You’ve probably heard of inbound marketing before. It’s a term used to describe a marketing methodology that aims to attract customers through a variety of practices such as content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, and many more. The goal is to increase brand awareness and draw in more customers. It’s a different strategy from outbound marketing which uses promotions, advertising, and public relations to pull in new customers.

Today we’ll be discussing what inbound marketing is all about and why it’s an essential tool for any entrepreneur looking to grow their business.

What is Inbound Marketing?

Inbound marketing is one of the most effective ways to market your business online. There are plenty of reasons why you’d want to learn more about inbound marketing and some of these are  boosting your brand visibility, generating leads, and decreasing conversion time. Instead of relying on old outbound marketing tactics to get your brand out there, inbound marketing focuses on gravitating people towards your brand. This can be achieved in a lot of different ways like putting out quality content and providing potential customers with the relevant information they need.

We live in an information age where customers have the power to look things up in a matter of seconds. They want instant gratification because the internet allows them to access pricing, reviews, and detailed specifications of products and services with just a few clicks. The presence of social media encourages them to compare different products to see which one they like better. The reason why inbound marketing is so powerful is because you have the ability to provide consumers with exactly what they want at the exact moment they need it.

When customers get access to the information they’re looking for, it creates a sense of trust, reputation, and authority towards your business which is essential for expanding your brand image. Outbound marketing tactics have been supplanted with inbound marketing methodologies because it’s much easier to draw interest from potential customers rather than to push your brand to get people to notice it.

Why you need to practice inbound marketing

There are plenty of advantages to using inbound marketing. When implemented correctly, it offers the following benefits:

• Establish a strong online presence.
• Influence future customer purchases.
• Increase brand visibility.
• Allows customers to engage with your brand whenever they need it.
• Generate leads with less cost compared to traditional marketing strategies.
• Deliver organic traffic through search engine optimization (SEO)

Unlike traditional marketing methodologies, inbound marketing efforts have a snowball effect over time. For example, a quality content with an emphasis on SEO brings immediate attention to your business and it will continue to stay relevant as time passes. Once the content gets more exposure, it can transform into an ongoing source of inbound traffic through social media shares, word of mouth, and organic search engine results.

How to start inbound marketing

Inbound marketing is much like an investment. The more effort you put into it, the greater the rewards. Creating quality content is more about passion and commitment rather than budget. Don’t spend too much and focus on delivering what your potential customers want to see.

Here is how to get started in the world of inbound marketing:

• Identify your target audience. Learn about what peaks their interest and what type of information they need. Creating quality content starts by knowing what makes your potential clients tick.

• Create a compelling story about your brand. Why should your buyers be interested in your brand? How can your products/services relate to them on a personal level? These help establish trust and loyalty from your potential customers.

• Utilise social media platforms. To increase your brand visibility, you have to go where the people are. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the big three of social media platforms and creating content for these platforms will help generate leads and boost your online presence.

• Create a content calendar. You have to keep pumping out fresh new content on a regular basis to keep your audience interested. Continue engaging with your customers with relevant and quality content.

There are four key marketing funnels to focus on when implementing inbound marketing. To get the most out of inbound marketing, consider these four fundamentals below:

1. Attract.

The first step in the inbound marketing strategy is to attract potential customers. At this stage of the marketing process, churning out quality content at the right place at the right time is what gets people hooked. This can be achieved through proper SEO practices and social media marketing.

2. Convert.

Once you’ve attracted the right audience, the next step is to convert them into leads. The most effective way to do this is by acquiring their details on a landing page. To acquire this information, you must provide them with the content that they need at that specific moment. The acquired information will serve valuable in order for you to be able to market your brand effectively to your new visitors.

3.  Close.

Once the leads have been acquired, it’s time to transform them into customers. You need specific marketing tools such as social media monitoring and marketing automation to make sure that the correct lead are closed at the right time.

4. Delight.

The last step in the inbound marketing methodology is delighting your customers. Content is king in this day and age of social media and we can’t stress this enough. Even after a lead has been closed, they should still be provided with engaging and relevant content through trigger marketing and social media. This last step of the process essentially transforms your clients into your brand ambassadors which can be a huge boon to your brand image and your business as a whole.

Conclusion

Inbound marketing has the power to establish a strong online presence and make your mark in the industry you’re in. The great thing about inbound marketing is that you are in charge of the results. When you take the time to deliver outstanding content to your potential customers, you’ll be rewarded with increased brand awareness as well as sustainable growth over the long term. Give these tips a try and get started on inbound marketing today.