Inbound Marketing, simply put, is Content Marketing, which in even simpler terms is blogging, social media, website content, calls to action and landing pages.
Better yet, for you, it doesn't have to be all for these things.
We believe inbound marketing is a pick 'n' mix of those things. The most important thing is to have a marketing strategy.
Our translation of an inbound company is one who carefully produces marketing messages and content which suit their audience, shared in a way that their audience will see it.
A marketing strategy is how this kind of marketing is achieved.
Inbound is all about responding to the times – quite like how web and digital design is becoming increasingly focused on responsive functionality – and ensuring that your content evolves along with your lead.
Starting the process, you need to focus on having a strong online presence. You should have a brand and website presence that makes sense for your company and target audience. This can developed and improved with 'buyer personas'.
TIP: Buyer personas are snapshots of your typical customer. Most companies have 3-5. These representations help your content team produce better focused content with more reactive messaging.
When you have gone through the brand development process and fully understand your key messaging and buyer personas, you can refocus content and marketing strategies.
Blogging is a key part of improving your inbound marketing methods. Although you must first ensure website content and key selling messages are strengthened and translated throughout your whole team.
Blog posts create fodder for social media marketing and your blog itself becomes a hub of everything your company stands for, represents and sells.
Like your website, it is a 24/7 sales machine, capable of promoting messages, nurturing new leads and building customer relationships.
How do people find your blog posts and become leads in the first place via inbound?
Good question! Firstly, SEO is radically different to what some people still think. We don't completely dismiss it, but we suggest Keyword Marketing instead (a term with more positive connotations than SEO, based on outdated opinions).
Keyword Marketing focuses on optimising all of your content – this is why blogs and text-filled website pages are vital – to reiterate your marketing focus and messages. However, SEO shouldn't deter from quality content or interfere with other forms for marketing.
Additionally, a huge focus should be put on social media marketing. These social media pages now have a serious impact on your search visibility and can also generate huge leads.
However, you cannot just put anything and everything out there.
- How to embrace inbound marketing:
- Go through the Brand Development process and clarify your marketing goals and design
- Create Buyer Personas to better focus your brand and its marketing messages
- An overarching Marketing Plan is vital for success, it should include:
- Social Media Strategy
- Editorial Plan
- Keyword Marketing
- PR and other marketing plans
These are the first steps in producing the beginnings of a company which embraces modern content marketing methods.
Article by Rachel Townsend Green of Thrive Marketing Limited.
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