Ok, you caught us. Link bait title… but hey, you clicked it and you’re already here so you may as well read the article!
Now that we’ve given Brian Halligan the chance to return to his seat after falling out of it, let’s take a look at 3 common excuses companies use when asked why they have not yet begun implementing Inbound Marketing and why those excuses hold no water.
“I’m not a writer.”
Yes, Inbound Marketing is very heavily implemented through the use of content; including on-page, off-page and social content. Some firms or businesses (especially smaller ones) hear this and automatically give up. They assume that in order to delight their future and present customers through the use of content they have to first hold a degree in English literature, or at the very least an honorable mention certificate from their 5th grade spelling bee. Well, I have neither of those and I’m slapping words all over this article like Picasso slapping his brush against a canvas. Booyah!
The good news is there are ways around the issue for our writing impaired friends.
- Recycle and Reuse: more often than not, there is more than enough fodder for content already floating around on your website. Do you have an FAQs page? Try reworking some of those questions and answers into an article. They don’t need to be perfect, they simply need to help visitors along their buyers journey.
- Practice: maybe not the answer you were looking for, but the best way to get better at something is to practice. Start small, writing a few paragraphs here and there. Take your time and be proactive. Before you know it you’ll be churning out 500 word articles before you’ve finished your second cup of coffee.
- Outsource: again, maybe not what you wanted to hear, but the importance of content is worth a small investment. Freelance writers and college students are a great place to start if you’re looking for quick content help, or if you need a more well-rounded solution feel free to contact AHA Factory here.
“Our company is too small for Inbound Marketing.”
Ummm, what!?! I have to say, this excuse makes zero sense, but I have heard it. This excuse is usually born out of a fundamental misunderstanding of what Inbound Marketing is and what one needs to do in order to tackle it. I can assure you, if your company has a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc) or any kind of web presence at all then you are NOT too small to engage in Inbound Marketing. If your company does not have a web presence at all I have two questions; why are you reading this article, and what did you google in order for this blog article to be offered up as a search result? Actually I have a third question. Why don’t you have a web presence? According to this report from Forrester Research, digital marketing spend is expected to surpass television advertising for the first time in history in 2017.
“I don’t have time for Inbound Marketing”
Ehhhhh, wrong again. This excuse often comes directly following the first excuse. One of the greatest achievements of mankind was the idea of specialization. I bring this up because even if you think YOU don’t have enough time for Inbound Marketing there are digital marketing agencies who can help. This is the beauty of specialization. You don’t have to do it all yourself!
I have to place a declaration here. Inbound Marketing DOES take time. Just like any decent marketing plan, it takes time to strategize, implement, analyze and tweak. If you are expecting to see ROI in a few short weeks then you will need to adjust your expectations. However, for those with the patience and perseverance, a recent 2016 study from MIT showed that businesses using Hubspot (an Inbound Marketing tool) resulted in 3X more leads generated per month within one year. So in this case, patience is not just a virtue it’s a successful business strategy.
So the next time someone in your marketing department (whether that is a real person or just a voice inside your head) brings up Inbound Marketing as a plausible solution to increasing leads, customers, sales and profits do yourself a favor and shut out the excuses.