What Is Inbound Marketing?
Kelly Kirkham defines the new ‘if you build it they will come approach’ to marketing…
According to Hubspot.com, there are 200 million numbers on the Do Not Call List. Forty four percent of direct mail is never opened and 86 percent of people skip television commercials. Traditional marketing is failing in a way that nobody sees, hears, or cares about. These outdated methods of ‘interrupt marketing’ have been disrupted and it’s time for something new. This is where inbound marketing comes in.
What is inbound marketing?
Companies who have mastered inbound marketing use blogs, podcasts, video, E-books, email newsletters, webinars, and social media to offer valuable content to customers.
Inbound marketing has presented itself as the future of successful marketing. What better than having your customers come to you? Gone are the days of circulars in the bin and annoying calls at dinner. Inbound marketing creates a symbiotic relationship within the marketing atmosphere.
The greatest thing about the concept is that there isn’t a set and determined way to achieve success. Creativity, response, and value are the key components to obtaining a strong following.
How do small businesses create a buyers’ atmosphere by using inbound marketing?
Simply put: You talk about it. Write about it. Post about it. Send about it.
Become an expert in all things in your field. Brainstorm and decide what it is that you do better than any other company. Ask your customers what interests them. By listening to the questions your customers are asking, you can then provide the answers customers are searching for.
Blogs
Hubspot statistics show that companies who post to their blogs only one or two times a month generate 70 percent more leads than companies without blogs. Companies who blog three to five times a month can double those leads. Customers have unlimited access to information, by posting regularly you can have a say in what they are learning about your business. A blog can create a relationship with your customers, and when customers trust you with their information they will come to you first when they need the service or product you offer.
Social Media
Social media can be tough and somewhat risky, but it’s a necessity when launching a successful brand. Statistics show that companies with 51 to 100 Twitter followers receive 106 percent more traffic than those with less than 25 followers. Be sure that you have links from your websites to your social media pages, post in frequent intervals, and your customers will do the rest.
SEO
Oh the mysteries of SEO. Unlike social media, SEO is truly an art form. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t show up first in search engines for the generic terms that describe your business. Instead, think outside the box. Research your own analytics and become familiar with the services Google offers. With a little investigation and optimization, you can greatly improve your SEO. You might not be first but ranking on the first page is an excellent goal. The most important thing you can do to improve your SEO is to offer quality content on a regular basis. By improving your quality index your rankings within the search pages will skyrocket. Read this other Midphase post for more in-depth SEO tips.
Get Started
Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive or painful, but finding the exact niche for your business is crucial. With a bit of planning and some research you can make a huge difference the way customers see your brand.
For help establishing inbound marketing tools and help with adding a blog to your website visit the Midphase website.