Come together. Get Inspired. Be Remarkable.
That was the tagline for Hubspot's Inbound Marketing Conference, recently held in Boston. With keynote speakers like Arianna Huffington (AKA The Huff) and Seth Godin (AKA GODin the flesh - get it?), it was an opportunity we simply couldn't pass up. Here at SEP, we are fiercely passionate about all things digital, but there is always room to learn. And learn we did.
As both fans and practitioners of inbound marketing, we feel that it's our responsibility to share the awesomeness that was Inbound 2013. With so many exciting and insightful sessions, speakers and panels, it's hard to distill everything into a short blog post, but we're going to take a crack at it anyway. Here are our top takeaways from Hubspot's Inbound 2013.
1. Build A Distinct Inbound Brand
What is your business all about? How do you differentiate yourself from the pack? These are questions you need to answer.
Discover your internal vision, culture and beliefs. Gauge your brand's consistency both on and offline. Identify your attributes, values, personality and brand essence. Develop buyer personas for your target audience(s).
The end game is to position your brand as the go-to option for all your prospects' needs.
2. Focus On The Abnormal
Be unique and interesting. Find your niche, and own it.
Nowadays, we have the ability to target on a specialized, individual level. It's unnecessary - even ineffective - to focus on the majority.
Operate outside the pack and make your brand stand out.
3. Be Helpful
In a world where consumers can ignore interruptive marketing messages without even trying, attracting prospects comes down to letting them find you. This is accomplished by being helpful and offering value. It's not a matter of how you do what you do, it's how you help.
Address a common challenge and present a solution, answer a tough question, or offer tools to help prospects tackle their issues.
4. Cooking Vs. Baking
Inbound marketing is more about cooking, and less about baking.
Baking requires precise measurements, exact timing, correct ingredients, and allows limited creativity. Too much divergence from the recipe can spell disaster.
But cooking is about dashing, pinching and mixing up the ingredients to create something delicious, effective and unique.
Don't be flat and boring; be unique and delicious!
5. Be Part Of The Action
You want to occupy the spaces that your prospects frequent. Can you provide value to your prospective clients via Twitter, blogs, and other social avenues? Identify where and how your prospects surf, and make sure you are active in these areas.
Conclusion
Now as much as ever, branding, content and trust are pivotal to success in a world where traditional outbound marketing is becoming less and less effective.
Get inspired, be remarkable, and start attracting, nurturing, and converting leads into sales! We can't wait until next year!
How are you using Inbound Marketing to break through the noise? Sound off in the comments!