Back in 1963, before the days of inbound advertising, and decades before the dawn of digital marketing, the “Father of Advertising”, David Olgilvy wrote in his memoir, “As a private person, I have a passion for landscape, and I have never seen one improved by a billboard.”
Olgilvy regrettably acknowledged that the whole point behind marketing and advertising was to interrupt instead of attract. If Olgilvy had been around for the introduction of the Internet, social media, and mobile devices, he may have been thrilled to see how things have changed with the advent of inbound marketing opportunities.
Advertising 2.0
Think about how many ads you see every day that do not apply to you. From television commercials that punctuate our favorite programs to billboards that spoil the view, traditional outbound marketing takes a less effective, shotgun approach to targeting potential prospects.
In a world where we are constantly immersed with marketing messages, most consumers would rather seek out the things we are looking for, instead of being inundated by irrelevance. 
Now, think about what you do when you want to look up information or learn more about a particular product or service. You probably head to your favorite social media channels, ask for "recommendations" on Facebook, or even perform a Google search.
Today, we make purchase decisions by Googling queries, reading blogs and customer reviews, and following brands on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.
Business who focus their marketing strategies on inbound opportunities, such a blogs, social media, and premium content, don’t just target new customers more effectively, they actually attract them—and at a fraction of the cost compared with traditional marketing methods. In fact, businesses have proven to save up to 61 percent less than outbound marketing.
By engaging and educating prospective customers to make smarter purchase decisions, you gain their trust, ease their pain, and inspire them with new ideas in return. Your brand becomes more than a billboard interrupting the view or the flow of traffic; rather it becomes a useful tool.
Marketing Metrics
In Olgilvy’s day, there was no way to track how many people saw a billboard or how many people resonated with its message or took an action. Today, inbound marketing analytics track how many eyes have seen your ad, how many prospects investigated your brand further, and how many of those prospects were transformed into qualified leads or even converted into customers. This makes it much easier to track the effectiveness and performance of your hard-earned marketing dollars, and even reposition or pivot your marketing strategy, if needed.
A Complete Guide and Intro to Inbound Methodology
Want to learn more about the inbound marketing methodology, and how it has taken digital marketing by storm and changed the digital landscape? Download a FREE copy of the the "Intro to Inbound Methodology" eBook.
Moda Partners specializes in inbound marketing by creating content your audience wants to read. Let us help you grow your reach with social media, increase website traffic, and build customer loyalty with engaging content that keeps your fans coming back for more.
