Learning to Grow at Inbound—Key Takeaways to Incorporate in Your Business

Inbound, hosted by the company Hubspot, is a media platform and annual event that is designed to help companies learn how to transform their marketing techniques into those that are centered around "delighting" customers. With speakers like Michelle Obama and Shonda Rhimes, Inbound strives to share inspirational stories of people and brands that go beyond the norm in their industries. After attending the 2018 conference and sitting in on various sessions, there were many takeaways that are must-haves in your own business.

1. Video, video, video!

Let your lengthy emails, articles, and other text-heavy content take a backseat—video is in. But hold on, that doesn't mean say goodbye to text. Adding text to videos is the best of both worlds, especially when you can watch it without sound, which many younger generations do when they're out and about. 

It's also important to create content designed mainly for mobile feeds, since this is where people go to access content the most. In addition, using specific key words and getting to the point as fast as possible are essential in gaining and keeping people's attention.

2. It's all about trust

Customers will be WAY more likely to want to do business with you if all doubts are eliminated. Be as transparent as possible in every way. This includes things like posting pricing on your company site, and even talking about the negative. Yes, you read that right, talk about the problems! Customers are going to trust you more if you address questions or issues head on without hiding or avoiding them. In addition, another helpful tip is to personalize content as often as possible. This makes the customer feel like you care when you put in the extra effort to tailor content to them specifically. The best way to grow your business is to earn that trust right off the bat.

3. Post this, but not that!

There are definitely do's and don'ts when it comes to posting on social media. So, what are some examples?

Do: company news, event pictures, press releases, awards, customer success stories, networking requests

Don't: politics, personal information, questionable pictures, personal rants, negative comments, poor grammar or typos

The keys to being successful regarding these platforms include being consistent, engaging, authentic, and original.

4. Lastly, and maybe the most obvious, practice self care

By meeting your physical/emotional needs, you become more sharp, creative, and pleasant to work with. Make sure you're nourishing your body and mind so that you feel balanced and ready to take on your hectic days. This means socially, emotionally, physically, within your relationships, and your environment.

Although there were hundreds of sessions that took place throughout the week at Inbound, these four summarized tips were some central themes throughout them all. With these, your company has the potential to grow to unknown heights—it's all about taking that first step.