Inbound Marketing - Great Post by Saleshub

A great article by Matthew Cook at Saleshub.  Here is the "meat" of his position.  Link to article and some AWESOME resources below;
*SMSLive is designed with this concept in mind.  We call it engagement marketing but the premise is very complimentary.  Our solution can be the digital layer to drive engaging, inbound, high-quality leads.
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By Matthew Cook, SalesHub

When sales are down, you know you have to do something. Sales make your business go ‘round, after all. If they’re dropping, so are your profits. Your company might not continue to be sustainable. You might have an uncertain future.
As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to take the steps required to increase your sales. If your old sales and marketing tactics aren’t working anymore, it may be time to admit that you need inbound marketing.
Inbound can allow you to stay competitive in today’s new digital era of sales and marketing in order to continue to make the sales you need to survive.
What Is Inbound Marketing?Inbound marketing was created in response to the new sales process. Thanks to the Internet, consumers are now smarter than ever before. They know more about their needs, the products and services available to them, and the companies they want to purchase from. And they like it. They want to take control of the sales process, making their own decisions on their terms. And to do so, they’re going online.
Inbound matches this new sales process so you can meet consumers on their terms. It’s not about interruptions like traditional marketing, it’s about attraction. It’s about getting your company found online, connecting and building trust with prospects, and delivering content to the right people at the right time in order to increase your sales. Then, it’s about delighting customers so they continue to buy from you, spread the word, and deliver more sales to you through referrals and word of mouth.
In today’s business environment, your company needs inbound marketing in order to boost sales. You can’t expect customers to adapt to the way you market and sell—it’s up to you to adapt to the new way they buy. And inbound allows you to do that.
Attracting LeadsHaving trouble increasing your sales through the use of billboard, TV, and radio ads? Direct mail brochures? Cold calls from bought call lists? We’re not surprised. People don’t want to be interrupted anymore with your messages and they’re not listening. If you want to increase your sales in today’s market, you need to start attracting leads instead of chasing them down.
With the use of inbound marketing tactics, such as search engine optimization, pay-per-click ads, and social media, you can create and share relevant and informative content that your target audience wants—and that your audience is actually seeking out online. With inbound, you can give people what they want, so they keep going to your website to learn more. Once you have generated this traffic, you’re on to conversion.
Converting LeadsOnce you have driven traffic to your website, you can then convert these web visitors into leads. You can do this with other inbound marketing techniques, such as landing pages and calls to action, to entice users to give you their contact information in exchange for an enticing offer, such as a whitepaper or ebook download.
Closing CustomersWith this contact information, you can then close customers in order to increase your sales. You create a lead nurturing campaign focused on sending targeted email messages to move your leads down the sales funnel until they’re ready to purchase from you. Once these leads are sales ready, you can pass them on to your sales reps, who will then close the deals.
Use a Digital Marketing Agency to See ResultsDone correctly, inbound marketing will increase your sales so you can stay profitable and competitive. But the process can be relatively complex to get right. If you’re not an expert, it’s best to let a professional digital marketing agency handle the delicate work for you. Engaging an agency can ensure that your efforts are effective so you can see a high ROI.
Again, check out this article written by Matthew Cook, not Me!, at: