3 Lessons Learned from Inbound 2017

Over 20,000 people from 100 countries attended INBOUND this year to learn from the best in the world of inbound marketing. In true Wistia fashion, we headed down to the Seaport District to set up Jeff’s Lemonade stand, chatted with tons of attendees, and answered more questions about video than there were lemonheads in a jar. Don’t get the reference? Watch the video below for a quick recap of what went down.

With 250 educational sessions over a 4-day period, there was no shortage of helpful, informative content throughout the conference. But after chatting with our team, it was clear that a few key points really stood out from the rest. Let’s dive in!

1. Use social video strategically

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it was definitely a major theme throughout INBOUND. Now that nearly every major social platform is working toward a video-first future, it’s super important that businesses start making a concerted effort to craft a video strategy that supports their marketing efforts on social.

According to presenter Mari Smith, “people gaze 5 times longer at video than static content on Facebook and Instagram,” which means that if you haven’t tried experimenting with video on both platforms, the opportunity is huge. Similarly, Meghan Keaney, VP of Marketing at HubSpot, also pointed out that “the average time spent watching Facebook Live video is 3 times more than the pre-recorded kind.”

If you want to learn more about getting started with Facebook Live, check out this post!

2. Build a culture, build a brand

If you focus on building an amazing company culture from day one, you’ll see the payoff in dividends. A number of presenters touched on this theme throughout the conference — focus on building a culture, and your brand will follow. Not only does it make recruiting and scaling your business easier, but it also creates a solid foundation for growth. These days, many businesses are focusing more on marketing to a mission, not just marketing their product. Work on creating a genuine culture and brand that furthers your mission, and you’ll inspire your audience, too.

3. Quality matters more than quantity

Dharmesh Shah, CTO and Co-Founder of HubSpot, really hammered this point home during his keynote session. “Better content does better — who would’ve thought that?” he joked. “We should all be doubling down on content, but we should also be focused on the quality of the content, not the quantity. Pick only your best articles.”

For marketers these days, it’s much more important to work on building your brand over time by becoming the go-to source for impressive content in your industry. This principle can also be applied to sales — you want more high-quality leads, not just more leads.

And there you have it. There was a ton to absorb at INBOUND this year. What was the biggest impression it left on you? Share your thoughts in the comments!