Inbound marketing is the new big thing in business. It’s like parachute pants. People are spending a significant amount of resources on making sure they give their brand a strong identity and creating more legitimacy online.

A lot of companies get frustrated because they hire an inbound marketing strategist or invest in a software expecting for a big payoff only to see their numbers stay the same.

Below are some of most common mistakes we've observed when helping people set up their inbound marketing campaigns.

1 // You don’t know who your target audience is

One of the most common mistakes an inbound marketer can make is assuming that they know who their target audience is and what kind of content they are looking for. Buyer personas should be based on facts and research, not assumptions. If your buyer personas do not define the wants, needs, and challenges of your leads, then it will be difficult for your writers and social media managers to really understand who they are selling to.

Not every blog should be targeting the same persona, and not every email campaign should be blindly sent out to every single contact. Each marketing tool you use should be categorized based on which buyer persona you are choosing to market to at that particular time. If you take the time to find out who your audience is so that everything you send, offer, or write for them is perfectly targeted to their pain points, you will start to see better long term results.

2 // You're spending your time and money on making content, but not on leveraging that content

Another common mistake when it comes to inbound marketing is spending all of your energy on creating awesome content without properly leveraging it afterward. While great content is an extremely important part of a good inbound marketing strategy, it is only half of the equation. You just have to solve for x to finish the equation. And, in this case, x = leverage. You can't create amazing content and then just have it sit on the internet.

A good rule is that you should spend the same amount of time leveraging your content as you did writing it. For example, if you have an amazing new blog post out that you're proud of, don't just post it on Facebook. Instead, make it the focus of next week's newsletter, tweet about it a handful of times, and email it to your advocates and friends. Then try to get it mentioned by your network either through guest posting, shout-outs on social media, or newsletter exchanges. Showcase your content in various ways on various channels, and openly talk about the research and thought that went into creating it. After a few months, send it out again with feedback from readers, maybe in a "Check out our Most Popular Blogs" newsletter.

Giving your content the attention it is due is a huge part of building your online identity. If you aren't leveraging it to the fullest extent, you're not only missing out on a great marketing opportunity, you're also wasting the money that you spent on creating quality content. 

3 // You're going it alone instead of reaching out

The last mistake we're going to mention here is not putting enough effort into building a network of HUMAN advocates and influencers. SEO optimization and using the right keywords are both necessary inbound marketing tactics. But if you are not simultaneously trying to get your product supported and discussed by actual humans, you are significantly reducing the effect your online content will have. This is why almost every inbound marketing strategy focuses on creating advocates as the end goal, not just customers.

Advocates are the people who actively praise your product on social media, who feel passionately that your product has made their life easier, and who will recommend and advocate for your content both online and in person. In other words, they’re good folks.

Along with advocates, you should also be looking for influencers. These are not necessarily customers, but important figures in your industry who can endorse and advocate for your brand. Use social media, personal connections, and great content to make connections within your network and become a part of the online conversation. Every company is looking to share, collaborate, and endorse within their network. You need to get yourself involved in this collaboration so that your brand builds relevancy within the industry.

To sum it up

If you're struggling with inbound marketing, it’s time to examine your business under a magnifying glass. Feel free to wear a lab coat to complete the aesthetic. After you take a good look at the tactics you are using, you can figure out if you're making any of these mistakes and rectify them. With a comprehensive inbound strategy that maximizes the effort you're putting into your marketing, you should start to see success with inbound.

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