-How do I define success for my next inbound campaign?
-How can I better use social media and web content to get customers?
-What metrics should I be watching out for in reviewing my campaigns?
There’s no question about what it means for a marketing campaign to be successful. If you’re not doing more business as a result of its influence, marketing isn’t working.
Inbound marketing is no exception.
Yes, it can be frustrating to many because it typically takes longer to work than other kinds of marketing (though the results are much greater).
It also requires more management than simply paying for a billboard.
But like most things in life, when you put effort into the things that matter most, it pays dividends.
So how do you know your inbound marketing is working?
Here are some benchmarks to look for which indicate your marketing is gearing up for (or already achieving) success.
Qualified Leads
So you paid for a bunch of keywords, you’ve got website content like blogs and whitepapers, and you’re advertising in all the right places.
So where are all the leads?
Well, you don’t just want any lead—you want a qualified one. And, luckily, that’s far more likely to happen with inbound marketing, even if it happens slowly.
By the time a prospect decides to do business with you based on your web presence, they have already become familiar with your product or services, and at least partially understand how those things could benefit them.
In traditional marketing, like television commercials, the education can be less complete. With a tactic like cold calling or direct mail, it doesn’t really happen at all before the sales pitch starts.
Inbound marketing is the shotgun spread of the marketing world.
At any moment, there are over 3,350,000 users on the internet. Directing the right ones to your site at the right time is not an easy task.
But, with the right aim in your blogs and web page copy, directed at the right target audience, you can achieve this goal.
Qualified leads from your site are a great indicator that your inbound marketing strategy is working.
Followers Galore
Not every person who enters your website is going to turn into a paying customer.
In fact, it’s likely that less than five percent of the people who read your blog or check out your company history will decide to purchase your service or product.
But those other ninety-five percent aren’t a wash.
If they’re following you on social media, you still have more opportunities to convert them to a client.
Their awareness of your brand endures, and they can connect friends and colleagues to you if they might need your offerings.
The more followers, likes, or connections you have, the greater the reach of your funnel.
Not sure how to do this? Start with a smart social strategy like this one from HubSpot.
Multi-Channel Presence
The number of relevant social media networks and websites is always expanding.
72% of web users told CJG Marketing they prefer to engage with brands and businesses through multiple networks, but in 2015, a 2000-person survey of marketers and e-commerce professionals by Adobe revealed only 14% of organizations were running a coordinated strategy across multiple web channels.
A tool like HubSpot can help you synchronize and manage your entire online messaging presence from one program.
Any business should have Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts, but do you need an Instagram? What about a Snapchat?
You might be surprised to learn that Pinterest is now the third-most-used social media network, though it has historically accounted for only 3% of leads.
66% of content marketers told CJG that LinkedIn was the most valuable channel in 2016.
Twitter and YouTube were the second and third most preferred channels.
But each of those channels speaks to widely different audiences.
It’s important to maintain a multi-channel presence so that many verticals of your target audience are engaged, and audience members see you on all platforms.
You’ll find different people retweeting you than you will sharing your posts on LinkedIn—and that’s a beautiful thing.
For more information check out our HubSpot Migration guide below!