There are a few issues with “push” marketing. For starters, it can get pricey. Between printing and postage costs, a direct mail piece can use up a major portion of your quarterly budget, and the same goes for flashy pop-up advertisements on high-traffic websites. The effectiveness of direct marketing is also questionable, since spam laws are making it difficult to send bulk marketing messages. Some email clients automatically file these messages in a person’s “junk” folder. Plus, new technology allows viewers to skip through commercials and close out of digital ads. Times are changing, and so should your marketing strategy.
According to a survey performed by marketing automation software HubSpot, nearly 75 percent of the top marketing firms used inbound marketing in 2013. There’s a reason why an increasing number of marketers are adopting inbound strategies: they work.
Here’s how to start using inbound marketing to make customers come to you.
1. Get on social media
Facebook and Twitter for businesses have been around for a while now. Those in social media or digital marketing jobs should make it their responsibility to establish a strong presence on social networking sites to benefit their business. By posting regularly to these sites, you can build trust and credibility – not to mention a personality – with your followers and get them to come to you. Plus, it’s a free way to reach potential customers both regularly and effectively. If the idea of building an online presence is overwhelming, try using some social media marketing tools that can help with scheduling and generating ideas for content.
2. Start a blog
If your company doesn’t already have a blog, create one. Data from another HubSpot survey revealed that even just producing one or two blog posts each month increased leads by 70 percent. It can be intimidating to figure out how to start – especially for those who don’t consider themselves writers. However, writing an article about a relevant news story in your industry can be a relatively simple way to start. As you become more comfortable producing content, feel free to mix in some pieces that highlight your company’s offerings, but use caution. Your audience likely won’t continue reading if they feel they can’t directly benefit from what you’re saying.
3. Get to know SEO
By now, marketers should know the basics of search engine optimization. This involves fixing broken links and using keywords in blogs and other website content to increase your level in search results. If you do this correctly, your inbound marketing status will increase and more people are likely to find you before you reach them. SEO powerhouse, Backlinko, recommended simple ways of adopting the strategy to boost your credibility with platforms like Google and Bing. First, make sure your content includes links to credible outside sources. This will help increase your rankings and also allow readers to trust you more. Next, use Google Analytics like you’ve never used it before. Track what people are searching to get to your site, what they’re looking for while they’re on it, and which pages they’re exiting. Knowledge is king – especially when it comes to website data.
Backlinko also suggested boosting traffic to pages other than your homepage or the first page of your blog, since many visitors drop off after the first one. You can do so by including multiple internal links to the other pages, which will, in turn, boost your rankings and make it easier for people to find your brand.
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