Seventh Scout Blog

When the end of the year rolls around, it's easy to say you're too busy to make a plan for next year. Starting the next year off without a plan, however, is a recipe to end up right where you started. If you want to experience TRUE success in 2020, it's time to buckle down, break out the spreadsheet, and create a marketing plan that will launch you into your biggest dreams.

You can't experience real success for your business if you're trying to manage it all. For busy business owners, marketing automation is a surefire way to experience success and take back precious time.  

Inbound marketing is a process used to attract, convert, and retain the right customers for your business. There are multiple elements needed to make inbound marketing work, but none are as vital to the concept as content. According to Hubspot, a leader in the world of inbound marketing, “...content is the lifeblood of inbound marketing.” 

As more and more business moved online, the assumption was that it would be easier than ever to sell directly to our customers. Part of that prediction definitely came true as consumers surf through a global marketplace of goods without leaving their home (or desk...you know you do it, too). And sellers are now able to move larger volumes of products as well as focus on incredibly niched offerings. So what is the down side of this ability to reach anywhere at any time? It is now harder than ever to turn strangers into customers. Enter inbound marketing methodology and the magnet to growth and lead generation.

Before we dive into the benefits of content marketing (and there are a lot), it’s important to have a good grasp on what content marketing really is. First and foremost, content marketing is information. At its core, content marketing is all about sharing information, whether educational or entertaining, that provides value to whoever is reading it.

Say so long to uncomfortable cold-calling and money-sucking mass mailers when your company embraces the modern methods of inbound marketing. Designed to grow businesses organically, inbound marketing works by attracting, engaging, and converting the ideal customer.

This is an excerpt from the ebook The Manager’s Guide to Building a Smart Marketing Strategy.

Content marketing is a powerful and effective way to reach your customers, no matter your strategy, no matter which part of the customer journey. But before you start filling out a content calendar or hiring a freelance writer, take stock of your existing content, and divide that into three categories: owned, earned, and paid media. This will let you assess what category you need to attack first.

As a marketer or business owner, chances are you’ve heard about marketing automation. You or your team may even be using a marketing automation tool.  Automation is complex, however, and if you don’t fully understand how it works, are not  up to speed on how to best use your tool, or don’t have an expert at your disposal, you could be missing out on opportunities to better market your brand. And if you’re not taking advantage of all marketing automation has to offer, then you could  just be wasting your time, effort, and resources on doing what you’re doing now.