If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend that you develop an integrated marketing strategy that integrates traditional marketing efforts (PR, tradeshows, etc.) with inbound marketing and your sales process. This integrated marketing strategy will serve as your digital marketing roadmap. If you don't think creating an integrated marketing strategy is important, consider what your competition is doing:
If you don't have an integrated strategy, you're already behind and you're losing ground rapidly.
My first recommendation to SMB technology companies who are implementing digital marketing strategies is to invest in marketing automation software. Marketing automation software is the engine of your digital inbound marketing machine. Unlike traditional marketing tactics like PR and advertising, every element of inbound marketing can be measured and evaluated for improvement with marketing automation software. One of the primary decision points for SMB companies is how well the software integrates digital marketing functionality. I really like the HubSpot software because it integrates social media, marketing automation, SEO, blogging, email marketing and lead generation in a single package with integrated analytics. Other inbound marketing software providers for SMB companies include Optify, InfusionSoft and Silverpop. You should plan on investing between $3,000 and $10,000 annually, depending on your requirements. Some SMB companies try to patch together disparate software packages to simulate the functionality of marketing automation software. Unless you have enterprise-level IT resources internally, an all-in-one internet marketing software package like HubSpot will likely be more cost-effective and produce better results.
To fully take advantage of your marketing automation software, you likely will need to invest some time and/or money in adding marketing functionality to your website, if not in a full site redesign.
The field of digital marketing is in its infancy. To be a successful digital marketing professional, you need the following competencies:
Inbound marketing professionals with these capabilities are a hot commodity. Most SMB technology companies lack the internal resources to effectively perform all of these critical functions.
To compete in the digital marketing arena, you have two choices:
For most SMB companies, outsourcing some or all of your inbound marketing program is more cost-effective and will produce better results. From a budgeting perspective, plan on spending $2,500 to $7,500 per month, depending on your needs and your internal capabilities.
Inbound marketing, also known as digital or interactive marketing, is becoming a strategic necessity for technology companies. The ability to make sure potential customers find you when they research solutions and to convert website visitors into leads and customers is increasingly becoming a major growth drive for SMB companies. If you're not already moving towards inbound marketing implementation, you are at a competitive disadvantage. The technology and talent to drive growth with inbound marketing is available, but it is most likely not available internally. Start by developing an integrated marketing strategy and then evaluate technology and talent options to move your digital marketing efforts foward.