I love small businesses. The dynamic and the flexibility that comes with the ownership of your own company is second to none. That being said, there are several disadvantages that are often not seen on the surface.
Small businesses are often at a disadvantage when it comes to the resources available to them in the marketing department. Tools can be expensive and consultants are normally priced for the larger company's budgets. No one focuses solely on us little guys.
Inbound Marketing is made for the little guy.
Inbound Marketing is ideal for small businesses due to the flexibility and the efficiency it is built around. No high priced software packages, expensive mailing campaigns, or costly TV ads. Just an open channel to the vast internet real estate.
Inbound Marketing possesses the flexibility of no other strategy on the planet. Based on a few core principles, Inbound Marketing can be customized to fit a industry's audience; not the other way around. You find your marketplace and then market to them on their terms.
It also is more efficient than traditional marketing platforms. The beauty of Inbound Marketing is that it is a full circle solution. From analytics to CRM to direct marketing to PR, it allows a small business to control their message's direction and to monitor it success all while collecting lead data. This efficiency is why leads often carry a price tag (CPL) that is over 60% lower than leads from traditional marketing strategies.
It's built around your company's strengths and budget.
Here at Crosspoint Creative, we approach marketing services slightly different than most traditional agencies. We see Inbound Marketing as a partnership endeavor and not always a "Hire Us for All of Your Marketing Needs" type of deal. You know your business better than we ever could, why not participate in making things grow?
Most traditional marketing programs force you to be at the creative mercy of some specialist who has never even heard of your business. Inbound Marketing is segmented into tasks that are best suited for an agency and those that are ideal for the business itself to preform. This optimized both the message and the process to maximize the number of leads while keeping the cost low.
It's a comfortable medium for your marketplace.
Most people don't like having a product or service shoved down their throats. They like being in control and they like to research a product or service before they buy. Inbound Marketing is designed with the potential customer's needs and wants in mind.
Here is my point: If you want to purchase Widget123 you start with a Google search. That search delivers a number of options to purchase from, but Widgets-R-We and We-B-Widgets are the two top competitors. Widgets-R-We has a nice site, but require you to speak with a sales person to get any information on their brand of Widget123.
We-B-Widgets has a company blog, social media channels and educational white papers on their site that tell you everything you need to know about their widget and also provide references and testimonials from past customers. Not only that, but it is very apparent that their social channels are actively supporting their customers and fielding questions from web site visitors that are still on the fense.
Now, what company is going to stand out to you as a potential provider for the Widget123 you are considering purchasing? I think the choice is pretty obvious.
Inbound Marketing is...
a perfect fit for any small business. If you would like to learn more about Inbound Marketing, sign up for our email marketing list in the sidebar to the right and subscribe to our blog. If you want to get a free consultation from us, please feel free to contact us.