What is Inbound Marketing in practice?
Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2025 10:41 am
Inbound is not limited to content
If we are satisfied with the definition that we find everywhere on the web, we can assimilate Inbound to Content Marketing . Indeed, creating content is a major challenge to generate results.
However, the following actions are also essential:
Create conversion funnels
Fueling Leads’ Thinking Through Email Marketing
Ensure good lead management
Analyze and optimize your action plan
Implement a Marketing Automation solution
Inbound does not attract customers but prospects
This is what makes the definition found everywhere on the web false: Inbound Marketing does not attract customers but rather prospects. Leads more precisely.
However, as we have seen, the majority of Leads that you will generate with Inbound new zealand email list are not ready to buy.
Before you can generate a return on investment with Inbound Marketing, you will have to wait to attract qualified visitors and wait for the duration of your sales cycle to convert them into customers.
Inbound is Marketing/Sales alignment
I usually say that in Inbound, it's sales that do everything. Obviously, this is deliberately exaggerated to make an impression. However, without the sales department, you won't be able to generate results with Inbound.
Let's think.
Inbound is about putting in place actions to generate qualified leads that salespeople will convert into customers. There are two key points here:
First: if Marketing doesn't have the same vision of a qualified Lead as sales, it won't work.
Second: If commerce doesn't provide the same experience to leads as marketing, there will be a breakdown in the process and the chances of converting will be reduced to zero.
Inbound Marketing is therefore nothing without commerce. This is also why we also talk about Inbound Sales .
Inbound is not just a Marketing topic
As you may have noticed in my definition of Inbound, I often omit the word Marketing from the concept. This is not to save time but to avoid conveying the misconception that it is only a Marketing topic.
Inbound is a business topic.
Salespeople are concerned, as we have just seen. Management is also concerned because it is the one that invests, but not only that. It must also support its teams in the change.
The after-sales service is concerned, the production service or even the quotation service. If a horde of prospects and customers arrive, it will be necessary to ensure.
Even the HR department has a responsibility in the success of Inbound. Recruiting is sometimes necessary. Reviewing contracts and objectives is often essential.
There you have it, now you know the real definition of Inbound Marketing but dozens of questions must come to mind!
Here are the answers.
What is Inbound Marketing: The FAQ
How to do Inbound Marketing?
Inbound Marketing is creating content to attract visitors, creating conversion funnels to convert them into Leads, fueling the purchasing thinking of these Leads to bring them to maturity, converting them into customers and making them your best ambassadors.
All that. But concretely?
I encourage you to consult our Inbound Marketing guide which will present to you in detail the actions to take to implement a profitable strategy.
How long does it take to see results?
This question often comes up when we discuss the definition of Inbound Marketing.
Inbound Marketing takes time. A lot of time.
If you think that Inbound Marketing is a magic strategy, you are far from the truth but I think that after reading all this, you will no longer have any illusions.
Inbound Marketing requires at least 6 months to see initial results and 12 to generate a return on investment.
Why is Inbound so long?
The calculation is quite simple: it takes between 4 and 6 months to properly reference your content and therefore generate your first Leads. Then, you have to bring your Leads to maturity to convert them into customers and therefore into turnover. And there, the time required is based on the duration of your sales cycle .
Generally, the B2B sales cycle lasts at least 3 months when it is not 6, 12 months or even several years.
How much does Inbound Marketing cost?
Inbound Marketing costs on average between 20 and 80,000 euros each year. This price includes in particular the definition of the strategy, the acquisition of a Marketing Automation tool, the creation of content, all or part outsourced.
This envelope does not vary enormously depending on whether you outsource or manage your Inbound Marketing strategy internally.
Indeed, the time spent by one or more inexperienced employees is quite costly.
Want to know what Inbound Marketing budget you need to allocate to achieve your goals? Do the math!
Is Inbound Marketing Right for My Business?
Inbound Marketing works in all areas of business but the return on investment will be more significant if your company faces the following challenges:
Reduce the length of the sales cycle
Conveying the added value of a complex product/service
Evangelize your market
Generate qualified leads for your sales department
Besides that, you will need to make sure that you can allocate at least 2 days per week to this strategy.
If so, you can take advantage of the 7 great benefits of Inbound Marketing .
What risks do you face if you don't take action?
When it comes to a new project, we can quickly be tempted to put it off until later. Inbound Marketing is no exception to the rule, but be careful. If you don't take action quickly, you will run 4 risks:
Your competitors will do it before you;
You will miss out on prospects who are actively searching;
If we are satisfied with the definition that we find everywhere on the web, we can assimilate Inbound to Content Marketing . Indeed, creating content is a major challenge to generate results.
However, the following actions are also essential:
Create conversion funnels
Fueling Leads’ Thinking Through Email Marketing
Ensure good lead management
Analyze and optimize your action plan
Implement a Marketing Automation solution
Inbound does not attract customers but prospects
This is what makes the definition found everywhere on the web false: Inbound Marketing does not attract customers but rather prospects. Leads more precisely.
However, as we have seen, the majority of Leads that you will generate with Inbound new zealand email list are not ready to buy.
Before you can generate a return on investment with Inbound Marketing, you will have to wait to attract qualified visitors and wait for the duration of your sales cycle to convert them into customers.
Inbound is Marketing/Sales alignment
I usually say that in Inbound, it's sales that do everything. Obviously, this is deliberately exaggerated to make an impression. However, without the sales department, you won't be able to generate results with Inbound.
Let's think.
Inbound is about putting in place actions to generate qualified leads that salespeople will convert into customers. There are two key points here:
First: if Marketing doesn't have the same vision of a qualified Lead as sales, it won't work.
Second: If commerce doesn't provide the same experience to leads as marketing, there will be a breakdown in the process and the chances of converting will be reduced to zero.
Inbound Marketing is therefore nothing without commerce. This is also why we also talk about Inbound Sales .
Inbound is not just a Marketing topic
As you may have noticed in my definition of Inbound, I often omit the word Marketing from the concept. This is not to save time but to avoid conveying the misconception that it is only a Marketing topic.
Inbound is a business topic.
Salespeople are concerned, as we have just seen. Management is also concerned because it is the one that invests, but not only that. It must also support its teams in the change.
The after-sales service is concerned, the production service or even the quotation service. If a horde of prospects and customers arrive, it will be necessary to ensure.
Even the HR department has a responsibility in the success of Inbound. Recruiting is sometimes necessary. Reviewing contracts and objectives is often essential.
There you have it, now you know the real definition of Inbound Marketing but dozens of questions must come to mind!
Here are the answers.
What is Inbound Marketing: The FAQ
How to do Inbound Marketing?
Inbound Marketing is creating content to attract visitors, creating conversion funnels to convert them into Leads, fueling the purchasing thinking of these Leads to bring them to maturity, converting them into customers and making them your best ambassadors.
All that. But concretely?
I encourage you to consult our Inbound Marketing guide which will present to you in detail the actions to take to implement a profitable strategy.
How long does it take to see results?
This question often comes up when we discuss the definition of Inbound Marketing.
Inbound Marketing takes time. A lot of time.
If you think that Inbound Marketing is a magic strategy, you are far from the truth but I think that after reading all this, you will no longer have any illusions.
Inbound Marketing requires at least 6 months to see initial results and 12 to generate a return on investment.
Why is Inbound so long?
The calculation is quite simple: it takes between 4 and 6 months to properly reference your content and therefore generate your first Leads. Then, you have to bring your Leads to maturity to convert them into customers and therefore into turnover. And there, the time required is based on the duration of your sales cycle .
Generally, the B2B sales cycle lasts at least 3 months when it is not 6, 12 months or even several years.
How much does Inbound Marketing cost?
Inbound Marketing costs on average between 20 and 80,000 euros each year. This price includes in particular the definition of the strategy, the acquisition of a Marketing Automation tool, the creation of content, all or part outsourced.
This envelope does not vary enormously depending on whether you outsource or manage your Inbound Marketing strategy internally.
Indeed, the time spent by one or more inexperienced employees is quite costly.
Want to know what Inbound Marketing budget you need to allocate to achieve your goals? Do the math!
Is Inbound Marketing Right for My Business?
Inbound Marketing works in all areas of business but the return on investment will be more significant if your company faces the following challenges:
Reduce the length of the sales cycle
Conveying the added value of a complex product/service
Evangelize your market
Generate qualified leads for your sales department
Besides that, you will need to make sure that you can allocate at least 2 days per week to this strategy.
If so, you can take advantage of the 7 great benefits of Inbound Marketing .
What risks do you face if you don't take action?
When it comes to a new project, we can quickly be tempted to put it off until later. Inbound Marketing is no exception to the rule, but be careful. If you don't take action quickly, you will run 4 risks:
Your competitors will do it before you;
You will miss out on prospects who are actively searching;