Inbound marketing has become the go-to method for all marketers to attract customers to them rather than the other way around. If you're just now starting an inbound marketing campaign, it pays to look at what works and what doesn't.

One thing about inbound is it continues to evolve. It pays to look at statistics to see what's going on out there and which tactics truly work effectively.

Here's four inbound marketing stats you should know, with likely a few surprises in store.

1. Paid Advertising is Now Being Deemed Overrated

The old methods of marketing are slowly starting to diminish as many companies deem them overrated rather than useful. In fact, 1/3 of all marketers now think outbound techniques aren't worth the trouble.

This proves a major shift is about to happen in how most companies approach marketing. Inbound is automatically cheaper when you consider posting content on social media or your website is all free.

2. Dealing With Metrics is Still a Challenge

There isn't anything more important in an inbound strategy than easy-to-read metrics. Unfortunately, not all companies know how to read their metrics in the right way. All of this stems from companies struggling to understand what their ROI is and how much traffic they're generating.

If you start an inbound marketing plan, make sure you use a platform with metrics that everyone can comprehend rather than requiring an expert.

3. Video Continues to Supersede Written Content

While content is going to require some writing, keep in mind stats now show video starting to supersede text. Don't think text is going completely away, though, especially since you'll still need to write scripts to create marketing videos.

Nevertheless, videos as the primary form of inbound content is certainly growing fast. Since it allows a more personal way to present your company, it's something to focus on into the coming decade.

4. Automation is Becoming More Important for Inbound

With above statistics showing many companies becoming uncomfortable doing manual data entry, it proves automation isn't ubiquitous yet. If you start working with a CRM platform, you'll get a lot of automation tools for sending marketing emails and posting content.

Take this seriously when you create content since you need to send at the right times to gain the trust of prospective leads.

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