Remarkable Discoveries About Inbound Marketing
in Europe.10 A Publication of

have changed the way they
live and work. We already know people

So why haven’t marketers
changed?

MANY HAVE.
Especially in Europe.

Welcome to the inbound marketing
revolution.

WHAT IS
INBOUND
MARKETING?

Not a channel.

Not a tactic.

Not a technology.

But a holistic approach to
marketing that attracts individuals to your brand and creates lasting relationships with them.

HubSpot surveyed marketers, CMOs, and
agencies across 13 countries in Europe.

Then shared the results with
top marketing thought leaders across Europe.

To see if Europe is
really 12-18 months behind the U.S. in adopting new business paradigms.

We’re excited to share what
we learned …

In the first and only
comprehensive review of the European inbound marketing industry.

Here are the report’s most
remarkable discoveries …

About inbound.

About social media &
SEO.

About analytics.

About marketing &
sales alignment.

About hiring & budget.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

Inbound
Marketing

Inbound marketing has reached majority
adoption in Europe.

of European marketers implemented inbound58%
marketing strategies in 2013.

A WORD FROM THE WISE
Are we on the verge on an inbound marketing revolution? I think the revolution is already here. The only difference is, the activity of inbound marketing is preceding the label. Digital marketers are widely adopting the strategic approach that is inbound marketing, we’re just on the verge of people widely discovering what it’s called. Bryan Adams, @Bryan_phc CEO, Ph.Creative Internet Marketing Agency

And inbound marketing doesn’t live
in a silo, either.

36% completely integrate their of
European marketers inbound marketing goals with their larger strategy.

A WORD FROM THE WISE
The magic happens when inbound and outbound work together, so marketers should actively approach customers and industry influencers with content. It opens hearts and opportunities. Maybe mobile technologies can be the link between these worlds. Albert Pusch, @albertpusch Co-founder and Author, Socialmedia-blog.de

Social Media &
SEO

Some social channels are better
than others.

of European marketers generated customers
from LinkedIn 41% and Facebook.

A WORD FROM THE WISE
Europeans may be a bit more diffident than Americans about using social media for lead generation – but we’re starting to get the hang of it. We’re discovering that you can do this well without being crass about it. Doug Kessler, @dougkessler Co-founder & Creative Director, Velocity Partners

social media in general has
become more important to their marketing mix. 22% of marketers report that

A WORD FROM THE WISE
Social media can accomplish many marketing objectives: to acquire new customers, increase campaign visibility, gain traffic, etc. But social media has more to offer. It humanizes the brand, it brings customer loyalty, it reinforces audience proximity, it creates an engaged community with ambassadors. All of this will make a difference when purchase time arrives. Isabelle Mathieu, @isabellemathieu Social Media Strategist, Isabelle-Mathieu.com

SEO packs a big punch,
too.

of SEO leads in Europe
converted at 14% above-average rates.

A WORD FROM THE WISE
As the triumvirate of SEO, social, and blogging become top of mind, the big question is – what’s going to distinguish good inbound marketing from bad? Just as customers switched off from advertising, are we heading for a showdown where good headlines and bad content become the curse of the internet? The metrics for measuring successful content are still in their infancy. Tim Barker, @timbarker CMO, DataSift

Analytics &
Measurement

The biggest challenge revolves around
analytics.

the ROI of inbound tactics.
1 in 4 The number of European marketers concerned with proving

A WORD FROM THE WISE
Inbound activity is clearly having an increasingly significant impact for brands, so it’s critical to be able to measure this versus more traditional marketing activities. We live in such a data-driven world. By analysing market trends and proving the value in investing in inbound activity, we can show brands how they can better market themselves online. Kevin Gibbons, @kevgibbo Managing Director, BlueGlass

of European marketers are focused
on reaching the right audience and converting them into leads. 23%

A WORD FROM THE WISE
It’s good to see the maturation of an industry and the move away from “any old traffic will do” strategies, to ones about generating wins and revenue. Damien Mulley, @damienmulley Social Media Expert, Mulley Communications

of marketers cited customer 15%
acquisition as a success metric, but still, no clear pattern emerged.

A WORD FROM THE WISE
One of the wonderful things about inbound is that it is accountable and ROI can be tracked. Not only that, but it needs to be continually optimised as well, so you’re sure that you’re making the most of your budget and providing the content which converts at the highest rate. As we know, all leads are not equal, and neither is all content. Kath Pay, @kathpay Owner, PlantoEngage

European marketers have the opportunity
to test and optimise more.

marketers who do not test
their inbound marketing efforts. 1/2 The number of European

A WORD FROM THE WISE
Those companies still not running tests around their online marketing are leaving significant improvements on the table. In my experience, getting a return from early split tests is very likely. I hope that the next few years will see strong growth in companies focusing on conversion rate improvements. Will Critchlow, @willcritchlow CMO, Distilled

Marketing & Sales
Alignment

Better alignment between marketing &
sales is needed.

of European firms have a
formalized marketing & sales agreement.22%

A WORD FROM THE WISE
Only a minority of companies have clarity on marketing and sales responsibilities, even though the alignment of these teams is essential for maximising revenue growth and decreasing inefficiencies. This can lead to time wasted with unqualified leads or the loss of well-qualified prospects when information is not disseminated effectively. Linus Gregoriadis, @LinusGreg Research Director, eConsultancy

of support for inbound marketing
efforts lies with the marketing team.40%

A WORD FROM THE WISE
This research shows that the principal challenge for marketers is proving the return on investment of marketing activities. This is difficult, but is very much possible with the right type of joined-up measurement and inter- departmental cooperation. Linus Gregoriadis, @LinusGreg Research Director, eConsultancy

Hiring & Budget

Europe has optimistic plans for
inbound hiring in 2013.

The average number of members
by which European inbound marketing teams will grow this year.2.5

A WORD FROM THE WISE
We need more talent. We’re now finding more requests to run workshops and assist with hiring. I think many European businesses recognise that a good graduate hiring and training scheme is the key to solving the dire lack of available candidates in the inbound recruitment market. Richard Baxter, @richardbaxter CEO, SEOGadget

Economic influences remain a critical
factor in European budget allocations.

The number of marketers that
reported the economy impacted their budgets in 2013.1 in 3

A WORD FROM THE WISE
Europe is a mosaic of cultures, and this has a direct reflection on how marketing professionals conceive online marketing. A number of companies that will increase their investment in inbound marketing in Europe as a country may not reflect the reality of many individual countries. Gianluca Fiorelli, @gfiorelli1 SEO and Inbound Marketing Strategist, iLoveSEO

Still, inbound marketing spend in
Europe outpaces outbound spend.

more money was spent on
inbound marketing efforts than outbound efforts by European marketers. 76%

A WORD FROM THE WISE
In tough economic times, with marketing under pressure, it’s encouraging in Europe to see inbound recognized as the dominant strategy for customer revenue and growth. Continued adoption of inbound demonstrates that the role of marketing is not to help Sales sell, but to help customers buy. Tim Barker, @timbarker CMO, DataSift

Be the first to read
about inbound marketing in Europe. Download the full State of Inbound Marketing in Europe Report to explore: • Executive insights on inbound marketing • The business case for adopting inbound marketing • The marketers' case for adopting inbound testing, tactics, and technology • Thoughts on building a successful team of inbound marketers SOIM http://hub.am/10Yp6Mv#