media sites; target
influential users to encourage
viral sharing. See pp.228–229.
Apply search engine optimization
(SEO) Fill search engine listings with
key phrases that answer specific
questions; add inbound links from
popular sites. See pp.230–231.
Offline
Online
@
US_220-221_Inbound_Marketing_OVERVIEW.indd 221 21/11/2014 16:40
How it works
Before the rise of the internet
and the phenomenon of social
media, most marketing strategies
were outbound. In other words,
marketers pushed messages at
consumers by interrupting them
with advertisements or direct mail.
The same principle applies to
outbound marketing that appears
on the internet, with pop-up ads
interrupting the content the
consumer wishes to access.
However, because consumers
from all over the world now use
the internet to search for information
and entertainment, marketers have
adopted inbound strategies instead,
providing content that draws the
consumer to the brand or product,
rather than pushing marketing
messages at them.
Outbound marketing interrupts consumers to promote a product or
brand, but inbound marketing needs consumers’ permission—they
have to seek out information that leads to the marketing message.
Outbound vs.
inbound marketing
Pros and cons
Marketers interrupt consumers with hundreds of outbound marketing
messages every day, but they also use subtle inbound marketing tactics
to attract consumers. Each strategy has its advantages and drawbacks.
Pros
Campaign results can
be forecast and measured
Marketing material is
easier to create
Campaigns can be
tightly controlled
Cons
Customer conversion
rates are low
Marketing campaigns
are expensive to create
Effects of campaign are
often short-lived
Pros
More likely to draw
customers with long-term
interest in the brand
Non-intrusive approach
preferred by customers
Cost-effective compared
with outbound campaigns
Cons
Response from market
may take longer
New content must be
generated regularly to
keep customer interested
Campaign results can
be difficult to measure
ADVERTISING
BLOGGING
COMPANY
Push or interruption-based
Alternative marketing terms used
to describe outbound marketing
Pull or permission-based
Alternative marketing terms used
to describe inbound marketing
NEED TO KNOW
O
u
t
b
o
u
n
d
I
n
b
o
u
n
d
US_222-223_Inbound_vs_outbound.indd 222 21/11/2014 16:40
222 223
how sales and marketing works
Inbound marketing
60%
of marketers
have added
inbound
marketing to
their existing
outbound
strategies
Integration of channels
By coordinating the message on all
channels, businesses can optimize
the impact of a marketing campaign.
TELEMARKETINGTRADE SHOWS DIRECT MAILPAID SEARCH
SEO
SOCIAL MEDIA
PODCASTING
61%
lower cost
per lead
OUTBOUND
MARKETING
AVERAGE COST PER LEAD OF INBOUND
VS. OUTBOUND MARKETING
A report compiled
by HubSpot in 2012
discovered that
companies with
inbound-dominant
marketing strategies
reported a 61 percent
lower average cost per
lead. The study highlighted
the cost-effectiveness
of social media, SEO,
and email marketing.
INBOUND
MARKETING
2012
WEBSITE
$135
per lead
$346
per lead
$
US_222-223_Inbound_vs_outbound.indd 223 15/12/2014 13:53
222 223
how sales and marketing works
Inbound marketing
60%
of marketers
have added
inbound
marketing to
their existing
outbound
strategies
Integration of channels
By coordinating the message on all
channels, businesses can optimize
the impact of a marketing campaign.
TELEMARKETINGTRADE SHOWS DIRECT MAILPAID SEARCH
SEO
SOCIAL MEDIA
PODCASTING
61%
lower cost
per lead
OUTBOUND
MARKETING
AVERAGE COST PER LEAD OF INBOUND
VS. OUTBOUND MARKETING
A report compiled
by HubSpot in 2012
discovered that
companies with
inbound-dominant
marketing strategies
reported a 61 percent
lower average cost per
lead. The study highlighted
the cost-effectiveness
of social media, SEO,
and email marketing.
INBOUND
MARKETING
2012
WEBSITE
$135
per lead
$346
per lead
$
US_222-223_Inbound_vs_outbound.indd 223 15/12/2014 13:53
Blogging
Businesses post information articles on web logs, or blogs, as a way
to attract consumers to their websites. They may blog on their own
website or rely on independent bloggers to achieve this goal.
How it works
Unlike a conventional website, a blog is a site that
consists purely of informational posts or entries that
appear in chronological order, starting with the most
recent. Blogs first started appearing in the mid-1990s,
when new web tools made it possible for non-experts
to publish material online. This type of web content
has since become one of the most common sources
of information and opinion on the internet. Although
it was once only individuals who published blogs,
many are now commissioned or professionally edited
and produced by the company’s marketing department.
Blogging process
Marketers may use SEO tools (see pp.230–231) to gain insight into what’s being
talked about online, which helps them to determine the most suitable topics
for blogs. Many companies have the in-house talent to create blog content.
Select key word
or question
Determine key word, phrase,
or question that appeals
to the target audience.
Create content
Base content on key word/
question, and ensure that it
gives readers valuable insight
into the chosen topic.
Add links
Cite industry experts and
research reports; add photos
or videos, and provide links
to the original sources.
Post
Publish blog entry on
internet using web software
or specialized corporate
blogging platforms.
KEY WORD
RISE OF BLOGGING: THE FIRST 20 YEARS
1994 19991995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002
2003
Boing Boing
tech blog
launches
Open Diary
blog launches
First blog
(links.net)
appears
Term
“weblog” is
coined
Blogads
(ads on blog)
founded
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224 225
HOW SALES AND MARKETING WORKS
Inbound marketing
85.2%
of internet users
in Brazil visited
blog sites in 2011
Syndicate/share
Submit blog to syndication
sites and share with social
media networks, such as
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Track and measure
Monitor key blog statistics,
such as the number of unique
visitors and the number that
sign up for RSS feed and email.
Top five statistics to track
Number of visitors Potential
customers visiting blog and their
route in—via links or direct entry
Bounce rate Share of visitors
who leave site after one page
Pages per visit Number of
pages viewed by visitor
Conversions Proportion of
visitors who subscribe to blog
Keywords Common words
visitors use to find blog site
Three blogging mistakes
Obsession with SEO Although
SEO is important, focus should
be on publishing quality content
Omitting facts Posts should
offer factual information, not just
opinion or repackaged content
Lack of legibility Poorly
designed blogs with unclear
typography will discourage
customers from reading content
B
L
O
G
G
I
N
G
V
I
T
A
L
S
T
A
T
I
S
T
I
C
S
Disclosure Statement of whether
blog is sponsored, or if reviewed
products are given to blogger or
were independently bought
Splog Spam blog containing
fake articles designed to increase
the search engine rankings of
specific websites
NEED TO KNOW
2004 2009 2010 2011 2012 20132005 2006 2007 20082003 2014
AOL buys
HuffPo blog
and news
website
Weblogs Inc.
sold for $25m
“Blog” is
word of
the year
Google
launches
AdSense
Bloggers’ code
of conduct
proposed
Blogging
turns 20
Microblog
Tumblr
launches
Over 75m
WordPress
blogs
US_224-227_Blogging-Podcasting_Steve.indd 225 09/11/2016 11:02
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