Is there any other industry that's more swift than marketing? It seems to change with the seasons, as quick as the Target Dollar Spot redistributes its wares - and I would know becuase my kids love the dollar spot at Target.
How can you ensure that you're making the most effective choices in your marketing campaign or strategy?
I have two words for you: inbound marketing.
Reputation Building Is Timeless
Inbound marketing, at its core, is about offering a trusted and reputable resource for your audience. You want to be the brand people turn to when they're entering their buyer journeys, whether they're researching solutions to their problems or trying to stay on top of industry news. A prospect's brand awareness and your company's perceived authority will always be an important part of marketing, especially when you want to put a future proofed plan in place.
The Methods May Change, But the Goal Is the Same
Inbound marketing tactics change on a frequent basis, but they're not drastically straying away from the common purpose of educating and entertaining potential customers. People will always need more information available, and they want to get it in convenient formats.
As new developments emerge on the marketing technology front, you can adapt how you present education. For example, social listening tools allow you to find potential customers discussing your brand online, and you can enter the conversation and educate them on a one-on-one basis. AI messaging bots provide easy-to-access content through a conversational interface.
It's hard to predict what the future will hold in the marketing world, but you can prepare with a framework that focuses on relationship building and customer education.
Updates Take Fewer Resources
When new technology appears in other advertising and marketing areas, you may need to scrap all of your current resources and start over again. With inbound marketing, you have many opportunities to update your educational content and adapt it to the latest innovations.
When you can rework your existing materials, you also improve your team's agility. You can be early adopters of new time-saving and conversion-increasing technology, providing you with a competitive advantage in your industry.
Proactive Changes Are Enabled By Predictive Technology
Predictive technology allows you to be proactive about the changing needs of your audience. Analytics, big data, UX, and other technology give you the insights to discover these shifts, so you know when and how to adapt. This future-proofing method allows you to see what your customers are looking for and how they're interacting with any new inbound marketing resources you put in place.
You can back up your marketing experiments with objective metrics that show you how you're doing. You won't always hit a home run when you try something new with inbound marketing, but you can quickly see whether you need to make changes to your campaign.
Inbound marketing is the perfect strategy to put in place when you want to future-proof your efforts. You can improve your marketing effectiveness while reducing the overall costs of adapting to new technology. Customers are always going to need someone to turn to when they research their problems or look for ways to improve their quality of life. Innovations may change the way that you deliver on this goal, but you don't need to completely change your tactics to do so.