Lead Generation & Nurturing for Your Architectural Firm

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This is the initial portion of a four part series dedicated to lead generation and lead nurturing process. No business can be successful with new client development without a strong understanding of this phase in the sales cycle.

Regardless of the methodology of lead generation you employ, in all probability your architectural firm will spend considerable time, energy and financial resources on lead generation. Some firms utilize direct mail, telemarketing, referral or customer-based marketing, trade shows, networking and a host of other strategies to generate leads and revenues. Others use their own particular formula for marketing and advertising. Lead generation and lead nurturing are top-of-the-funnel aspects of marketing and sales in every business; yours is no different.

This article is not about the strategy, it is about the process. As an inbound marketing agency our company, Zen Marketing, is in the business of teaching businesses how to generate more leads from their websites using content, but this is not a sales pitch today. Forget inbound marketing for the time being; let’s focus on the best approach to nurture the leads that you have generated.

One of the oldest clichés in the business world is “sales is a numbers game”. The number of customer sales transactions is the direct result of the number of “touches” the suspect experiences to convert to a prospect, to a qualified lead, to a sale. A touch might be an ad in the newspaper, meeting at a trade show, phone call, direct mail piece, or article found on the website. Every business is different; every marketing campaign is different. The sales cycle is what it is for your business; you know best the period of which we are referring to.

Those attempting to generate qualified leads, or prospects, if you will, will quickly learn precisely how long and what number of those suspects and prospects result in completed transactions (aka closed sales). In measuring this, a hard truth is exposed: there is major difference concerning “qualified” as opposed to “ready to purchase.”

Here is another truth. There will always be a percentage of “qualified” leads in the lead nurturing process that simply fail to generate a sale, just as there are those that make it all the way through the sales funnel, having received all of the lead nurturing they could ever hope for, and yet fall completely out of the pool of “sales-ready” prospective purchasers.

Statistics reveal that any architectural firm can consider approximately eighty percent of qualified prospects will ultimately make a purchase; however, there is no guarantee the transaction will hit your revenue report.

Lead Generation

We won’t be spending a lot of time on lead generation, because there are so much varied approaches that there are hundreds of books on the subject available for download on Amazon. The trick is realizing the difference between a suspect from a prospect; between a “lead” and a “qualified lead.”

Successful business-to-business marketing tactics include a broad and diverse range of tactics. Some of the most widely utilized include:

• Relationship marketing
• Content or Inbound marketing
• Direct or outbound marketing
• Online marketing
• Events 
• Tradeshows
• Educational workshops

When it comes to lead generation each tactic yields some amount of leads; but at what cost? And how efficiently are the leads created? The graph below, courtesy of our partner Hubspot®, reflects the sliding scale of the costs per lead. I provide this for information only, and won’t be discussing the benefits of one over the other, as it is for your firm to decide what strategies will be effective.

That said, nearly every any business card collected at a trade show is nothing more than a link to a suspect. Chances are that the person providing the card had a fanciful notion to share it because he or she:

• Behaviorally averse to confrontation- it’s easier and safer for them to simply string you along
• Was too bashful to say that something about your product or service caught their eye and nothing more
• Something from their past was brought to mind as a result of seeing your booth
• They love collecting business cards (you wouldn’t believe the number of cards that are given out and then thrown away when the person gets home)
• They ask for more information, only to gather further information to compare with your competitors

IN OUR NEXT POST ..... we take a serious look at lead nurturing.

Inbound Marketing: the Best Way to Drive Sales to New Levels

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Do you sometimes feel like your company is using social media and blogging but not getting the volume of leads you had hoped for? Are you stressing over the decision to invest more time, talent, and treasure into your marketing effort?

Or are you stuck in the old cold-calling paradigm? Heck, can a company survive this way in today's marketplace?

Jason Fried, writing for INC., articulates: “Existing companies always weigh the costs of new technology or talent against what it already has and usually sticks with what is familiar. Why? Because the marginal costs of using what you have are almost always lower than the full costs of investing in something new.”1

Established decisions makers don't think in terms of marginal costs. New companies don't base decisions like inbound marketing adoption on costs at all - rather they tend to pick what is best for the business. It's the key reason new businesses often displace established ones.  They have better tools.

Several of our clients had established outbound sales processes in place, lacked an email database to completely support a pure inbound marketing campaign, and needed a more rapid ramp up than an inbound marketing initiation would have generated. But, they had the vision to realize that a sales process based solely on cold calling was becoming dysfunctional.

One of them, the President of a manufacturing company, had been impressed with some of the content we had shared with them, from a LinkedIn group, and reached out to us. Yup- they called us!

We created a plan to blend the client's outbound culture with the inbound marketing process. One of the biggest misconceptions we see in interviewing potential clients is the "either/or" mentality many people have regarding these two disciplines. Outbound tactics are a great way to support a sales organization that is light on email contacts and doesn’t want to buy lists (and potentially risk being labeled a spammer. The solution we devised was to utilize Hubspot® as an internet environment to create warm calls where they might have only been cold ones before.

Inbound marketing is at its best when it supports a traditional sales effort, not merely trying to replace it. And this is never more evident than within an existing business trying to survive by using only an outbound marketing process.

We then created personas of the client’s target audience, asking and evaluating where they "play". We Identified ways to reach them with our blog, social media content, along with traditional marketing tactics. For example an architectural firm we work with found success with not only regularly posting new content on their website but also because we re-purposed the material into a great print article, e-book, or white paper and used it as a compelling direct mail piece. We made certain to add a unique URL to track results, designed a landing page specific to that audience (and message) and added a strong call to action.  Where we used to have daily quotas of phone calls, and frustrated sales people (and equally frustrated decision makers) we now have a process to drive more inbound leads plus we have the ability to measure the traffic and convert leads into prospects before the sales people even pick up the phone.

We are also using advertising using trade publications and other periodicals that fit the persona of the target audience industries. We have assigned sales people to trade shows and networking events and have armed them with unique business cards and/or brochures designed for that purpose, again all driving to specifically tailored landing pages.

And more often than not when the sales team acknowledges a response to a call to action and dials the phone the party on the other end is far more receptive to having a conversation. Our rate of new appointments has grown, and our close rates and new customer conversions will certainly follow. But that is on the sales manager… we are the outsourced marketing department, after all!

All of this has allowed the management team to consider eliminating sales territories all together and aligning salespeople into specific industries, creating expert solution providers not pitchy sales people. Imagine speaking with the sales person who has multiple success stories within your industry versus a guy who merely “handles your territory”!

Lastly, we could devote an entire article (perhaps we should) on the enhancements to organic search results as a byproduct of all of this new inbound traffic. A financial planning we enjoy working with previously invested around a thousand dollars monthly to improve their search engine results through SEO-generating activities.  With the use of good inbound marketing processes that company’s website ranking naturally improved, ultimately providing them with even more interested lead conversion opportunities.

Inbound marketing requires a good amount of time to generate momentum. Companies lacking a large existing email database to work with can see success with the adaptation of traditional marketing and sales methods to drive traffic and conversions is a great way to build the eventually conversion to an inbound only approach.

And it is far more efficient than cold calling on its own.

1- INC Magazine, October 2012 page 35

Inbound Marketing is the Fuel Source for Successful Sales Teams

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In your organization, is customer acquisition a “Seek” or “Get Found” mentality? If it is the latter, then you are ready for inbound marketing. If your firm’s belief system is that the sales department is responsible for lead generation, then, I am sorry to say, you just don’t get it. I don’t mean that to be rude, but factual. Most, if not all organizations, can effectively use an inbound marketing strategy included in their overall marketing.

Twenty-first century marketing is about “Getting Found,” so that your sales department has interested, warm leads with which to work. When all of the components of a robust, inbound marketing program are synchronized with your sales process, great things begin to happen. Not only is sales volume increased, but also costs decrease and Return on Investment improves. Don’t believe me, check out these statistics at MacLabs.

Successful sales teams operate in a constant state of "evolvement", especially now that most customers are researching their own potential purchases online. Sure, there are those stuck in the inkpot and quill stage, but the vast majority of today and tomorrow’s client base is operating in the digital realm. What is important to note, however, is that this methodology closes the gap on the sales process by producing candidates interested in what you have to say, and minimizes the cost and frustrations of cold calling, direct mail, and other forms of the traditional marketing methodology.

Between the current economic storm in which we live, as well as the growth of social media and inbound marketing strategies, you are facing issues that require immediate action just in order to survive. Not only is your marketing department challenged with improving the quality of leads for the sales department, they must do so under intense pressure to perform. Each revenue dollar is of maximum importance, and it can be difficult to determine where to place your shrinking marketing resources for the greatest impact and return. Marketing must produce the highest possible quality leads with the least expensive methods. The sales pipeline, filled with warm leads can result in a lower cost per lead, higher conversion to sales, and greater ROI. Industry giants have taken on the mantle of inbound marketing, and are ramping up their overall marketing strategies to include content generation, social media, webinars, video presentations and “persona” interactions, but what marketing strategies are best?

It is now becoming a widely accepted statement that social media is the “new” word of mouth advertising. The rapid adoption of blogging and social media as an integral part of organizational marketing objectives equates to those companies that simply “get it.” While no panacea, blogging and social media are an important facet in twenty-first century marketing. This type of marketing is the true fuel to sales generation, and successful sales teams understand this. As prospects come to organizations, having already researched the firm, the product and the corporate philosophy, it makes good sense to have the ability to conduct an intelligent conversation with them in a language they understand. Through the provision of engaging content, informative presentations, and relationship building, robust inbound marketing campaigns can better predict results.

The following rhetorical questions and statements are offered for your thought and for your consideration. If even one of them raises an eyebrow, or poses a concern, you should consider speaking with a professional inbound marketing agency today.

• How have the buying and selling processes changed, and why your understanding this is so important.
• Inbound marketing empowers the customer engagement process through awareness, inquiry, consideration, relationship, and purchase and customer retention. Is this process actively at work in your group?
• Do you presently have the capacity to forecast your marketing budget in relation to Return on Investment?
• How does compelling, engaging information (content) generate higher quality leads and quicker sales conversions?
• Inbound marketing strategies can be time consuming, but produce dramatically improved results over time. What is the financial impact?
• What are the considerations to include in the decision to “go inbound?”

As businesses and brands, we are at the mercy of the marketplace more now than ever. Conversations about our company brands are happening across the digital landscape, regardless of our approval and often without our knowledge. This new “word of mouth” is actively occurring. Social media will make heroes of some, while turning others into goats. Without active involvement in the dialogue, we have no say in the outcomes of those discussions. A comprehensive inbound marketing strategy provides an opportunity to have your say, inform, persuade, and defend your "reason for being" in the business space with which you play

If you are ready to see a detailed approach to how a robust inbound marketing process can make your sales organization more efficient, and more productive, contact Zen Marketing Inc. today.

There is Never a Penalty for Quality in Inbound Marketing.

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One of the questions Zen Marketing receive a lot relates to search engine optimization and website design.  Search engine optimization is really about driving the prominence of your website in a search, but seldom do you read about the website in its entirety. A good SEO plan should improve the search engine results plus the web visibility of each page contained within a website. Given that, is there a specific number of pages that a website should  to impact it's SEO? Can your website have too many pages?.

Since every business we work with is different, every business website we design and build is uniquely different as well. Obviously the size of a local automobile repair shop's website is going to be much smaller than an office products e-commerce website selling to customers on a national basis. So to answer the question from a design point of view, a business's website should have the number of pages that is right for them.

But how does this design-oriented approach relate to SEO?

It is important to keep a few things in mind. Today every major  search engine is motivated by the amount of new content. And while the search engines acknowledge (through their scoring) a website that is updated regularly they only truly reward websites that have lots of fresh, relevant, unique content. Thus, if you add pages just for the sake of affecting your SEO efforts the search engine spiders will actually rate you lower.

This is the very basis for the inbound marketing programs that we orchestrate for some of our clients. It impacts search results, improves lead conversion, and  drives additional revenue.

The key to good SEO is the same as good content creation-  keep your target audience in mind. If by creating one page that is nearly identical to another, and has similar information to another page, ruins the user experience then you must realize that it will also hurt you from an SEO perspective. The search engines will not know which page to rank for specific keywords, and in the end you will be simply competing with yourself. If the content is very similar it could even be considered duplicate content, which is also a negative to the search engines.

However, having too few pages can also negatively affect your SEO results. Why do people go to your website in the first place? Usually it is because they desire to learn more about a particular product or service that you offer. A website (just as any face to face meeting) must address questions or concerns that a prospective customer or existing client may have. If it doesn’t, you will fail to make an emotional  connection which is an important goal for your  website. Since the search engines want to provide users with the best possible results it is probable your site will not be considered a good result because your website content is lacking in scope.

When approaching website design and SEO we like to apply the KISS principal- Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Approach both design and search with a common sense direction and add or create what makes sense and do not force things or try to game the search engine process. Do not merely add pages for the sake of adding pages, there is not magic number of pages, and always remember that like your products or services it is the  quality of your content that will ultimately determine your search results.

If you want more customers remember, there is never a penalty for quality.

Inbound Marketing and the Affordable Care Act

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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides a classic example of why it is important to have a good marketing plan and a succinct message.

The 2,700-page healthcare law known as Obamacare is incredibly complex and poorly understood by the small business community. For example, very few of our clients are aware that there are tax credits contained in the law. These tax credits could help small businesses obtain healthcare coverage for their workers, if they don't already offer it, and/or lower the cost of coverage if they do. Yet a recent Wall Street Journal/Vistage International poll shows that 66 percent of small-business CEOs don't even know these credits exist, and another 24 percent think their business doesn't qualify.¹

An improvement in the flow of information between the administration and the small business owner could remedy this, solve a lot of the confusion, and create broader support for this landmark legislation. A proper approach to marketing might have alleviated much of the misunderstandings surrounding this important new law. Certainly the small business community would be better informed and far less  confused then they are today.

Marketing is all about winning over the minds of your audience. There are many examples of great products and services that failed because of misrepresented facts or a lack of clarity about the product or service. And without a strong message the competition becomes the only voice being heard.

Inbound marketing would have solved all of this! Imagine a PPACA website where business owners could download brief but focused white papers explaining the program, written in digestible, small pieces? Imagine articles created solely with the SMB owner point of view in mind? The IRS could have contributed information about the tax side, and the administration could have brought in the US Chamber of Commerce or other business groups to add content.

Blogs, forums, Q&A, surveys about how the SMB owners are integrating the new act into their companies would have been incredibly effective!

But if President Obama is reelected the opportunity to improve on this flow of information can really happen. Most of the provisions contained in the healthcare law don't go into effect until 2014. The administration would have ample time to liaise with business groups and develop a more effective flow of information.

People are fearful of change, especially change on such a grand scale. The best way to alleviate fear is with facts, not political hype. And regarding The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act there is more than enough hype, just not enough salient, succinct facts being provided to the owners of small businesses.

And the next time the administration (any administration) wants to pass another landmark legislation they should speak with a reputable marketing firm first!

¹ USNEWS.com

Are You Getting The Most From Your Web Presence?

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Be advised that some providers may impoose fees, while some offer a free limited/introductory package (and they will frequently attempt to up-sell you to a "premium" package). Look over the terms of service and make certain the additional fees are absolutely necessary. At Zen Marketing we recommend opting for a basic (especially if it is free!) service for a set period of time before considering upgrading. Let the provider prove they are working for you before investing more capital.

We recommend you go to each search engine and internet directories web page, locate the instructions, and then complete a monthly refresh of your listing. And if you utilize a comprehensive marketing platform like Hubspot® you will be able to watch which of these engines and directories your leads come from. Understanding the entry point data of your leads is important to evaluating your internet marketing effectiveness.

Getting your business registered will have an immediate impact on your inbound marketing efforts, in addition to helping your organic search results.

How to Explain Inbound Marketing to Professional Services Firms

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If you were to have the ability to deliver your very best, top ranked Keynote Presentation to each of your investors, strategic partners, your favorite customers and every competitor’s customer base, would you like to? What if you offered your best marketing information to grow your top and bottom line revenue targets, would you be willing to make the effort?  Of course you would.  That is exactly what an inbound marketing (content marketing) program allows you to do twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. 

Inbound marketing is nothing more than utilizing your best information about your business, your best customers and your strategic partner’s creativity and inspiration to draw potential consumers in your direction.  By feeding that group with consistent engaging and relation based information, they will make the transition to becoming a client.

In the old days, the customer would sit patiently and quietly listen patiently to the sales pitch.  Today's consumer knows that they manage the sales transaction now. Today's consumer is market wise, and knows it as well as your best sales person, and your competitors.  Inbound marketing provides an opportunity for you to create compelling, educational, engaging content that creates a relationship with that individual over time. By nurturing the potential client with worthwhile, inspiring information and compelling benefits, when it is time for the buying transaction to happen, the consumer you have created a relationship will choose you over your competitor.

Inbound (Content) Marketing is not a new concept.  What is new happens to be the way potential clients become actual ones.  They are certainly more informed and possess a better practical understanding than they ever have been, and their expectations are much higher than one might imagine. There is a huge amount of competition, and every one of your competitors is after their share.

Don’t just take my word for it, take a look at what Google and Jim Lecinski have to say:

“Google’s Zero Moment of Truth -  ZMOT is that moment when you grab your laptop, mobile phone or some other wired device and start learning about a product or service (or potential boyfriend) you’re thinking about trying or buying. I’m sure you know what I mean — you probably do web searches like this every day.

BUT

Would it surprise you to know that a full 70% of Americans now say they look at product reviews before making a purchase?

Or that 79% of consumers now say they use a smart¬phone to help with shopping?

Or that 83% of moms say they do online research after seeing TV commercials for products that interest them?

Try to see Inbound, or Content Marketing as:

• Content is storytelling, and there are many stories both within your firm and from your best clients.  Share the stories that make people’s lives better.
• Content is the pre-requisite to Brand Awareness.  It will build it if it is good.
• Content is easily communicated in multiple mediums, such as blogs, social media, video, reposts, Likes and Re-Tweets.
• Content is an investment in your brand, your future and that of your customer’s lives.
• Content separates you from your competition.  The one with the best content wins.

The marketing “game” is constantly evolving, and changes in marketing strategy must be capable of shifting along with the marketplace.  Technology being what it is, you can expect change at nearly every turn.  What is not changing, is the level of competition, and the knowledge of the consumer.  The responsibility of every professional services firm is to be nimble, quick to react, market focused and consumer friendly.  After all, it is about developing leads that can be converted to clients, and the way it is done today is through engaging, inspiring value propositions.  Your efforts to provide value and sincerity consistently will improve your market position.

Inbound marketing is about moving away from price related sales people, and toward “trusted advisor” or “alliance consultant” status.  If you were providing worthwhile information that makes his or her lives better, why would anyone move away from you?

There is no reason to fear inbound marketing, as it is the natural evolution of the marketing and advertising concept.  Traditional forms can supplement it, enhance it, but the conversion to online search is reaching critical mass.   Don’t be left wondering what happened.

Why Professional Services Firms Need Inbound Marketing

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CPAs, Architects, Doctors, Dentists, Lawyers, and Financial Services firms all use some form of marketing to gain new business.  Some use informative dinner invitations to persuade unknown potentials to listen to their pitch, while others use display advertising, couponing, radio, television and a host of other traditional methods to generate leads.  While no one disputes customer referrals as being the greatest way to generate leads, it may be difficult to develop a formalized referral program. 

We all know that the Internet is still in its infancy, despite it being available to the public for nearly twenty years. No, Al Gore did not invent the Internet; he just used the term so much that people thought he must have.  He even thought he “popularized” it, but even he knows it was around long before he sought public office.  The point is, even with nearly two decades of use, the fact remains that it is still evolving. As for marketing today, inbound marketing is the new form of marketing for the online business for several reasons.

• Companies are expected to have an interactive web site, or be deemed “out of touch with reality.”
• Inbound marketing is less expensive than traditional advertising by 61%.*
• Consumers have turned away from television commercials (DVR and TIVO), radio ads (Serios radio), telemarketing (caller ID), newspaper and magazine print ads (online news and e-mags).
• Consumers buy from those companies that display a sincere appreciation for the consumer through developing a relationship first.
• During the buying process, information gathering is performed online rather than in-store sales pressure.  Online information that makes their lives better enhances the relationship.

Phone book advertising is down to the point of near extinction in printed form, newspapers are folding every day due to the lack of print advertising, radio and television advertising is more expensive than it has ever been, and so forth.  The cost of printing and mailing of advertising in direct mail is more expensive and not always successful (because it is usually not executed properly due to lack of budget or vision).  The consumer and/or decision maker is now in charge, and is no longer interested in being bombarded with commercial advertising.  The consumer is using the Internet to search out information, and will purchase after they are comfortable with the business or provider that they feel will best suit their individual needs.

I bring out this point as a counter to what some feel is relevant; traditional marketing is no longer working the way it did.  A few weeks ago, I wrote an article stating that the traditional model was broken, and I received some negative criticism from it.  While I believe that traditional forms of marketing are in fact less productive than in the past, the bottom line is more people are seeking information online than any other form of business information. The trends reflect a permanent move away from “sales” transactions to “relationship” transactions. People want to feel they gained value and a friend, not just a commodity for the best price. 

Some firms will require more of an online presence then others, but if your competitors are actively involved in inbound marketing, chances are you should be too.  Competition is fierce, and the future is for those willing to fight for it.  Inbound marketing is not the panacea, and it is hard work, but a comprehensive review of your present marketing process versus your goals can tell you what the future will bring.

A no-cost, no-obligation, comprehensive marketing evaluation can be arranged by calling Zen Marketing today. 

*-As documented by Benchmark Survey of more than 1,271 Chief Marketing Officers, Marketing Sherpa

Integration Efficiencies With The Right Inbound Marketing Platform

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The entire business world is undertaking extensive efforts to market in these uncertain times.  Typically, business goes about the routine, but the economic storm, which we are experiencing, has made each step a cautious one.

Combine the fact that budgets are tight, the future uncertain, and those traditional marketing methods are slowly becoming more and more ineffective, and it’s a marketer’s nightmare.  Inbound marketing, sometimes referred to content marketing,  internet marketing, social marketing and online marketing (confused yet?)... there is a lot to think about, let alone act on.

There is no getting around it, trying to keep up with the demands of digital marketing is a time consuming and often confusing process.  Using the right inbound marketing platform could make the difference in burning ten to twelve hours a day marketing your business properly down to a meaningful and streamlined two or three (or four if you are like me).  Here is some of what is involved:

• Social media platforms ( there are more than 300 and counting)
• Your blog
• Articles
• Content aggregators
• Google Keywords
• Analytics
• Email
• Auto-responders
• And oh so much more 

Then there is search engine optimization, long tail keyword strategies, traditional marketing tactics like direct mail, display ads, and public relations.  Let's not forget networking. What’s a business owner or marketing executive  to do?

There happens to be a great number of software solutions available to create integration efficiencies, combining some if not most of the daily activities to save time and redundant effort.  You can select from software services such as Infusionsoft®, Optify®, Unica®, Constant Contact®, Exact Target®, Eloqua® and many others.  There are specialty software solutions that include some or all of the tasks mentioned above, but when you want to concentrate your efforts, don’t you want to minimize the number of platforms with which to work?  I would think so.  Integrating the right inbound marketing platform is critical to achieve economies of scale and efficiency.

When making the choice from so much variety, it may seem somewhat daunting, but it doesn’t need to be.  The main considerations are:

• Usability
• Full Support
• Integration Capabilities with existing CRM  and ERP software
• Seamless integration and cohesion
• Availability of additional applications
• Affordability and Scalability
• Do It For Me Service Options

One of the features my clients appreciate the most is that even though they have elected to utilize a Software as a Service platform (SaaS), they can do what they feel confident in supporting, and deferring the lesser aspects of the overall marketing process to us.  It’s a shared responsibility, with regular meetings to review analytics, define strategy and tactical tweaking and continued training. This collaborative approach to the workflow, which we manage, has had substantial results in terms of results and reduced expenditures.

Integration software systems are an imperative for streamlining the entire process, as well as having the right inbound marketing platform.  As a Hubspot® Value Added Reseller, I am rather biased, naturally, but I do believe the industry leader is the right one to choose when considering making the move to cloud based solutions of inbound marketing platforms.  Hubspot® not only offers a great software platform, but an inbound marketing assessment plus ongoing support is our specialty as a VAR.

Consider the advantages of moving some or all of your marketing efforts to a digital platform. Or contact us and let us walk you through a detailed description of the process.

Inbound Marketing Levels the Playing Field

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Large or small, multi-national or local, family-owned, companies today have as much of a chance at winning business for one very big reason; the internet.  Yes, it’s true, the internet greatly impacts how business is won today, compared to just a few short years ago.  The onset of inbound marketing is just now taking firm hold, as the traditional methods of marketing are slowly heading for the dugout. 

Inbound marketing levels the playing field, so that everyone can compete with the same set of tools. 

• Web Site with Analytics
• Blogging, Webinars, Audio Playback
• Content Creation and Curation
• Public Relations
• Social Media Sharing
• Event Marketing
• Mobile Marketing
• Video Marketing
• Email Marketing

Yes, there can be a discussion about big business having a larger budget than everyone else does, but the fact of the matter is, every business needs all of the above to flourish.  An accounting firm or CPA that serves the local or regional market should be using the same tool kit that behemoth firms like JP Morgan Chase, and do an obviously better job creating profit.  Not to be harsh, but the truth lies in the use of the tools, not the size of the budget in all cases.  Smaller firms must be more nimble, forward thinking and less concerned about the paychecks of the corporate big-wigs, and more concerned with driving business in the doors. The size of the marketing department at JPMC is not driving enough revenues regardless of the tools they’re using.  Someone needs to check out what really is going on there. 

A great example of how inbound marketing levels the playing field is a case study from a client from 2009.  As a marketing agency, I am proud of how this project turned out.  Here is the summary of the case where a local architectural firm started using Hubspot software to drive leads through their inbound marketing strategy.  The results were astounding, creating a 600% increase in traffic and leads.

Here is a brief synopsis of their success.

Client: Modative Architectural Firm – Los Angeles, Ca. Founded 2006, focus on contemporary residential and commercial projects.  Note: No IT staff, no previous with Internet anything.  3 principal partners.

Challenge:  Switch from word of mouth advertising and marketing to driving leads through the Internet and their web site. “We did have a web site but we weren’t bringing really much traffic to that web site,” quotes Derek Levitt, partner.  Blogging didn’t work, and they invested in Google ads and Yahoo ads, with little to no improvement.  Only     15 % of incoming traffic in May was due to advertising (compared to 80% in the past- prior to the housing bubble).

Solution:  Signed on to the Hubspot platform, transferring Modative’s marketing from pay per click to organic traffic.  May ’09 traffic was 85% organic.  Hubspot’s search engine optimization tools, analytics, keyword analytics, and added a resource page to their web site offering free engaging content pieces such as eBooks, White Papers and informational articles and optimized their online portfolio of project photos, generating an additional 18% of traffic to the site. Working on lead capture methodology, as well as targeted social media strategic tactics, traffic increased exponentially.  Prior to inbound marketing, traffic was non-existent and now has reached 711 unique visitors a month.

Results:  Results have been dramatic, as indicated by the following illustrations:

(Image Above: monthly Google search referrals, Jan - June 2009)

Modative has increased its traffic from 639 visitors in January to 3,670 in June.

(Image Above: monthly traffic and leads, Jan - June 2009)

The company blog’s traffic has grown sizably, gaining 1,063 viewers in less than 30 days. It has 45 blog subscribers who engage with one another and leave comments. In optimizing his blog content, Derek uses social media site like Twitter, StumpleUpon and LinkedIn. "People will find an article that we blogged on and then, they will promote it," said Derek Levitt.

"I really can't say enough good things about what it has done for us in the short-term and, more importantly, in the long term," said Derek. The Hubspot product pieces have helped Modative successfully optimize search results and generate qualified leads. "We get to do all of that ourselves, which is really empowering," he said. "Things are being done the way you want them to be done."

Regardless of the fact that the client already had a web site, it wasn’t doing them any good.  It may as well have been a sign in the desert; unless someone stumbles by, it would never be seen.  Inbound marketing makes the difference.  Every type of business can benefit from inbound marketing.  It starts with an evaluation, goal setting, understanding the target audience and competitors, and developing and instituting a marketing plan.  Whether an accounting firm, architect, bakery or retail outlet, inbound marketing is the new marketing model.  The customer is now in control, like never before.  They have tuned out traditional marketing messages, and are actively searching online for those companies with whom they intend to do business.

What ROI is your present marketing creating? And if it is not meeting your expectation, what are you planning to do to improve it?