Inbound marketing generates traffic through content that attracts potential customers
to a business’s website or social media channels. The content can take many forms, such as blog
posts, social media updates, infographics, and videos. It is a “pull” strategy where the goal is to
provide valuable content that engages potential customers and draws them to a business’s website,
where they can learn more about the business and its offerings. For a detailed understanding refer
to Section What Works Online — How to Get Discovered, and
the case examples pertaining to Chobani, Garnier and Always.
Inbound marketing can be more cost-effective over the long term, as it can generate
organic traffic to a business’s website. However, it can take time to see results, and there is no
guarantee that the content will resonate with the intended audience.
Inbound marketing can take the form of viral advertising, for instance, video campaigns on
YouTube, where ads are placed on owned media to create a buzz and channel traffic to the brand’s
websites. It is, however, difficult to create online advertising that will reach out to the masses.
Although some advertisements have achieved millions of views, going viral is a challenging feat for
most advertisers.
