Inbound Marketing: What it is and how it can help your business
Inbound marketing is a strategy that involves drawing people in rather than forcing a message out. In this marketing method, customers find your business through blogs, social media sites, Youtube videos or, search engines results, to name a few. This works out nicely since people tend to seek out content and experiences that are helpful and valuable to them.
Focusing on how you can solve a problem that your target audience is experiencing, instead of trying to get the word out to as many people as possible, will help get you the right kind of client. That is the kind that is interested in what you have to offer.
Outbound marketing, on the other hand, can come across as pushy, annoying, or may even look like a scam. Not many people enjoy getting spam emails or watching ads during a Game of Thrones marathon. And not many people want to be that guy (or gal) making cold calls. Good news, inbound marketing is here to save the day.
Make Inbound Marketing Work For You
Build A Persona
The first step is to know exactly who your ideal client is. This detailed version of a target audience is known as a Persona. This takes into consideration not only characteristics like age and gender, but also his or her lifestyle, attitudes, and interests.
The persona should be derived from the results of research. This may start with feedback from your sales team, your site analytics, or customer surveys. No matter how you collect it, use your data to your advantage and try not to make assumptions. Once you have determined your persona, you can begin to develop content specifically geared toward attracting your ideal client.
Learn everything you need to know about building your Persona
Attract Your Audience
There are tons of ways to attract people to your site, such as social media, SEO, paid and organic ads, and blog posts. We won’t go over each of these in detail in this article. But no matter your method, remember that using content that speaks to directly to your target audience will help ensure that your visitors fit the persona you have set for your business.
Attracting the right audience is important for generating sustained interest and therefore repeat visits. The more your audience can see that you understand them, the more they will want to check out what you have to offer.
Make sure that you’re spending your money on what works. A/B tests are a great way to determine what content generates the most traffic so you get the most bang for your buck.
25 ways to get more traffic to your site
Conversion Techniques
Once your audience is picking up what you’re putting down, keep the ball rolling by giving them a way to sign up for something special. You may use lead pages, signup forms, and/or enticing calls to action. In any case, be sure that your request it enticing and clear. Aim to make your calls to action grab attention without being intrusive. A well-designed lightbox may be more effective than a form that pops up in the middle of a page as soon as it is opened. What works best for you depends on your audience and industry so testing is a must.
24 brilliant call to action button tips to increase your conversion rate
Building A Relationship
Think about what your audience is seeking out of the relationship, it could be education, deals, or entertainment. Whatever it is, be sure to give people what they came to you for. You may consider holding webinars, writing e-books, sharing instructional videos, or hilarious cat memes (hey, whatever works for you) to provide your audience with the goodies that make them glad they signed up with you.
It’s crucial that your audience trust you, so it’s important that you are honest with them. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. That means if your subscribers signed up to get one video a week, don’t wait a month to get the first one sent out. Be confident and open about your expertise, if you don’t know the answer to something or you can’t provide value to someone in a certain area, don’t fake it. Your reputation will thank you.
Getting The Sale
Your audience has your attention, and now is your time to shine. Demonstrate your expertise and point out the value that your product or service provides. Now that people are really listening, you can remind them of how you can provide the solutions they are seeking. You can assure people that doing business with you is the right choice by providing testimonials, demos, a satisfaction guarantee, or trial periods.
Read the comprehensive guide to increasing your online sales
Customer Loyalty
Keep people coming back by providing ongoing rewards to loyal customers. Points based rewards programs, or members only deals can help ensure that your customers come back to you next time around.
An article written by the JH Media Group Team
