It was long thought that the essence of marketing was to go out and find customers where they were. With the rise of the Internet and social-networks, it's now possible to generate an attraction strong enough that it's the customers who find you. How? By becoming your own media!

Your core business? The beacon of your Inbound Marketing strategy!

What is the definition of Inbound Marketing?

Inbound marketing is about getting customers to come to you instead of going out and getting them through three media: digital, public relations and press relations.

It is now through supply that demand is driven and not the other way around.

Take the example of the Iphone or the Expresso machine. These are not objects born of a needs analysis.

They have established themselves through their strong power of attraction.
Inbound marketing works on the same principle.

What's new in Inbound Marketing ?

This concept has been around for several years.

In fact, we have been talking for several years about pull marketing, i.e. attracting people, making customers come to you instead of going to look for them thanks to all the digital strategies. 

But these steps that go from seduction to conviction for achieve loyalty did not have digital support.

Today, prospects know as much as the salesperson. It's a total paradigm shift: to convince a prospect, it's no longer the authoritarian, discriminating argument that works but it's sharing.

We are no longer in a circuit of decision but of influence.

It is no longer the salesperson who sells, but it is the person who makes up his or her own mind thanks to influences he or she will have had through colleagues, family, those he or she credits with some expertise.

The influence circuit that starts with ambassadors (people who are very attached to the brand), then early adopters (people who have just bought the brand and therefore are very supportive of it), then down to influencers, then decision makers, and finally to users.

The goal of Inbound Marketing is to turn your site into a lead magnet!

What happens to the seller in an Inbound Marketing approach?

Some say that the  "formerly hunter seller has become game.

In reality, the salesperson must integrate the sharing society, the collaborative one and no longer be in a direct and unilateral sales attitude. He must have a advisory role that shares information.

Inbound marketing is an approach that closely associates the marketing manager and the sales manager. One cannot succeed without the other.

The marketing manager is tasked with raising inbound leads but it is the salesperson who must take over at some point.

What are the limitations of inbound marketing?

There really isn't any. At worst, you can imagine too much content. People convinced by this notion of sharing, of collaborative community want too densely to send back information.

This allows them to enter into a stalking strategy with a clear conscience: "I'll send you a white paper, maybe it's not enough for you so I'll send you a second one, etc. ".

So you have to be careful to always stay in tune with your prospects.

(This article is excerpted from the article published here).