Staying Current with the Rapidly Changing Inbound Marketing Industry

The world of marketing is constantly changing. With some of the brightest minds (let's be honest, in the universe) behind the industry, new ideas are popping up every day.

Staying current isn't easy. We spend many hours reading, researching, and filling up our coffee cups. Are you right there with us?

You may have just jumped on the social media bandwagon. Or maybe you are so up to date on Google's latest algorithm that you make us look bad. Today's article will help you decide who should be handling your marketing campaign.

Staying Current with the Rapidly Changing Inbound Marketing Industry

One of the biggest challenges facing marketers today is the rapid pace in which marketing trends and strategies are changing.

In fact, the inbound marketing methodology was born from this change. Consumer behavior has shifted dramatically, and as a result, marketers and business owners have shifted their focus from print media to online media.

We’ve witnessed the decline in direct mail and cold calling due to the rise of newer, more effective technologies and tools.

This change hasn’t slowed.

Social media has emerged as one of the more powerful, dominant methods of increasing brand awareness and driving traffic. Many companies and industries have yet to harness its potential.

New social media platforms pop up constantly. New software emerges that makes our jobs easier. New mobile apps  change the industry. Technology changes. Search engine ranking algorithms change.

So how do you stay current?

Or are you finding your company is always riding the back end of industry changes and trends?

In-House

When it comes to keeping up with industry changes and trends, in-house marketing teams may have very little understanding of what’s going on outside of your company and its website.

This isn’t uncommon, as the nature of in-house marketers is to be fully invested in the everyday duties of executing the campaign, from individual tasks to analysis. Therefore, it’s often not high priority to read related industry news, blogs, or keep up with new trends as the make their way to the forefront.

They simply don’t have the time.

Agency

A successful inbound marketing agency is one that is constantly ahead of the curve when it comes to industry trends and changes.

It’s the nature of the job, as agencies are often working with a large volume of clients, all in varying industries with different needs and goals. Because of this, agencies have a much greater understanding of the tools, software, and industry changes that will or are affecting its clients.

They’re also more privy to the changes in search engine algorithms, ensuring your campaign has best practices implemented in order to rank high in search engines, and more importantly, stay there.

Because an agency helps each client create unique, detailed buyer personas, they know who your audience is. Not only that, but they also know the best tools and methods for speaking to them.

An agency also provides an objective view on your marketing, and can often identify areas that need improvement – and the tools that will help – quicker than you can. This is due to experience for what works with other clients as well as their extensive knowledge using the tools and software available.