I don’t know about you, but I probably see at least 4-5 ads a day that scream “FREE TRIAL!” or “7-DAY FREE DEMO,” whether it’s for Disney+ or a contact management software.  Seeing so many demos out there on the market got me thinking about how successful these companies actually are. 

Quality -- and not just quantity -- is an essential part of a B2B content marketing strategy. Without quality content, you’ll have no valuable information to provide your prospects, and they’ll find it elsewhere on the internet instead. 

You’ve spent months creating what you think is a solid marketing strategy. You’ve collected information. You’ve developed a buyer persona. You know the tactics you’ll use. And you’ve set goals. 

Forget direct mail. Forget cold calling. Forget TV ads, radio ads, and billboards.

Why? Because they're a complete waste of your time and resources.

You need to leave behind everything you know about marketing and open yourself up to the wonderful world of modern lead generation techniques (which are all a part of inbound marketing). 

When we approach an inbound partnership with a prospective client, they often ask: "Can we do some of this ourselves?"

Inbound is pretty flexible. Some of our clients rely on us for everything (and I do mean everything) while others prefer to keep their social media activities, blog writing, or premium content production in-house. 

Do you fall in the second category? Or, do you want to try your hand at inbound marketing before committing to an agency? Here's what you need to know about DIY inbound.

There's a common misconception that hiring an agency to do your marketing is much more expensive than handling it internally.

The trick about marketing is that it's not one single job that you're paying someone to do. There are many tasks and responsibilities that require a variety of skill sets. The salary of an individual who can do all of those things effectively is much higher than a monthly agency retainer fee. Hands down.

"Marketing" is one word that encompasses a lot of components and gears and creative production. You may decide to outsource some of those pieces, while taking care of others in-house. So, the real question you want to ask yourself is: What parts of my inbound marketing strategy do I need to outsource, and which can I do internally?

For some of our clients, they can't do anything internally. Whether it's a matter of time, resources, or ability, they're simply unable to take care of their marketing strategies on their own.

Other clients have some experience with different aspects of marketing, plus a little extra time to churn those bits out. They take care of those pieces, and we handle the unfamiliar territory.

So, what are the different pieces that need work? How do you know if you can handle them yourself, or if you should hire an expert? Let's take a look.

As we welcome 2021 into our home while 2020 sneaks out the back door, we can’t help but notice the mess the previous year left behind with it. Of course, by “mess” we mean the “temporary” changes that are slowly turning into a new permanent way of being.

Large investments typically cause sticker shock. We get it. We hate sticker shock too. But if you make a smart investment, it really ends up paying for itself. 

As we finally have the opportunity to throw our 2020 calendars directly into the trash, it’s time to begin putting a focus on what’s next. And if you’re a B2B company preparing for another year of unpredictability, it’s important to put an emphasis on marketing.