The pros and cons of inbound marketing

Inbound marketing refers to aligning all marketing efforts to a customer’s interest and needs. You get the customer to come to you and your content, rather than trying to sell them on an idea. It is a product of the internet era and is a relatively new marketing concept. Its rise in popularity is thanks to the influence of both social media and the internet.

PROS

The best thing about inbound marketing is that to the customer it does not feel like marketing. The content created for the campaign should be educational for the customer. To the customer, it feels like discovering an article and sharing it with friends. All while gaining interest in the products used in or as part of the article.

You can easily map Inbound marketing campaigns to the sales funnel. This mapping allows unprecedented customization of content towards the audience. Several segments of the same target market could have different campaigns from the same content.

CONS

The biggest con for inbound marketing is the time. With traditional outbound marketing, the results are fast and roll in as soon as the campaign begins. With inbound marketing, it takes time for people to discover content and share it. Inbound marketing requires time and patience for potentially better results. The minimum time for a typical campaign could be as long as 12 to 18 months. However, remember that once the visitors share the content , it takes little effort and cost to continue the campaign.