Inbound marketing, what is it?

[a4nthony]

Hi all,
What is 'inbound marketing' and how can it help with sales? I keep seeing people talk about it but don't really understand it.

I'm trying to help a friend with an online site and have done some email campaigns for him but it's not working very well.

Can inbound marketing help and how do I go about using it ?

Thanks,
Tony

 

[ethical PR]

Tony I think you are thinking about this the wrong way around.

Marketing isn't about choosing a few channels and then seeing if they work. Your friend's starting point (assuming they did some market research to establish their was a demand for their product or service) is to having a good understanding of his target customers and the communications channels they use.

There are lots of reasons the email marketing campaign might not be working - it might be going to the wrong audience, be poorly designed or not have strong calls to actions - or all three.

Who are your friends target customers - age, social demographic, location, decision maker? what is your friend selling?

Does he have a marketing plan in place?

This should be his starting point. If you want to help him suggest he invests in some professional help to put together a plan based on a compelling offer and activities which have been proven to reach his target customers.

 

[a4nthony]

Thanks ethical.

The email campaign has gone out to his existing customer database (he has taken over an internet business which offers cheap international calls, predominantly to migrants), but the take up rate from these campaigns is poor. There is already an existing business but it is only just breaking even.

To be honest, I have helped with these campaigns but i'm not an expert and we are not sure where to go to find the right help. There are so many companies online offering 'online marketing solutions', but it is highly confusing, and it doesn't appear to come cheap. I appreciate you get what you pay for, but it's almost like a start-up in terms of there is no real budget for a big expensive marketing campaign.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Inbound marketing is where your advertise, promote etc to get people to come to you and buy.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

You need to look at the analytics for the campaigns to see what is working - who is opening, clicking buying etc.

 

[a4nthony]

Inbound marketing is where your advertise, promote etc to get people to come to you and buy.

Isn't that just marketing? Why is it called inbound? What makes inbound different to ordinary marketing?

 

[a4nthony]

You need to look at the analytics for the campaigns to see what is working - who is opening, clicking buying etc.

I can see how many people have opened and clicked through, which is above the industry average according to constant contact and mail chimp, but it is still small in terms of actual numbers and sales don't seem to be increasing.

 

[ethical PR]

Thanks ethical.

The email campaign has gone out to his existing customer database (he has taken over an internet business which offers cheap international calls, predominantly to migrants), but the take up rate from these campaigns is poor. There is already an existing business but it is only just breaking even.

To be honest, I have helped with these campaigns but i'm not an expert and we are not sure where to go to find the right help. There are so many companies online offering 'online marketing solutions', but it is highly confusing, and it doesn't appear to come cheap. I appreciate you get what you pay for, but it's almost like a start-up in terms of there is no real budget for a big expensive marketing campaign.

Don't get bogged down by what's inbound or outbound marketing or just marketing - it doesn't matter. They're just phrases.

As I mentioned, I think your friends starting point should be to work with a marketing consultant who has experience in this market to put together a practical plan of action to outline key benefits of his services and the best channels to use to engage his target market.

The plan they provide should include indicative costs for the different options they are recommending.

I'm a little confused - why did he decide to take over a business that wasn't making money, if he didn't understand the marketplace or how to promote the business.

The bottom line is your friend has entered a very crowded market place where people choose services mainly based on price. He needs to have a good understanding of which channels to use and what benefits his customers want if he is to be successful.

By the way did you segment your customer list for your email campaign and make sure materials were in the language of the customers you were targeting?

 

[a4nthony]

I'm a little confused - why did he decide to take over a business that wasn't making money, if he didn't understand the marketplace or how to promote the business.

Good question. Long answer really, i'm still confused myself tbh. He was offered it as the owners were in dispute over something and he got it cheap. I don't really understand it myself, i'm not sure I would have done it, but he's a bit gunho!

 

[a4nthony]

By the way did you segment your customer list for your email campaign and make sure materials where in the language of the customers you were targeting?

In a nutshell, no ! But I think I will suggest that. Thanks.

 

[ethical PR]

I think there's no point sending out any marketing activity until he has a marketing plan in place that helps him understand how to market his business. He should make sure he uses an agency or freelance that understands his target market. For example if he is targeting Eastern Europeans there are agencies that specialise in these communities.