Inbound marketing is the new buzzword for bringing in more customers. Let’s look at how to make it work for your business.
Inbound marketing drives growth by converting leads into customers. The process of inbound marketing is fairly complex to setup and requires a great deal of time. But the results are more than worth the effort.
Those sticking with their old school marketing practices are lagging behind, businesses implementing inbound marketing are seeing exponential growth. Unsurprisingly, more and more businesses are charting out inbound marketing plans.
To help those testing these waters and hoping to make a success of it, I have identified 3 fundamental ideas for successful inbound marketing.
BREAK AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL MARKETING PLAYBOOK
The key to inbound marketing is to Attract, Convert, Close and Delight customers online.
Every opportunity to please customers through your product or service must be used well because this is where you communicate (or market) your brand to them.
The internet is a very dynamic place. What worked before, may not work today. As the internet landscape changes, users adapt to it and behaviors change.
Brian Halligan, the CEO of HubSpot, speculates, “It’s becoming more and more difficult to capture customer attention. Customers, nowadays, have set higher standards for the quality and speed of the products and services being offered in the market. That’s why it’s important to engage your customers in meaningful ways without necessarily reverting to the old marketing playbook you use to follow. It’s not simply about ‘renting attention’ from your customers; you need to earn your customers valuable attention.”
INBOUND MARKETING CREATES CONTENT THAT BREAKS AWAY FROM ONLINE CLUTTER
It can’t be said enough, ENGAGE your customer.
To do this: your content has to stand apart. A great way to put this into perspective; think about the number of channels you have in your cable subscription. Yes, ALL of them compete for your attention, but you obviously don’t watch every one.
Just the ones that ATTRACT you.
In the same way, there are many websites and social media channels competing for the attention of your customers every time they jump online.
Users are searching for valuable content to read and even download. It’s up to you to provide the content that will:
- Educate
- Inspire
- and Entertain your audience.
Flat out – talking about your brand and pushing it on people is annoying.
This tells your customer that not only are you after their money, but you don’t actually care about them. That’s why it’s so important to create, trustworthy, dialog in the initial phase of the buyer’s journey. And the only way to do this is by providing thoughtful content that connects with them.
CONSIDER YOUR WEBSITE A MELTING POT WHERE PEOPLE INTERACT
Your website should be considered a hub for worthwhile interaction.
Many brands use their websites as a megaphone, so try to keep a human touch on your website. Cultivate a welcoming experience for the individual customer.
Ask yourself:
- What would I want from a website that I will truly love?
- Does my website create value as much as it entertains people?
- Will my user’s have an experience that is a cut above the rest?
For successful inbound marketing, your website must appeal to all of your buyer personas, at whatever stage they may be in the buyer’s journey. With these three fundamentals taken care of, it will appeal to them.