When it comes to modern marketing, two terms dominate this field – inbound marketing and content marketing. Though there is some confusion about whether they are the same thing or different, in reality, content marketing is a subset of inbound marketing.
What is inbound Marketing?
Inbound marketing is a specific and tactical approach that focuses on drawing in qualified leads and potential customers, rather than broadly advertising your company to the general public. Inbound marketing is successful when a consumer searches for a solution to their problem, discovers a resource that answers their questions, and then selects the product or service that ultimately resolves their pain point.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing forms the backbone and foundation of any inbound marketing strategy. Content marketing is what creates value for your potential leads, and it’s what draws those qualified leads into your sales funnel. It’s the fuel that feeds your inbound marketing funnel or flywheel. Content marketing is everything from the optimized content on your website to your weekly blog posts to your monthly email newsletters.
How They Work Together
Inbound marketing and content marketing work together to bring qualified leads into your sales funnel. While inbound marketing encourages consumers to self-qualify, content marketing is a major component of that inbound marketing methodology, especially in the early stages of the buyer’s journey. Content marketing draws in qualified leads so your marketing and sales teams can apply the rest of your inbound marketing strategy to nurture and close those leads.
In conclusion, inbound marketing and content marketing work best when used in conjunction. Both tactics are useful methods to draw in and close qualified leads. Content marketing forms the foundation of your inbound marketing strategy, and it’s the fuel that feeds your inbound marketing funnel or flywheel.