Inbound & Outbound Marketing Trends for 2019

When potential customers are researching potential solutions, are they finding your company? Inbound marketing makes sure you are showing up in search, social media, and mobile when people are looking for products or services. Outbound marketing is about reaching out and finding customers through targeted approaches such as email marketing and ABM (Account Based Marketing).

In 2019, using both inbound and outbound strategies will be critical to making your business grow. Here are some of the strategies successful companies are using to attract business.

Inbound Marketing

The secret ingredient to inbound marketing is creating valuable, relevant, and helpful content to create a positive impression in future customers’ minds. It’s not an ad. It’s important information that people will want to read or seek out. By sharing your expertise and insight, that matches with a prospect’s need expressed at a search engine or social media site, you are positioning yourself as an expert when they need you. This attracts qualified prospects and builds both trust and credibility.

The best inbound marketing agency can entice people to connect and leads to conversions.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

61% of marketers say improving their SEO and growing their organic presence is the top marketing priority heading into 2019, according to HubSpot. Nearly 80% of search users are ignoring paid placements and only focus on organic results.

Make sure your digital marketing efforts are optimized for organic search. In 2019, we expect to see an increase in Voice search as well. Already Google reports that 20% of search queries on its mobile app are using voice. That number will only grow. Is your website and content optimized for voice search?

Mobile

There are more than 200 million smartphones in the U.S. now. More than 80% of mobile phone owners have smartphones and it’s likely much higher for B2B customers. It’s no wonder that mobile has become the dominant way businesses are searching and seeking out information.

You need to make sure your efforts are optimized for mobile. Smart Insights reports that 47% of the top 20 keywords rank differently on mobiles versus desktop.

Local

Did you know that a third of searches are related to location? If you’re not optimized for local, you are missing a significant opportunity. Google reports that 50% of mobile users who search locally will make contact within one day. 28% result in a purchase.

Social Media

Social media continues to be a way to reach B2B buyers. It’s a great way to market your content to key audiences to help them find you. Search helps when people are looking for information. Social helps put your message in front of people that may not be searching, but still need what you have.

Despite negative news around Facebook, it still reported 1.49 billion daily average users in its third-quarter 2018 earnings report – an increase of 9% year over year. That doesn’t include all the potential customers on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms.

Outbound Marketing

Outbound marketing is about creating and sending targeted educational messages to prospects you have identified to get them to engage with you. If there isn’t already a relationship, it can be fighting for your prospects’ attention with every other form of media and marketing. It takes a lot of money (and a fair amount of it is wasted) trying to reach a mass audience. That’s why a strategic targeted approach with an outbound marketing agency will work better for your outbound marketing in 2019.

Email Marketing

Did you know the average person deletes nearly half the emails they get every day without reading them? That mass deletion takes them less than 5 minutes to do, so the subject line becomes critical in getting their attention – especially if you haven’t formed a relationship yet.

You can automate your campaigns to reach people over time by “drip-feeding” them relevant information and leading them through the sale funnel. By sequentially targeting prospects that might benefit from your product or service, you can grow their interest level and generate leads.

The most effective email campaigns are customized and targeted. That’s why Account-Based Management (ABM) will be a key strategic tool for businesses in 2019.

Account-Based Marketing

Account-Based Marketing is one of the most effective methods of reaching B2B buyers.  It is the ideal solution for marketing to known companies. ABM programs allow you to connect directly with strategic prospects with a multi-touch approach by choosing the ideal prospects and targeting them with personalized messages.

By connecting with pre-qualified prospects directly through outreach efforts including email and social media, ABM generates leads, supports your sales channels, and helps establish (and strengthen) business relationships.

It’s a great way to keep you and your company front and center with your best prospects. This approach puts content in front of prospects rather than wait for them to find you.  With a personal approach, you can cut through the clutter and keep prospects engaged with your company. The better you know their business and can address their specific “pain points,” the more success you will have.

Inbound Marketing or Outbound Marketing?

Both inbound marketing and outbound marketing put the prospective customer at the center. Providing them with valuable content helps position you as a thought leader and expert. Working with an agency that excels in the inbound marketing agency business and the outbound marketing agency business is crucial to your success. Combining the two strategies allows for a continuity of messaging and multiple ways to reach your best prospects and new prospects as you grow your business in 2019.

Interested in Inbound or Outbound Marketing? Request a complimentary marketing audit.