Paid Advertising the #1 Most Overrated Marketing Tactic

We’ve been helping our clients reduce their reliance on paid advertising, including paid search, for years. The inbound methodology has shown huge improvements in our client’s bottom-lines even as we have helped them reduce their over-all paid advertising budgets year over year. It is not all that surprising that among survey respondents who self-identify as inbound marketers there is common agreement the paid advertising is less-than-effective at generating desired returns.

What is telling is that, among firms that still are directing large portions of their marketing budgets to paid advertising 32% found print, outdoor and broadcast to be a wasted investment. Furthermore, an additional 12% found paid online advertising to be equally ineffective. Fully 44% of respondents whose marketing programs rely heavily upon paid advertising, cited paid advertising, in all its forms to be an over-rated marketing tactic.

Is this a case of “better the devil you know” or continued wishful thinking? It is hard to know. What is clear is that increasing numbers of successful firms are seeing the light and reallocating their advertising budget to the more profitable improvements offered by an inbound marketing approach.

The State of Inbound, 2015 Edition, is packed with valuable findings and actionable data that helps you and your team craft winning strategies. A report like this is certainly worth paying for, but having access to this material for free, well that is almost too good to be true. And yet, for the 7th year in a row, that is precisely what HubSpot has done. Do not miss this chance to explore the marketing and sales landscape with insights from over 4000 respondents world-wide. Inbound is not only the most cost-effective approach to marketing, it also helps bridge the gaps and silos that often develop inside companies. Look closely at the findings inside this bundle. You’ll surely be inspired and amazed.