When HubSpot introduced the revolutionary concept of inbound marketing in 2005, our eyes were opened. Instead of resorting to labor-intensive and tired approaches like cold calls and to extremely costly approaches like commercials, inbound marketing comes at us from a different angle, and suddenly, we find ourselves drawing customers through online content platforms, including social media, blogs, videos, and more.
Two Reasons for Turning to Inbound Marketing
The two primary reasons inbound marketing stands out from other forms of marketing include:
- Millennials
- Value on the dollar
Millennials
Millennials are out there. In fact, they’re poised to outnumber boomers in the next ten years or so. These millennials have a lot of purchasing power, and they are very inclined – thank you very much – to turn to their devices to do their shopping. Millennials aren’t waiting for commercials to inspire their purchases, and they tend to do their own research when it comes to making purchase decisions – often by Googling reviews and hitting up contacts on social media. Millennials have refined their personalized shopping experience to the point that they’re irritated when intrusive outbound marketing invades their online space. Millennials, in other words, take a don’t call us, we’ll call you approach, which meshes well with inbound marketing.
Value on the Dollar
There isn’t a business out there that isn’t looking to maximize its marketing dollars, and inbound marketing is an unmitigated bargain. In fact, CallRail has crunched the numbers, and after eyeballing over 129 million calls that were made over ten months in 2020, shares that it is official, inbound marketing makes small businesses an offer they can’t afford to refuse.
Call Tracking Makes Its Mark
Inbound marketing is the gold standard, and call tracking is the jewel in its crown. With call-tracking software, unique phone numbers are interwoven throughout your marketing efforts. This allows you to not only see caller data but also to accurately attribute calls directly to their sources – providing you with a bird’s eye view into the effectiveness of your inbound marketing campaign.
By Way of Example
If you are a small business that sells flooring, for example, your landing page is out there, and it’s important for you to know what source ultimately motivates your customers to make those big-ticket calls. Once a home owning duo decides that it’s time for new flooring, they do their due diligence and give things a Google, which – at some point – leads them to your landing page, which – in turn – guides them on a journey through your Facebook page and beyond (to videos and customer reviews). At any juncture in this process, the homeowners with a hankering for flooring might give your business a call – and the most valuable nugget of information you can glean from this call is what prompted it in the first place. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why inbound marketing invented call tracking.
The Industries with the Most to Gain
The vast majority of industries that CallRail included in its study generated the vast majority of their leads from inbound calls. Those industries that generate the highest call volumes also generate the most valuable data related to inbound marketing. Based on their research of a cool 129 million calls, CallRail highlights several industries that are well-positioned to reap the most-generous rewards from their investments in call tracking.
Advertising and Marketing Agencies
Advertising and marketing agencies are obviously at the forefront of the inbound marketing explosion, and they’re similarly positioned to benefit from its progeny (call tracking). This leads to a trickle-down effect for those small businesses that avail themselves of what advertising and marketing agencies have on offer.
Real Estate and Real Estate Investing
The real estate industry has a long and storied history with outbound marketing, but the millennial-heavy market leaves it well-positioned to focus more keenly on inbound marketing. Because millennials are loath to answer their phones, the script is being flipped, and inbound marketing is finding very solid footing.
Those Industries with Long Sales Cycles
Some products and services are more complex to purchase than others, and even the most robust inbound marketing efforts – including how-to videos, compelling blog posts, and handy chatbots – can’t keep up with their customers’ overall questions and concerns. For these industries, call tracking allows them to continually mine lead-generated data. These industries include (in descending percentage of inbound call volume):
- Automotive dealerships
- Financial services
- Education
- Software and technology
Call Tracking: What’s It All About?
Call tracking – as the name implies – allows you not only to track who calls your business but also to engage in all of the following:
- Directing incoming calls to a specific person or department in your company
- Compiling a detailed archive of customer convos
- Following the roadmap provided on your ongoing journey toward developing deeper customer relationships and moving the needle on their purchase decisions
The Journey Toward Purchase
To return to our homeowners in the market for new flooring, their purchase journey is generally more complicated than, say, picking up a new snow shovel. The basic steps toward a purchase, however, remain the same and include:
- Identifying a need – These floors have seen better days.
- Exploring one’s options – Getting out there and giving flooring companies a Google.
- Fleshing out requirements – Reading reviews and reaching out to contacts on social media for their input.
- Landing on a supplier – Heading over to the landing page of a flooring store or two and checking out their selections.
For more intricate sales cycles, businesses need to be nimble and better prepared to launch multiple conversations with multiple contacts over a longer span of time. By implementing call tracking, you are able to record conversation paths – allowing you to more skillfully anticipate your customers’ needs – which can translate to you playing a more pivotal role in their purchasing decisions.
Get in with the In-Crowd by Upping Your Inbound Marketing Game
Inbound marketing is your inroad into growing your online presence and maximizing your marketing dollars. If you’re ready to put some muscle behind your inbound marketing, look no further than The Web Guys. We have the marketing insight and acumen to help you help your inbound marketing work for you. When you’re ready, we’re here to connect with you or to take your call at (317) 805-4933.
