If you’ve done any research on marketing, the concept of “inbound marketing” has likely popped up on your radar. It’s a buzzword for a reason. At root, inbound marketing is about getting your customers to come to you and is compared to outbound marketing, which focuses on product- or service-centric strategies. But here’s where it gets fascinating — inbound marketing is not something that most companies can ever completely master on their own. That’s when inbound marketing agenciy come in.
In this blog post, you’ll learn what an inbound marketing agency does, and how they fit in your overall marketing strategy, and why bringing one in might make all the difference for your business.
Realizing the Importance of an Inbound Marketing Agency
An inbound marketing agency focuses on aligning business objectives with customer-centred strategies. Instead of interrupting customers using things like cold calling or paid media blasts, inbound agencies develop content, tools, and resources designed to draw potential customers to your site in a more natural way.
Their mission? Forge durable links between your audience members and your brand by answering customers’ problems at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
Key Team Members
Here’s what they tend to look like:
The Strategy Developers take an exam of your business objectives, your potential customers and the trends of industry. They lay out a strategy that includes content, SEO, social media, and more.
Content Creators produce top shelf blog posts, ebooks, videos and other marketing collateral that are valuable to your prospects.
Web Designers A fantastic website is a business’ best marketing tool, and Web Designers and Developers make sure your site purrs like a kitten on a back road, tweaking the knobs of user experience, and search engine optimization.
Data Analysts are conducting analysis to find areas of improvement and they confirm that your marketing efforts are operating correctly.
When these skills come together, inbound marketing agencies serve as your good buddy in attracting the right leads and converting them into raving fans.
A Brief Comparison With Traditional Marketing
Inbound marketing’ agencies are few and far between regarding agencies concerned with outbound strategies. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Category | Inbound Marketing Agency | Traditional Marketing Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Generating and nurturing leads with content | Directly advertising for products |
| Channels Used | Blogging, SEO, email, and social media | television, print, posters, cold calls |
| Approach | Pull (drawing customers in) | Push (pushing in front of customers) |
| Customer Journey | Leads the full cycle of the buyer | Tends to be limited to the awareness level |
Core Services Provided by an Inbound Marketing Agency
There are a number of services within an inbound marketing agency that, together, can form complete campaigns. Here is what you will normally find:
Content Marketing
Inbound tactics are driven by content marketing. Agencies formulate a variety of content types including:
Instructive blog posts that appear in search results and solve customer problems.
Ebooks and whitepapers built to offer deep value and convince to download.
Videos, such as explainers or testimonials, that engage and educate viewers.
The top-performing agencies leverage customer personas to craft every content asset directly toward the perfect audience.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
The greatest content in the world won’t move the needle if it doesn’t get seen. This is one reason why inbound marketing agencies focus so much on SEO. Their services include:
Researching and writing keyword-driven web page and blog posts.
Optimizing site speed, structure, and mobile compatibility for higher search rankings.
Backlink/On-page SEO work is a gold mine.
Social Media Marketing
3 Social Media Social media is a big play for inbound strategies, and agencies like to lend a hand:
Publish relevant content according to the nature of each platform.
Interact with your followers to build relationships.
Launch paid ad campaigns that are aimed to drive traffic from all sides.
Nurturing Leads and Email Campaigns
Inbound agencies help cultivate those relationships by keeping prospect customers in their flock with:
Drip campaigns set at different buyer stages.
Customized offers to incentivize conversions.
If you are just getting started and are looking to build your business: * Periodic newsletters that provide you with updates and business tips.
Web Site Design and Optimization
Your website is the focal point of your inbound marketing strategy. Agencies ensure it is:
Easy to navigate.
Conversion optimized (with focused calls-to-action and lead capture forms).
Developed to be fully responsive across all devices.
Analytics and Reporting
In the world of inbound marketing, data rules. Agencies will:
Keep monitor of website traffic, engagement and lead gen numbers.
Tracking which content is doing well and why.
Iteratively adapt strategies using insights.
The Advantages of Recruiting an Inbound Marketing Agency
Now that we’ve covered what visual elements inbound marketing agencies offer, let’s walk through what working with one can do for your business:
Save Time and Resources
Inbound Firms cannot be built overnight, inbound is a long-term commitment and you need a considerable commitment in time and resources to make it work effectively. When you outsource to an agency, your internal team is unburdened to concentrate on other elements of the business.
Tap Into Expertise
That niche is what inbound marketing agencies specialize in. They employ teams of talented professionals who keep an eye on industry trends so that your strategy is always up to date.
Generate Quality Leads
Inbound strategies are about bringing in people who are already interested in your product. What this equates to for companies is more qualified leads, higher conversion rates, and higher ROI.
Achieve Better Results
Agencies have access to the right tools, analytics and experience to make campaign adjustments that drive the greatest performance. They can see what’s working and pivot if they need to in an effort to reach your desired results.
Foster Customer Loyalty
Trust is slowly gained as you offer value with content. This natural progression nurtures lifetime loyalty and repeat business.
Inbound Marketing Agency – Is It Right for You?
Not all businesses are quite there yet for an inbound agency partnership. Here are a few things to ask yourself before you go for it:
Is there a specific audience with whom you identify?
Are we unable to create high-quality leads with our existing practices?
Is a full inbound program too much work, or beyond our capabilities, to launch?
Do we really want big, long-term gains or just quick, ephemeral returns?
If the response to these questions is a “yes,” then a partnership with an inbound marketing agency may be the best decision your firm can make.
Bring Your Business to The Next Level with The Inbound Marketing Agency
Inbound marketing agencies aren’t suppliers. They’re strategic advisers who help you build a customer-focused approach to growing your business.
If you want to bring in more high-quality leads, increase visibility online, or create lasting customer relationships, inbound marketing is the way to go, and an inbound marketing agency has the experience and resources to make it happen.
Not sure yet? Contact now for a consultation on how they can customize your strategies for you.
