Inbound marketing, from the concept articulated in 2006, has come a long way up to present day. The overall idea hasn’t changed. Inbound marketing is still about attracting people towards your website and product with usage of various channels – blogs, social media, videos and white papers. As a strategy, it’s continuously evolving alongside with media, users’ habits and tools, reflecting the shifting digital landscape.
Inbound marketing is more than content and a blog. The types of content you can create in order to attract your potential customers is enormous and limited only to your ideas. The new media platforms, new techniques and strategies are popping out everyday. The key to maximizing performance of inbound marketing, is to take advantage of any opportunity.
Content
Probably you have heard numerous times that content, in terms of inbound marketing is essential. It’s difficult not to agree. It attracts new people and inspires their interest in your product, thanks to the ongoing process of publishing valuable information. Remember that valuable information isn’t everything and that form is important too. Don’t limit yourself to writing a blog, you can use other content formats like:
- presentations
- white papers
- e-books
- videos
- infographics
- interactive websites
- podcasts
- newsletters
- photos
Mix up content with an attractive form to engage your readers, make them more likely to share, come back regularly and convert.
Check out our article how to craft content that people love to share.
Blogging
Although your blog shouldn’t be used to promote your business and services directly, it does that thanks to content. But why should you stop writing only on your blog? Making your blog a popular place with loyal readers is a very difficult task. Try to go outside your playing field and share the information with a wider audience. Probably you have read some industry-orientated blogs or portals. You’ll have the opportunity to build greater awareness around your brand and yourself as an expert. The point is that your blog, weather you’re at the starting or middle point of your campaign, you have a limited reader base.
Even the best crafted content could be difficult to find, so try to make your first steps in blogosphere.
Call To Action
Call to actions can seem to be unimportant, but they are also the elements, that could state the difference. They’re the first step the user takes in terms of conversion. Try to place visible buttons with text encouraging your users to take action on a presented offer. It’s as simple as adding terms like: “Sign-up”, “Check out offer for free”, “Download free ebook” or “Try for free today!”. A visible call-to-action statement to grab your reader’s attention and push him further down the conversion funnel.
Landing Pages
Landing pages are created on purpose. As your whole website is created to show your product or services, your blog provides content, the landing page is created to score the lead and gain a new customer. It’s the place where your business and people need meet. Try to maximize the probability that your user will convert and turn into a client. Always try to direct your traffic to the landing page. It’s always better to have your user, which walked through your conversion funnel, on a conversion optimized web page, than having one on your homepage hoping that he will eventually find it.
Find out more about landing pages and conversion rate optimization.
Social Media
Social Media is more about gathering fans and pushing your content forward. The most important aspect, besides the shareability is the communication. Have you checked your email lately? Can you tell how many emails you received from your readers lately? Probably some, if hardly any. Now check how many comments, likes or retweets you scored in your social media profiles. Probably much more. Furthermore I can bet that a moment ago you liked or commented on your favorite blogger’s new article or another piece of content on the Internet.
Social Media allows you to contact with people fast, easily and on the channel of their choice. That’s also the quickest way to catch up with the influencers in your niche, by putting on a human face on your brand and providing a real time service to your customers.
Newsletter
Once you caught the lead, that is only the beginning of the process. Even if you’re new prospect is interested in the information or service you’ve provided, it doesn’t mean that he’s ready to become your customer. Leaving contact information like e-mail or any other contact data is the first step and a sign of high interest and big probability of unsolved issue the user has encountered.
Provide the user with content that he might be interested in, like newest information about your brand or special offer,and a free trial of your service. You will build your potential client’s confidence around your offer and build trust. Even if the user won’t become your customer, the professional client service will surely turn into more referrals.
Final Thoughts
Inbound marketing is a strategy and ongoing process. Be aware not to set it and forget it. Like any other online activity, it needs much of your attention and ongoing improvements in order to maximize it’s effectiveness. Complex inbound marketing strategies are adapted to various users on different levels of brand awareness. Properly crafted tactics are scalable and are efficient in attracting users, who aren’t familiar with the brand, but present in industry related segments. Don’t stop improving your inbound marketing’s informational path until your inbound marketing machine will build awareness and increase the interest of users over time; even the ones with no intention to purchase.
