We are now in the final stages before Christmas. Businesses will start to wind down for the year while business owners and employees look forward to the festive season. After Christmas, the New Year is just around the corner and suddenly businesses will spark back into life, ready to start the New Year. The beginning of the year is usually the same for many businesses, with many planning out the year ahead and setting goals and objectives.
Something large corporations and small businesses may both look at is their marketing. The difference between the two is simple – a large corporation will already have campaigns and strategies set up, while a smaller business may not have even begun to think about it. Does this sound familiar? The New Year is here and you want to boost your online presence and make more sales, right? Well, small and medium-sized businesses often struggle with online marketing as they simply don’t have the time or know-how. They do some research and stumble upon the term ‘Inbound Marketing’, which has become the most popular form of marketing. This leads them searching for an inbound marketing agency. How do you make the right choice when choosing an inbound marketing agency, though?
More About Inbound Marketing
To start with, it is important to know what inbound marketing is and why it is so important.
“Inbound marketing is focused on attracting customers through relevant and helpful content and adding value at every stage in your customer's buying journey. With inbound marketing, potential customers find you through channels like blogs, search engines, and social media.” - Hubspot
Simply put, inbound marketing allows you to attract qualified prospects through content creation. As aforementioned, inbound marketing has become the most popular form of marketing with HubSpot declaring ‘Companies are 3x as likely to see higher ROI on Inbound campaigns than outbound marketing’ during their State of Inbound in 2015. Furthermore, during the same event, they stated ‘Inbound campaigns achieve higher ROI than outbound. This holds true across different company sizes and budgets.’ Find out more about what inbound marketing is with this article - What Is 'Inbound Marketing', What Does It Mean, And Why Should I Care?
Choosing The Right Inbound Marketing Agency
Knowing the importance of inbound marketing means knowing the importance of choosing the right inbound marketing agency. You’ll obviously want to choose one that meets your business’ needs. So, what can you do to narrow down your options and choose the right inbound marketing agency for your business? There are a number of factors you should consider when looking for an inbound marketing agency, including:
- Track Record – Have they got a good track record? Have they worked with many clients? Do they have case studies and testimonials? Are the reviews good? This should definitely be considered before hiring an inbound marketing agency as you should only expect good things from those who have a good, proven track record.
- Their Own Marketing – It’s the classic ‘practice what you preach’ scenario. If a marketing agency is saying you should be doing something but they don’t do it for themselves, you have the right to question why that is. For example, if a marketing agency is telling you that you need to have and regularly update a blog but they don’t regularly update their blog, it’s a sign that they don’t follow their own rules. These aren’t reliable agencies to choose from.
- Their Partnerships – A very easy way to understand the quality of the service you may get from an inbound marketing agency is to look at their partnerships. This information will usually be found on their website. For example, a business that is a Google Partner and HubSpot partner may be a better choice than one that isn’t.
- Price – When comparing different inbound marketing agencies, one of the largest considerations you have to make is the price. When comparing prices, you might think the cheapest option will be the best option. This is not the case, however. Obviously, the higher the price, the higher the quality is likely to be and that is a key factor. Would you rather pay less for inexperienced agencies that may not provide consistent high quality or pay more for experienced agencies with good track records? Check out this article to find out more about the cost of inbound marketing - How Much Does Inbound Marketing Cost?
Knowing Who To Choose
It can be a difficult task to choose an inbound marketing agency for your business. There are so many different options to choose from and, if you make the wrong choice, it can really set your business back. It is important to find an inbound marketing agency that can tailor their services to meet your needs.
The JDR Group are inbound marketing specialists with many years of experience. We specialise in working with businesses that provide products or services to other businesses or organisations (Business to Business). To find out more, please feel free to get in touch.
