The technology industry is perhaps the best example of entrepreneurship going today.  There are countless stories of bright people with good ideas creating iconic companies with a combination of hard work, persistence and a little bit of luck.  Here in Northern Virginia, there are dozens upon dozens of smart people who have built technology companies that have grown into thriving enterprises by having the faith and courage to follow their dreams and capitalize on their good ideas.  So if you’re an entrepreneur in the process of growing your technology business, why should you be using inbound marketing?

What is Inbound Marketing?

For purposes of definition, inbound marketing is the process of:

• using search engine optimization and keywords to make it easy for potential customers, investors and employees to find you on the web
• creating relevant content by blogging and creating whitepapers, eBooks and videos that educate and engage your audience
• promoting your content (and brand) through social media
• converting website visitors to leads for your marketing database and nurturing them with great content and e-mail marketing
• measuring the results of your inbound marketing to facilitate an environment of continuous improvement

Growing Your Business

Most business owners and executives realize that the internet is the first place buyers turn as they begin to consider purchasing goods and services (a recent study concluded that 71% of B2B purchases begin with a search engine query.)   For a growing technology company, inbound marketing is a great way to level the playing field against large, established competitors.  When prospects learn that your software or process can solve their business problem, their engagement with you will demonstrate that not only can you meet their needs, but that you are hungrier and more nimble than your established competitors.

Financing Your Business

 Inbound marketing is not only a great way to build and enhance your revenue stream, but it’s also a great way to boost your efforts to attract investors.  Venture capitalists and private-equity firms use the internet the same way potential buyers do – they use search engines to look for innovative companies that have the potential to make money for them.  Inbound marketing helps you attract investors in a few different ways:

1. By using SEO and blogging, inbound marketing gets your company found when VCs and private-equity firms research potential investments on the internet.
2. When that VC or private-equity firm finds you, your inbound marketing program demonstrates to them that you have a well-developed process in place to monetize your good idea.
3. One of the first things technology companies invest in when they do get funding is sales and marketing – an established marketing program will ensure that you meet the investor’s growth expectations.
4. If you're a bootstrapper, inbound marketing will help you get a return on your investment quicker.

Staffing Your Business

Let’s face it, most people don’t embrace risk and opportunity the same way entrepreneurs do. Now that you need to expand your staff beyond the core group that took the plunge with you, your inbound marketing (particularly your blogging and content creation) will position your company as an exciting place to work.  Job candidates will have read about your ideas, your offerings and will have gotten a sense of the culture you are fostering in your company.  The reality is that somebody looking for a 9 to 5 job with a cozy pension is not the person you want to hire to take your company to the next level.  In the case of sales people, your inbound marketing program will demonstrate that you have the processes in place for them to be successful and make you both a lot of money.  Use your inbound marketing to promote your brand on the internet to potential hires.

Key Takeaway

To summarize, growing technology companies should embrace internet marketing to help them grow their business, attract the investment necessary to take them to the next level and to find the staff that shares your passion and drive to succeed.  There are many affordable options for small businesses to leverage inbound marketing to ramp up their businesses.  Get educated and see if it's right for you.