Every agency is unique, and so is every client. The secret to building a great inbound marketing stack is to find the tools which let your approach shine. However talented and experienced your team is, they can’t do their best work without the best inbound marketing tools at their disposal. So – without fear or favor – we’ve listed the 5 inbound marketing services that every single agency needs.
#1 Email Marketing That Stands Out
Yes, we all know that email marketing is still the best thing since sliced bread. But, as time goes by, consumers are becoming experts in email marketing, too. They’re used to seeing the same clickbait subject lines, the same tired layouts and the same dull strategies.
What does that mean for inbound marketing agencies? It means that email marketing does still work – if you can make your emails stand out.
So it’s time to move away from using the same three email service providers as everyone else. Look for inbound marketing services which offer their own built-in email platforms. You’ll benefit from new editing tools, analytics and a different perspective on email tactics.
#2 Lightning-fast Inbound Marketing Tools
Inbound marketing is all about designing experiences which suit the customer – not the brand. That’s why inbound marketing agencies in 2019 spend so much time on buyer personas, workflows and creating an omni-channel experience for leads.
And, in practice, all of those buzzwords boil down to… Landing pages. Lots and lots of landing pages and blog posts, carefully written to capture every long-tail keyword. A really good content strategy will include information and calls to action for every possible buyer persona and every possible buyer’s journey.
That’s why fast web tools are an essential inbound marketing tool. You need the capacity to throw up new landing pages and blogs in record time. They have to be responsive, well-organized and easy to edit.
When you’re shopping around for inbound marketing services, think about the features you need in your landing pages and blogs. Don’t settle for inbound marketing solutions that will slow you down.
#3 Integrations That Suit Every Client
So we’ve talked about creating emails which look different. We’ve talked about fast-moving landing pages and blogs. Next on your shopping list for inbound marketing tools: Flexibility.
As an inbound marketing agency, you’re going to work with a healthy client list. And as you already know, each client will have their own preferences when it comes to inbound marketing services. They’ll have legacy programs, industry-specific needs or even just personal quirks which affect their choices about their marketing stack.
Your job is to continue providing an amazing service, without making the client re-build their process from the ground up. So you’ll need efficient, flexible integrations for all their software. It might seem counter-intuitive, but the best inbound marketing platforms aren’t the best because of their own features. They’re the best because they play well with others.
Focus on CRM integrations in particular. There are a lot of different solutions out there, so chances are, not all of your clients will be on the same platform. Look at data security, sync speed and functionality. The last thing you need is an integration that cuts corners.
#4 Powerful Analytics
Inbound marketing is all about the data. Data helps you plan your marketing strategy; data tells you what’s working, and what’s not. So you need all the information you can get.
However, big data is also a trap for unwary inbound marketing agencies. If you become overwhelmed by information, then you might as well not collect data at all.
So you don’t just need data and analytics; you need organized data analytics. You need inbound marketing services that can help you filter and sort all the relevant feedback about your marketing campaigns. That’s why it’s worth using dedicated analytics tools, instead of relying on free or built-in analytics, for email, social media and web pages.
Look for inbound marketing solutions that allow you to set up custom metrics, filters and campaign labels, so that you can organize data and get a bird’s-eye-view of your performance. And as we’ve mentioned before, any analytics software you use should have a full set of integrations to collect data seamlessly from other platforms.
#5 Client-friendly Reporting
Last of all, let’s talk about the relationship between clients and your inbound marketing agency. For a lot of marketers, the biggest challenge is demonstrating return on investment – proving to clients that their trust in you is paying off.
So when you choose inbound marketing services, take a look at the reports which those solutions and tools offer. Can you export data, quickly and easily? Can you present information visually, with charts and color-coded reports? Can you give clients and team members access to view reports, without compromising on data security?
The best inbound marketing reports will virtually write themselves. You shouldn’t have to spend hours building your own charts and presentations. You’re doing great work – so make sure your clients can see it.
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