You've no doubt heard that inbound marketing is the way of the future in business. Not only is it the popular strategy among marketers today, it's proven to be more effective than outbound marketing at both generating leads and driving sales. So you're thinking about starting an inbound marketing program to promote your own brand in the coming year. Unfortunately, your boss isn't convinced yet, and won't give you the go-ahead. Sadly, it's a common tale. Even among companies that do implement inbound marketing, most of the time their campaigns are grossly underfunded compared to outbound strategies. Though it's quickly gaining popularity, inbound marketing is still a relatively new concept, and a lot of people aren't convinced that it's not just another flash-in-the-pan fad. But it IS more than that, and there's proof. Here are 7 statistics that will help convince your boss that starting an inbound marketing program is actually a smart choice for 2014.
- Inbound marketing brings in 54% more leads than outbound marketing. These are high quality leads, too. A properly implemented inbound marketing program can pinpoint a potential customer's specific area of interest, and help you connect with them and gain their trust, allowing you to target them better and making them more likely to buy from you.
- The average cost of an inbound marketing lead is 61% lower than the cost of an outbound lead. Not only does starting an inbound marketing program lead to more and better leads, they cost much less. In 2012, the average cost of an outbound marketing lead was $346, while the average cost of an inbound lead was $135.
- Maintaining a blog requires, on average, 7% of a marketer's time and 9% of their budget. The reason the average cost-per-lead for inbound marketing is so low is because content is so cheap to implement, both in terms of money and human resources.
- Companies that blog once a month generate 70% more leads than those who don't. If you post any content at all, you'll see an improvement. And if you put in even just the bare minimum of effort, you'll see your leads increase dramatically.
- 70% of all links clicked from searches are organic, not paid. Content is king. And the most effective way to drive customers to your site isn't with a pay-per-click campaign, but with a well-researched, well-implemented SEO strategy.
- Companies with over 1,000 Facebook likes see an average traffic increase of 185%. Basic social media is free to implement, but if you put the time and effort into it, it can have a huge payoff.
- Companies with up to 200 pages of content on their site generate 2.5 times more leads than companies with 50 or fewer pages. When it comes to content, there's no such thing as too much. The more unique pages you have, the better chance your business has of success.
The numbers don't lie. Starting an inbound marketing program is the best route to success with your brand. With these numbers, your boss can't afford NOT to implement an inbound campaign.
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