One of the first questions we frequently receive before implementing inbound marketing for a new client is "How long do we wait before we can expect results?" It's a reasonable question, considering the investment; however, unlike newspaper ads or pay per click (outbound marketing), you will be using tactics that earn trust and interest from prospects. Unfortunately, it isn't easy to pique interest and earn the trust of your prospects.

To really see the long-term benefits from Inbound Marketing it takes time. How much time? Like many things, the short answer is "it depends.”

So, what is a reasonable amount of time to wait before expecting results from Inbound Marketing?

So, How Long Does It Take?

You might not like to hear this: a majority of inbound marketing campaigns take between six and nine months to start seeing a return on your investment. You must acknowledge though, that not every company will see results during that time period. There will inevitably be some companies that witness results before or after the 6-9 month time frame.

You need to develop a long-term marketing strategy during the initial setup of your first inbound marketing campaign.

Ideally, your long-term strategy should include:

• 90-Day calendar for first campaign

• Setting up social media profiles

• Creation of offers that have the ability to attract prospects at every stage of the marketing funnel

• Development of long-tail keywords

Next Steps: Developing Relationships & Expanding Reach

During the first six months, you will want to build relationships with your prospects, both through social media interactions and content engagement. Developing strong ties with your prospects can help you to expand the reach of your business through building fans and followers. Consider this: the cost of posting your blog to 15 readers is going to be the same when you are posting it to 1,000 readers. Keep in mind; you want to work hard to develop content that your readers will want to share with their network. If you understand who your target audience is, write original posts, share other peoples content, and stay original, you won't have a difficult time building relationships.

Can I Do Anything To See Results Faster

If you want to generate results quickly, you will need to write as much remarkable content as you can on a regular basis. If you can write 15 blog posts a month instead of 10, that will help generate more results. It is essential that you maintain perspective and composure when you are developing and planning your first campaign. With the right timing and patience, you will begin to see results; it all depends on how much effort you put into it.

ImageWorks | CT Inbound Marketing

When it comes to attracting, converting, analyzing, and integrating, there is nothing that is out of the reach of our capabilities. As a leading CT Inbound Marketing Firm, ImageWorks uses state of the art techniques and is focused on the success of your business. We work with you to improve your current marketing plan, overcome your challenges, achieve your goals, and meet deadlines. By creating content specifically designed to appeal to your dream customers, inbound attracts qualified prospects to your business and keeps them coming back for more.