Imaginasium  |  Inbound/Outbound Marketing  |  5 minute read

How to Optimize Your Sales Strategy with an Inbound Marketing Agency

What if you were able to take a step back from direct sales and have customers come to you? It may sound too good to be true. But with the right inbound marketing techniques, you can switch from cold calling (who likes to do that anyway?) to inbound sales—where customers find you.

Let’s face it, the sales process has changed. Today, customers want your sales people to be partners, consultants, and problem-solvers. And before they even talk to a salesperson, buyers are doing their own research. In fact, 89% of B2B buyers say they find high-quality information during the purchase process. That’s why it’s important to add inbound and digital marketing to your traditional marketing and cold calling tactics.

What is this information and where are buyers finding it? For the most part, they are getting the information from sellers themselves, not from any face-to-face interactions, but from digital marketing like websites, videos, emails, and social media. Engineers, purchasing staff, and operations managers are seeking information on how your product may play a role in their project or how your product can bring value to their business. They may also need technical information to help them make a purchase.

In short, they want to be educated. Maybe even entertained—not in the way that elicits an LOL, but in a way that captures their attention and holds it. It’s estimated that B2B purchasers consume at least 13 pieces of content before they choose a vendor. These pieces of content are forms of inbound marketing. And inbound marketing can bring inbound sales (where they find you). It’s time to get in on the action!

How a Digital Marketing Works with the Sales Funnel

You know the traditional sales funnel. First, prospects have to become aware of you. Once they do, you find ways to pique their interest. That leads to a decision phase where customers are choosing among possible vendors. Finally, they take action and buy.

Would it surprise you to know that two-thirds of B2B buyers head to online sources in every stage of the buying journey?

A good inbound sales strategy follows the same path. To get prospects to notice you in the awareness phase, you’ll need a thoughtful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy to help your website rank higher on the results page. An inbound marketing agency can help get your SEO strategy started. 

Then as buyers make their way through the funnel, they are fed more content. Perhaps they read a blog
that answers their specific question about your product. Maybe they sign up for your e-newsletter. Or, you entice them to give their email in exchange for a whitepaper or results from an interactive calculator. With each piece of content, a strong call to action, and the right consultative sales approach, you bring them closer to becoming qualified leads.

Digital Marketing-a Sales Game Changer

There are so many great reasons to integrate an inbound marketing strategy seamlessly with sales. Let’s take a look at six benefits.

1. You’ll pique the interest of those who truly want to know more about your product.

Advertising certainly has its place. But we know that ads are often seen by thousands of people who will never need or buy your product. Inbound marketing, starting with SEO, is much more likely to bring the right people to your digital doorstep. And as soon as they arrive, you can begin to nurture them with more content they want (and need) to help them in their buying decision.

2. Customers engage with you any time of day, or night.

Your salespeople can’t be on call 24/7/365. But your digital marketing can. Whether customers sit down to browse content over morning coffee or at night after the kids go to bed, you can be there to answer their questions, drawing them deeper into the sales funnel. It doesn’t feel like sales to your customer because it’s on their terms. Talk about a win-win!

 3. You’ll build your company’s reputation.

How can inbound marketing boost your business reputation? How-to or inside-the-factory videos can show buyers why your product is worth their consideration. Case studies show them how others have benefited from your partnership. By giving prospects an inside view, you build trust in your company, your product, and your manufacturing process. And that gives buyers more confidence in you. There’s nothing better!

 4. You’ll spend less.

No doubt—digital marketing takes time, and results likely won’t happen overnight. But once the inbound marketing train gains speed, costs scale lower. Much lower than sending salespeople out on cold calls. Because once content is produced, it’s available as long as you want it to be. It’s not budget spent, game over, like other tactics.

 5. You can personalize it.

With the right marketing strategy and the right tools, you can deliver the right content to each buyer persona. The design engineer isn’t looking for the same information as the lead buyer, who’s looking for something different than the operations manager. Plus, there are many ways to capture prospect information to build gradually on personalization and ultimately, deliver a warm qualified lead to sales.
Ask your inbound marketing agency how it’s done.

6. Best of all, you’ll get qualified leads.

If buyers like what they see, they’ll continue to consume your content. They’ll open the email. Read your new blog. Watch the video you just published. Follow you on social media. The more they consume, the more confidence they’ll have in your product, and the more likely they are to buy. Good salespeople understand the power of a unified sales and marketing approach. According to LinkedIn, 94% of the best-performing salespeople attribute much of their success to qualified marketing leads.

Integrating inbound marketing seamlessly with sales takes some work upfront. But it is well worth the effort. It will help you focus on the value your company and your product provided, and that can only make your sales team that much more successful.

Partnering with an inbound marketing firm like Imaginasium can get you started on the right path to attracting new customers to your door. An effective, well-planned marketing strategy will not only reduce your cost per lead, but it’ll also give you a healthier return on your sales and marketing investment.

Are you ready for more qualified leads? Let’s talk.

Let’s talk business