Today’s marketing world is a whole lot different than it used to be. From the available talent to the tools and software provided, trying to market your business can be a bit overwhelming.
What Has Changed?
Fifteen or twenty years ago, you didn’t need a position in your company that was dedicated to marketing. You could (and still can) easily call up the newspaper and ask to run an ad. They help write your copy, provide your graphics and offer expertise on placement. Or you simply responded to the phonebook salesman with, “sure, sign me up”, and that was the extent of your marketing strategy. And you know what? It worked. And maybe for some, it still does.
But what about now? Print advertising isn’t as effective as it once was – circulations are way down. TV commercials are at the mercy of your DVR and fast forward button. Satellite radio and streaming music have cut down on your ability to reach a listening audience by removing commercials all together. Traditional advertising and marketing no longer work as well. Where does it leave us?
Perfecting your customer’s experience
Today, it’s all about the customer service they receive as a potential customer, and the service they continue to receive once they’ve become one. It’s the great information they captured from your blog. The chat they had right from your site that answered all of their questions and made them feel confident in your business. The interactions they had with your Facebook posts. Your quick response to them in a direct Twitter message. This entire all-inclusive package that gave your current and future customers an experience worth talking about. An experience they will now recommend – and often publicly. They’ll post to their followers on Facebook, to a review page on Yelp, to a Twitter update where they tag your business and a slew of other high-profile ways we’ve now traditionalized.
But it’s not just millennials. Today, you’ll find that so many traits and buyer personas are broken down into generations. But it’s not just “millennials do this” and “baby boomers do that”. It’s much broader. It’s everyone who lives in today’s social media and digital information-centric world that has become accustomed to instant information and immediate answers.
The consumers of the world in general no longer want to be advertised to. They want to come to YOU when they need something. That’s why we turn to inbound marketing – which brings customers to you by way of valuable content and recommendations based on customer experience.
Can We Handle Inbound Marketing Ourselves?
While it’s not impossible to have an in-house marketing expert handle your company’s inbound strategy, there’s a LOT more to it now than just slapping an ad somewhere. This form of marketing works by bringing your potential customers to you by way of building their trust – and in turn, the reputation of your business.
It’s often a lot for one person to handle since it requires a huge deal of time spent creating the perfect content and graphics, valuable offers, and web presence, while also not missing a single beat when it comes to customer interactions.
If you choose the right marketing firm for the job, they’ll come with an entire team that specializes in different aspects of your inbound marketing strategy – from content creators to customer service agents and graphic designers, to strategy specialists that put you on the radar. And all while feeling as if they’re each a member of your own personal team in your business.
The best part? It’s often less expensive to hire an entire creative, strategizing marketing team than it is to pay the salary of ONE marketing person! Want to know more? Get in touch with us! We will be happy to give you a free consultation and analyze how your business can be taken to the next level.
