It absolutely does! This isn’t just a trend; inbound marketing is here to stay because it works. ROI has been proven through case studies done by large corporations and small businesses alike. When done properly, it provides a less expensive and efficient lead generation source as well as an opportunity to develop thought leadership in your industry. Forbes even said, “2013 may finally be the year when content marketing (aka: inbound marketing) becomes a mainstream discipline in marketing departments.”
Thought leadership is a critical part of the inbound marketing process and it’s developed by the consistent publishing of relevant, quality content that your clients and prospects find valuable. Your content should be interesting, sometimes challenging, and always sharable. Being a Thought Leader means you are viewed as an authority figure in your industry and to your target audience.
This is important because it starts a relationship with potential customers and strengthens your relationship with current customers. They don’t just look to you as a slinger of products or services, but instead as a useful resource.
Most inbound marketing campaigns take 6-9 months from launch date to start seeing a return on your investment. The single biggest factor is how dedicated you are to creating consistent content on a regular basis (this typically means at least 3 posts a week) but results will increase as the number of posts a week and the number of pieces of premium content you create go up.
Like all marketing, you must understand that inbound marketing takes time – especially when it’s done right – but time and time again, inbound marketing proves to be the most effective method for establishing thought leadership, improving your SEO, engaging with your target audience, driving leads, and creating new customers.
The amount of time you will need to devote each week to your inbound marketing will vary based on what level of service you have with The Center for Sales Strategy. However, the first 90 days is typically the most demanding because you must get your blog up and running, develop your inbound marketing strategy, and create a lot of content before the launch. Once the blog is launched and you have a steady feed of blog posts coming in from your team of writers – the time commitment will then begin to decrease.
All clients must be able to commit to a 45-60 minute inbound marketing phone call each week with their Inbound Marketing Consultant, as well as a varying amount of time to accomplish that week’s action items. It’s safe to plan on 5-10 hours a week as a minimum, typically distributed amongst a few key members of your designated inbound marketing team including your blog writers. As with most things in life, what you put in is what you get…
However, if you do not feel you can commit this much time for our Basic service, it’s a good idea to consider our Premium or Professional service levels which will take more of the work off your plate and put it into the hands of our team.
This year we celebrate our 30th anniversary. We are a sales performance company working with companies of all types, helping them to improve their overall sales performance. This includes everything from selecting the most talented salespeople and managers, to providing world-class sales training and the development of tactics that drive revenue. Part of our sales process is focused on finding and selecting the best prospects and positioning your brand correctly in the mind of the prospect. This brings us to inbound marketing… we believe there is nothing better than having qualified prospects calling you!
The simple answer is yes, you could definitely do it on your own, and many companies successfully do. Though most of these companies have a full-time inbound marketing employee (or entire team). With The Center for Sales Strategy’s services, you’ll have a subscription to the leading inbound marketing software available (HubSpot) and exclusive access to a team of inbound marketing experts and resources. Our team will guide you through the entire process, step by step, ensuring you utilize your HubSpot software effectively. We have plan options for every company type and size to help fit your needs and ensure you see results.
We like to use the analogy of a top-notch NASCAR racing team to explain your inbound marketing experience working with us. HubSpot paired with your entire website is the best racecar on the market and your consistent, quality content is the high-octane fuel that drives it. What is a racecar full of fuel without the best pit crew and driver behind the wheel? That’s where you and The Center for Sales Strategy come together – you need both to win. And last but not least, those raving fans that paint your number on their face… those are the fans that share your content on their Facebook or LinkedIn page and subscribe to your blog.
You must be committed to following suggestions and guidelines to the best of your ability in order to ensure success in your inbound marketing endeavors. This includes a dedicated point of contact who will follow agreed upon timelines, attend scheduled meetings, and be responsible for providing feedback to our team.
If you designate money for marketing, then you have already designated money for inbound marketing. Businesses of all sizes are reallocating their marketing budget to include a more balanced distribution of dollars between outbound and inbound marketing. We can help you come up with an integrated marketing plan that will benefit your current marketing efforts and allow you to see the benefits of inbound marketing.
Chances are, you’re a better writer than you think, and we have many tips and training resources to help you convey all the knowledge you have about your company, industry, and experiences into an interesting and compelling blog post. If you’re still not convinced, or just don’t think you have the time or manpower, we have service options that include outsourcing content creation for you to ensure you are consistently publishing content.
First and foremost, you can expect top notch, hands on consulting from inbound marketing experts who understand your business. We’ll guide you through the entire process from technical assistance to strategic planning, and you’ll have a dedicated Inbound Marketing Consultant who you’ll talk with on a weekly or bi-weekly scheduled 1-hour phone call. You’ll receive an agenda before and recap after each call. Plus, you’ll have access to our customized resources (only available to clients) that will further your education and inbound marketing knowledge.
At The Center for Sales Strategy we work with companies of all types. We have a core client base made up of some of the top media and advertising companies, as well as B2B clients ranging from staffing to consulting companies. Pretty much any type of business seeking lead generation and thought leadership in their industry is an ideal candidate for inbound marketing.
In our research, we’ve found HubSpot to be the best and most innovative inbound marketing software and Content Optimization System (COS) available. As a certified partner, our inbound marketing services and training go hand in hand with HubSpot so it is strongly recommended that you use HubSpot as your CMS for your inbound marketing efforts. However, several of our clients use WordPress for their website and would rather use WordPress as the CMS for their blog as well. HubSpot integrates well with WordPress and other popular CMSs and even though you are not using HubSpot for your CMS you can still utilize the powerful HubSpot tools. Regardless of your situation we can work with you to figure out the best option for your business.
Yes, HubSpot has an API (Application Programming Interface) that integrates with SalesForce.com. Integration of HubSpot with your SalesForce.com or other CRM is not part of The Center for Strategy's HubSpot Installation as this is more involved than a basic installation. Because HubSpot is capturing lead intelligence and data on your prospects and customers you can also use the CRM features of HubSpot for a basic CRM.
The service level you choose as part of your inbound marketing services with The Center for Sales Strategy does not include your HubSpot subscription. Though we do facilitate the subscription and set-up the software for you. The HubSpot package you choose will primarily depend on the number of estimated contacts you’ll be marketing to – which we’ll assist you in figuring out.
Yes, you will have your own account through HubSpot, as well as access to some of the best inbound marketing resources from in-depth training and webinars, to 24/7 technical support.
On The Center for Sales Strategy blog, we regularly post inbound marketing tips and tactics; you can find all of our posts as part of the Inbound Edge on our blog. We’ve also compiled some of our favorite resources below for you to explore:
Download these FAQ's as a PDF here.
Have more questions about inbound marketing or the services we offer? Set up a free consultation today with one of our inbound marketing experts!
