The latest stats are in and they show that inbound marketing is no longer something to be ignored.
It’s become somewhat of an annual tradition in the marketing world, and it’s safe to say HubSpot have hit the mark yet again with their State of Inbound Marketing 2015 report – in fact, it may be their most thorough report yet!
Having been a marketer for around 20 years, I’ve been looking forward to these latest findings, which (unsurprisingly) indicate that inbound is showing no signs of slowing down.
Still unsure if inbound marketing is actually worthwhile? Perhaps you’re worried about flushing your hard-earned money down the drain, at least until you see some cold hard statistics that prove otherwise.
That’s where this latest report comes in. It contains a plethora of remarkable data detailing just why YOU should be adopting an inbound marketing approach for your business.
Below, I’ve highlighted some of the most important facts you need to know.
Inbound marketing 2015: the stats
Almost 4,000 respondents from over 150 countries took part in HubSpot’s State of Inbound survey this year, the majority of which work for B2B companies.
The intention of this report is not only to show the importance of inbound in any modern marketing campaign, but also to help serve as a possible ‘roadmap’ for how your organisation can successfully adopt inbound marketing in 2016.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the main statistics we should be paying attention to in 2016:
1. Inbound campaigns achieve 3 times higher ROI than outbound
Think only the big companies with massive budgets succeed at inbound? Think again. This latest data shows you can achieve higher ROI with inbound regardless of your company size and budget.
HubSpot said: “Every company we surveyed — regardless of marketing spend — was three times as likely to see a higher ROI on inbound marketing campaigns than on outbound.”
2. Three out of 4 marketers across the globe prioritise an inbound approach
Out of nearly 4,000 marketers surveyed, 75% of them said inbound marketing was their preferred approach, while only 25% of them favoured an outbound strategy for their marketing.
HubSpot said: “The global community is united in their favor of inbound practices. In all five international regions, a 3:1 ratio emerged between those who considered their organisation inbound-driven versus outbound-driven.”
3. Smaller companies are more likely to use inbound
The greater return on ROI is probably why organisations with fewer than 200 employees and smaller marketing budgets (under $5m annually) tend to prefer inbound – as it could help maximise their returns.
HubSpot says: “In fact, if your organisation spends less than $100,000 on marketing annually, you’re four times more likely to practice inbound than outbound.”
4. Paid ads are the most overrated marketing tactic
Both inbound and outbound marketers rank paid advertising as the #1 most overrated marketing tactic. In fact, 57% of respondents from companies that saw greater ROI in 2015 than 2014 agreed with this view.
Perhaps more surprisingly, HubSpot says: “Outbound is classified as a waste of time across inbound and outbound organisations alike.”
5. Those with the most success are in it for the long game
And they don’t view inbound as just another quick fix marketing tactic that they can apply for six months and then drop once they see results – but admittedly, it also has a lot to do with budget.
HubSpot says: “Leading marketers recognise that inbound is a long game. Both past success and past failure with inbound correlates with an inbound marketing budget increase.”
6. Most companies prefer inbound as a strategy
And they prefer inbound marketing regardless of whether they are B2B, B2C, or a non-profit organisation – inbound techniques are winning out and being implemented across the board.
This means that inbound has the potential to work for you, regardless of your business type, size or even location.
7. Leading marketers track their ROI
Marketers who took part in the survey were found to be 20% more likely to receive a higher budget in 2015 if they tracked their ROI and metrics three times a week. Respondents were also twice as likely to see an increase in their budget if there was an improvement from 2014.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the report also says: “What’s more, respondents were nine times more likely to receive a lower budget if they failed to demonstrate a positive ROI.”
8. You’re more likely to succeed with marketing automation software
There’s a lot to be said for marketing automation tools, especially as the leaders in inbound marketing all seem to be using it in one form or another.
HubSpot said: “Those who saw a higher marketing ROI in 2014 were more likely to have used marketing automation software than not.”
“In addition, those same respondents were more likely to see more budget unlocked as a result, and had almost no chance of receiving a lower budget.”
Conclusion
HubSpot’s latest State of Marketing report for 2015 shows the statistics about inbound marketing that you can no longer afford to ignore.
So, if you’re still uncertain about adopting an inbound approach for your business, here is a brief summary of some of the most important facts and statistics:
- Inbound campaigns achieve 3 times higher ROI than outbound
- Three out of 4 marketers across the globe prioritise an inbound approach
- Smaller companies are more likely to use inbound
- Paid ads are the most overrated marketing tactic
- Those with the most success are in it for the long game
- Most companies prefer inbound as a strategy
- Leading marketers track their ROI
- You’re more likely to succeed with marketing automation software
What do you think of the latest inbound marketing statistics from HubSpot?