So much has changed in the world of marketing in the past couple of years. With the introduction of the modern internet and the need to be in constant contact with others, marketing hasn’t been more different than what we’ve learned in our college courses. Yes, I agree that the basis of what we do now is in-line with what we learned there, but the implementation has completely changed. We are now in a world that expects information to come to us, usually from searching the internet. This is where inbound marketing comes into play.
Inbound marketing is the use of content and other materials to bring prospective clients and customers to you, rather than you going out and searching for them. Now what do I mean by content? Content is anything from a blog post to an e-book that contains beneficial information to the prospect. To be able to have a successful inbound marketing campaign you must have top notch content that prospects will find useful.
The inbound marketing methodology is laser targeted on growing sales for businesses by focusing on the activities most crucial to that objective.
The first goal for a business utilizing the inbound methodology of marketing is to attract and convert a stranger into a visitor. This can often be the hardest step in the process. To help yourself accomplish this step you should have a solid understanding of the interests, concerns, and problems that your current clients had before they started doing business with you. By fully understanding your prospect you will be able to better create content that will strike a chord with them.
The second step in the process is to convert that visitor into a lead. This is where you hope to gather contact and other pertinent information regarding the prospect. You can do this by implementing forms, calls-to-action, and landing pages into your website or content used in the attraction stage.
Once you have the lead and their information you need to convert them into a customer. You already should know just what this lead is interested in so it shouldn’t be extremely difficult; just give them what they want. Tools like CRMs, emails, and marketing automation help in making the lead aware that you have what they want and need.
Now that you have a customer, you can’t forget about them. What if a current customer could benefit from another service or product you offer, but they aren’t aware that you offer it? You can maximize your profit with the use of surveys and social monitoring to better understand the wants and needs of both your current and prospective clients. It’s also important to keep in mind that pleased customers are more likely to refer others to your business, bringing the methodology full circle.
Time changes and so do the methods we use to attract prospective clients and customers. Inbound marketing is quickly becoming the new standard in capturing these customers. But is it right for your business? Stay tuned because next week we will go over what businesses can succeed with inbound marketing. If you’re already convinced that inbound marketing will work for you fill out our discovery form today and be ready to be contacted by a certified inbound marketing specialist soon.
