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So, you have implemented a social media strategy for your business and that is, admittedly, a huge step. Your company is about to be more visible for many more potential clients or customers and how doesn't need more of those, right? But what happens when the people don't come running over, like you or the executives thought they might? Does that mean it's time to halt the campaign and just give up? I have wonderful news for you, my social media brethren: You do not need to give up. In fact, social media does a lot for brands that make good use of the networks they are featured on.

One of the many exciting aspects of inbound marketing is that it works so well for businesses in almost every industry. While Inbound methodology may take a bit of time before you can expect results, once results start coming in, they are far less expensive and are also highly motivating. Inbound marketing offers great reward for a lower investment than other strategies; however, it takes a lot of effort from the get go.

Traditionally, medical marketers have focused their efforts on reaching out to the masses, hoping that out of the hundreds or thousands of healthcare professionals who heard their message, a few of them might become customers. Recently, however, this approach has changed. Inbound marketing focuses heavily on creating engaging and valuable content that attracts people who need what you are selling. Medical device professionals can absolutely benefit from inbound marketing.

HubSpot just announced the release of two new technology platforms that promise to empower salespeople in the same way they’ve empowered marketers.  While it’s still early, both HubSpot CRM and the newly enhanced tool Sidekick look to be game changers.

There are plenty of ways to drive your inbound marketing campaign straight into the ground. Yes, we're starting off this post a little on the negative side of things; hey it's Monday, we need our afternoon caffeine, and we promise to swing it back up to Hubspot-happy by the end, so humor us for now. Anyways, you could send spammy e-mails to unsuspecting bystanders, rip off other marketers' content, keyword stuff, and the list goes on. Above all else however, there is one thing that will absolutely doom your inbound marketing from the beginning: failing to create your buyer personas. 

Hubspot has stated that every marketing action you make should be dictated by your buyer personas. You know how much we love Hubspot, (check out why here) and we think this statement is probably one of the smartest they've made. Why? Because valuable content is at the core of inbound marketing. One of the determining factors of its value will be how useful it is. If you don't know who your buyer personas are, then how are you going to produce content that is useful to them? 

For those of you who aren't 100% familiar with this term yet, or even if you are, we'll quickly review what exactly defines a buyer persona. By definition, buyer personas are fictional characters who represent a brand's ideal customers. It's common for businesses to have more than one ideal customer, and for that customer to change depending on the growth or goals of the business. When developing these personas, you should consider factors such as:

Even if you aren't a fan of the Bruins, you can't deny Patrice Bergeron's very loveable attributes. I mean, what's more clutch than a double OT, game 3 goal? Not much. Okay, rant over.