Traditional marketing depends on the idea that what you are offering is so tempting that potential buyers will act when you want them to. Inbound marketing, on the other hand, helps you earn decision-makers’ trust by providing relevant, useful content that captures their attention and informs their decisions no matter where they are in their journey as buyers. When taking this approach, we are not asking a buyer to meet us where we are; it’s about providing the right information so we as marketers are meeting them where they are, taking a buyer-centric approach.

Inbound marketing is not about sending and resending the same message. At its heart, inbound marketing is about how your company can successfully connect with your audience by educating them. Which brings me to…

Inbound Marketing and Education: Made for Each Other

Pop quiz: Would you coach your sales team to have the same conversation with a superintendent who they just met at your conference booth as they would with a long-time customer who is looking to expand her relationship with you? Most likely you are shaking your head “no.”

Anyone who has spent time marketing to educators knows that bringing the right information to the right people at the right time is the most effective way to drive sales—but it’s not always as easy as it sounds. This concept happens to be the essence of inbound marketing! With the right marketing systems and high-quality content in place, you are empowered to collect data that provides invaluable insights: where the educators you are trying to reach are in their journey (just starting to look or ready to buy), what content they want, and what format they want it in. As you educate them with content that makes their jobs easier, they educate you about themselves. In the end, you reach the right people with the right approach!

A personal example: When I get a call from a telemarketer during dinnertime, I either ignore the call or answer and ask them to remove me from their list. But what if I really needed what that telemarketer was offering? Since their timing and approach were off, they missed out on a potential sale and I missed out on a potential solution. With the more informed approach that inbound marketing offers, we may have both gotten what we wanted and needed.

The best teachers know the key to connecting with students is to “meet them where they are.” With inbound marketing, you can do the same with your customers. I think you’ll be amazed at where the buyer’s journey takes you!