« Inbound Marketing: 3 Ways It Can Boost Business »

Getting an inbound marketing program up and running can benefit your company in many ways. Here's what the HubSpot 2011 State of Inbound Marketing report has to say about inbound marketing effectiveness in today's marketplace:

1. IT CAN SAVE YOUR COMPANY MONEY

HOW: Inbound Is a Lower-Cost Marketing Methodology

Inbound marketing channels continue to deliver dramatically lower cost per lead than outbound channels do. Among businesses surveyed by HubSpot, those that spent more on inbound marketing activities ended up spending 62% less per lead than businesses that spent more on outbound channels.

2. IT CAN PUT YOUR COMPANY WHERE THE ACTION IS

HOW: Inbound / Social Media Is the Fastest Growing Marketing Category

Social media and blogs are becoming marketing powerhouses. They are the fastest growing category in lead generation budgets and they continue to be ranked as the lowest cost lead-generation channel. In addition, more than any other channel, social media was ranked among HubSpot survey respondents as a source of leads that continues to grow in importance. 

3. IT CAN HELP YOUR COMPANY INCREASE CUSTOMERS

HOW: Inbound / Social Media Is a Recognized Lead-to-Customer Conversion Engine

More businesses are generating real customers with social media and blogs. On average, 50 percent of marketers using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and company blogs who were surveyed by HubSpot say they have acquired at least one customer through each of those channels. This is proof that social media is not just for brand awareness; it can be used to directly generate leads that convert into customers.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Are there other ways inbound marketing can turbo-charge a company's marketing efforts? Please share your thoughts in the comments section. And, as always, thanks for reading.