Inbound marketing has been an effective tool used by companies both large and small. But the methods incorporated vary from business to business, some being more efficient than others. Advertising your products or services to customers is important, but can be a frustrating experience, if you don’t know what you’re doing. Most salespeople like the idea of inbound marketing because there are no cold calls or chasing down prospects. You just focus on bringing the leads in to you. This is a tactic that SEO companies use all of the time.
One reason marketers dislike outbound marketing is because it’s intrusive. However, if you look closer at some inbound marketing techniques used by local SEO companies, you’ll see that many of them are borderline intrusive. This is why it’s important to assess your campaigns and how they’re faring, because if there’s one thing we all know it’s that consumers really don’t like being marketed to.
Let’s take a look at some of the key differences between inbound marketing and interruption marketing.
What is Interruption Marketing?
The term interruption marketing perfectly describes the style of marketing it defines. It’s when someone is interrupted from their flow of activity by an advertisement or message. It’s important to note that this type of marketing accounts for less than 10 percent of all clicks on the Internet, so it’s obviously not that effective and should be avoided. It also costs you more per new customer acquisition. The costs for this type of marketing is generally static and is powered by budget and repetition.
Here’s a quick look at the different forms of interruption marketing that are used:
- Paid/rented email lists
- Throwaway press releases
- Pop-ups and pop-unders
- Contextual ads
- Search spam
- Banner and display ads
- Paid app reviews
- Video ads
- Majority of social media advertising
- Interstitial pages
Inbound Marketing at it’s Finest
So why is inbound marketing effective? Because numbers show that it accounts for at least 90 percent of all clicks on the Internet. The average cost to acquire new customers is also lower. Inbound marketing is when you earn the attention of customers organically, without interrupting their path. Once you put an inbound marketing strategy into motion, it gains momentum and makes all of your future initiatives easier. Rather than being powered by budget and repetition, it’s driven by creativity, talent and effort – something only the best SEO companies deliver on.
Here’s a look at some of the forms of inbound marketing used today:
- Search Engine Optimization and PPC
- Opt-in email lists
- Writing books and print media
- Press and public relations
- Blogging
- Public speaking
- Word of mount and viral marketing
- Video content
- Organic app store visibility
- Content creation and marketing
- Earned social media
- Influencer outreach
The key to making your marketing strategy less interruptive and more engaging is to work with an SEO company that can formulate a solid strategy based around your business and audience. The tactics search engine optimization companies use are designed to get people to act on their own. So rather than telling people to go buy a house, content is written about what to look for when buying a home. It’s a more clever way to get people to give you a call – offer advice and people are more likely to interact with your brand when they decide it’s time to act.
Of course, this doesn’t rule out using calls to action at the end of content – this isn’t as extreme as an entire piece being sales-oriented.
If you need help with your inbound marketing, consider working with one of the reputable local SEO companies.