Today’s tech-savvy, fast-moving world doesn’t really appreciate sales emails or subscription pop-ups.
Customers are now well aware of their needs, how things can be bought and where exactly they need to get them from. Common mass marketing techniques worked wonderfully when the digital era was at its beginning. However, these techniques are no longer useful. So, how do you successfully market your startup or small business today? This is where inbound marketing comes in.
Inbound marketing is a tactic of pulling in your potential consumers through problem-solving actions via content rather than throwing your ads in their face. Because, let’s face it, whenever we see a pop-up or an ad about any company for that matter, we tend to block it or skip it before even paying attention to the name of the brand or even knowing what it is about.
Nowadays, whenever customers come to you for your products or services, it’s because your offerings were able to answer/solve their problem in the most efficient and suitable manner.
The market is already quite saturated in almost every industry, so it all boils down to one simple thing: How do you develop content that will make your inbound marketing successful?
Inbound marketing is about understanding your current audience, their needs, what they expect, the price they are willing to pay, etc. and then using this information to develop content that makes your products or services the best solution to their problems
Inbound marketing stands on 4 pillars. If you are into marketing, specifically inbound, these are the components that you need to lead with:
- Research
- Planning
- Execution
- Persistence
Inbound marketing also requires a lot of patience & testing. Consider this concept as a marathon, rather than a 100m sprint. You need to consistently keep improving and creating. Your patience and persistence will surely be put to a test.
But worry not, Trigacy Agency is here with some quick tips that can help you revamp your inbound marketing strategies.
Here are five critical elements of a successful inbound marketing strategy that you can apply irrespective of your industry.
1. Informative Website
If your company or product does not have a website, wake up and smell the coffee! Having a website is of crucial importance as it is literally the center point of your inbound marketing. A well-designed website with rich content that answers your potential customers’ questions is the first requisite of a successful inbound marketing strategy.
Looking at your website, your customers will actually decide if your product or service is investing their time and money. So make sure to get your beautiful and informative website up and running and see how your reach increases!
2. Regular Content Creation
Just building a website and creating your company profiles one time is not enough. To execute a successful inbound marketing strategy, you need to develop new content regularly as per the trends. Regular content creation can include blogs, videos, podcasts, newsletters, case studies, infographics, photos, white papers, etc.
Coming up with creative and insightful content regularly is a great way to get customers to take interest in your product. It keeps them engaged and creates a level of transparency which customers generally love. I mean, who wouldn’t want to know about a product or a service to the core if they are going to invest in it?
3. Search Engine Optimization
While you keep coming up with creative content, you also need to optimize it for search engines. Search engines are hands down the most affordable source of relevant traffic. The best way to optimize your content is by understanding which keywords you want to target. Keywords play an important part, as nobody really types in a whole sentence in search engines. Just a few words, and they get what they are looking for.
So if you want your website to be found online and at the same time, get that upper hand on your competitors, begin with keyword research and use them well in your content.
4. Social Media Marketing
Social media, in today’s times, is the most attractive place to build a community around your products or services. Not only does social media help you reach millions of consumers, but it also shows your customers how trustworthy and responsive you are.
One important thing though – with so many social media platforms out there, you need to target the right ones depending on your inbound marketing strategy.
5. Responsive Team
If you truly focus on making your website, search engine optimization, content creation and social media marketing work, there’s no doubt that you’ll start receiving qualified leads. And now it’s time to nurture them properly.
Nurturing your leads is a long and continuous process that can’t be neglected. Customers love it when they are well taken care of before and after doing business with your company. It’s the human psyche to have a positive response when the listener is attentive and responsive.
So, whenever you get new reviews online, respond; whenever there new comments on your social media, have a look at them and reply promptly. May the comment be positive or negative, make it a habit of responding. The same goes with the leads and sales you receive on your website. Be prompt in following up, answering their questions and providing a stellar service.
All this lets you get into the minds of your customers, helps you know what they need, and benefits you in serving the said customers well!
These 5 elements are only a start to a successful inbound marketing strategy. As marketing is all about working on strategies and executing them, you need to keep yourself up to date with the recent trends, to know what’s ‘in’ right now & which technologies have the potential to change the marketing field as you know it.
If you think we have missed any critical points or have something to add, please feel free to let us know in the comments section below. We are a responsive and dynamic team of marketers who absolutely love interacting with our readers!